Force Carbing Warm while Conditioning? Do I have this right?

[bushwilliams]

Okay, I have searched around with little luck so here is my question.

I am now kegging my homebrew (which I am new to, 6 batches down). I have two CO2 bottles and regulators. Please read my process and tell me if I have it wrong, am overcomplicating things:

1.) Primary for 4 weeks, rack to keg

2.) Put keg on gas at room temp for 2 weeks (25-30PSI is what the carb charts show for 2.1-2.5 volumes @ 72-74 degrees) My thought process here is that this is the keg version of bottle conditioning warm while also starting the "set it and forget it" carbing method

3.) When pipeline permits, pull keg from warm condition/carbing and put in fridge, back on gas at serving pressure

Question 1: Really my main question is, is the room temp part necessary for conditioning? I understand we bottle condition to also allow yeast to carbonate, but is the warm part serving another purpose? Could I just move that keg right into the fridge and put it on gas to carb and condition?

Question 2: In your experience, even at the suggested 25-30PSI for 10-14 days at 72-74 degress, will the beer absorb and CO2 and actually give me a head start on carbing or is this wasted time and gas?

Question 3: What would you do with this setup, do you have any suggestions for me?

Thanks for your time everyone I really appreciate it!

 

[Yooper]

I don't make many beers that need that much conditioning. I usually keep in the fermenter for 2 weeks, 3 at the most, then keg. They are almost always ready to go in the kegerator at that time. But if there was a beer that needed more time at a warmer temperature, I'd leave the keg out of the fridge. Or, as is more likely, no room in the kegerator!

I have an oatmeal stout that needs about 4-5 weeks for the flavors to meld and become perfect, but the rest of my beers (APAs, ambers, IPAs, milds, etc) are ready way before then.

The way you're considering doing is fine, though, if the beer needs more time.

 

[edmanster]

You might want to purge some head pressure before hooking up the serving pressure because they won't be identical... If your not using a check valve and you have more pressure in the keg you might blow back into your lines....

 

[Gunfighter04]

Conditioning is really Style dependant. My bourbon Oak Porter benefits greatly from conditioning. Most of my other beers spend 3-4 weeks in the primary, then get racked to the keg and immediately go into the keezer and get gassed.

After reading that I'm going to add a bit. All beers IMHO go thru a "green" phase. How long they are green is also a matter of taste. Just as an example. I did a Imperial pale Ale that had a pretty good hop bill. As I'm not a huge hophead, I thought it really came into it's own at about 6 weeks in the keg. Too bad it was almost gone by then.

Just as a summary, as you gain experience and learn what your tastes are, you can adjust Primary time, secondary time and conditioning to get the style of beer matched to the way you like your beer to taste.

Don't be afraid to experiment.

 

[gavo]

Question 2: In your experience, even at the suggested 25-30PSI for 10-14 days at 72-74 degress, will the beer absorb and CO2 and actually give me a head start on carbing or is this wasted time and gas?

I just recently kegged my first beer, and this is exactly what I did. I kept the pressure right around 28-30psi the whole time it was at room temp. When I got my kegerator a week later, I popped it in, turned the pressure down to serving, and once it was cold tapped the keg. I had great tasting carbed beer about 9 days after kegging. The beer will absorb the C02 while it's warm, it just takes more pressure.