I have a Choc stout 1 1/2 weeks primary 1 1/2 weeks secondary and a smoked porter 2 1/2 weeks primary That I want to keg. In your opinion will this beer "properly" condition, force carbed in a keg as opposed to several more weeks in a secondary?
i force carbonate most of my beers and drink them within a couple of days of kegging. these are mainly my session beers, tho.
a lot of beers absolutely NEED conditioning. i've found it doesn't really matter whether that conditioning happens in the carboy, the keg, the bottle, etc, as long as your final gravity is down before you transfer from primary (although i think a long primary is very beneficial)
if you want to keg it, go for it. if it doesn't taste good from the keg yet, just leave it in there, under pressure, and try a taste every now and then until it smooths out.
oh, perspective needs the other end of the argument:
i sometimes leave my belgians and other strong beers in the primary for a couple of months...even if fermentation finishes in less than two weeks.
does it not affect the taste leaving it in the primary for so long with all that sediment? i was thinking primary, secondary, then either conditioning in the secondary or in the keg for the long haul. i understand some need longer than others.. and honestly i'm not really all that worried about it, BUT there are a couple that I want to try, that are suggested that they condition for 6 months.
where would you condition that one? a holiday ale for example
another point i was trying to bring up.. if i anticipate it setting awhile should i leave it uncarbonated in the closet, or does it matter if it sits under pressure in the keg? is the shelf life affected either way.
and i may be misusing the word "conditioning" I understand that it can be used to describe the natrual carbonation. but i mean conditioning here as, letting the beer sit and the flavors meld.. is there a more accurate word to use for that concept
Yes, If I am ageing under pressure I usually just leave it on the gas and let it carb over a week or two. The major difference between ageing in a keg and a secondary is the first glass out of the tap. The beer will continue to clear under pressure and all the sediment will end up in the first glass.In your opinion will this beer "properly" condition, force carbed in a keg as opposed to several more weeks in a secondary?
i understand your distinction and you are using it correctly.
yes, leaving it in the primary will affect the beers taste. it will make it cleaner and smoother! leaving it on the YEAST is what makes this happen...the other crap doesn't really do anything but sit there. the only thing you have to worry about is autolysis, which takes MONTHS to occur.
beer will condition in any and every stage. if you went straight to keg and tasted it every week, for example, you would notice a difference.
do what works for you!
a couple of reasons: some people age their beer for months. i left my belgian dark strong in the secondary for six months. that's too long for primary, autolysis WILL occur with that great amount of time.
also is for clearing. If i get it off the yeast and suck up very little, even more yeast and crap will fall out in the secondary. you'll end up with a much clearer beer the longer you leave it and the colder you have it. using a secondary helps with this.
Enter your email address to join: