St. George Imperial Stout...

[Dude]

Got a question boys....

I went over to St. George's today and purchased the last 4 bottles of the seasonal stout. I don't know if that is good or bad.

Anyway--they have kegs left--and I could buy a 1/6 barrel keg that would fit in my kegerator. What I'm thinking of doing is getting a beer gun and some oxygen absorbing caps and putting about 3/4 of that stout into bottles. I'd certainly send some off to you guys if interested--but is it worth my effort?

I'm mainly concerned about how this beer will age if it has been exposed to air?

The beer is worth it--trust me. I've sat on saying this for a few days, I'm drinking one now--but it is THE best beer I've ever had. Yes, those are some bold words. And no, I'm not drunk either.
It has a great mouthfeel, slight sweetness, and just a perfect balance. For an imperial stout this is nirvana, IMHO.

 

[El Pistolero]

I'm mainly concerned about how this beer will age if it has been exposed to air?

I thought with a beer gun you purged the air from the bottle with CO2 so there's no air exposure.

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

Wouldn't you have to somehow connect CO2 to the keg (as opposed to the pump type picnic tap)? Is it like a corny keg with the same fittings?

 

[Dude]

I thought with a beer gun you purged the air from the bottle with CO2 so there's no air exposure.

Well, the beer gun wouldn't be the problem. That wouldn't oxidize it, but the limited exposure to air before I cap it is what I'm worried about. If this was a beer that would get drunk up before a few weeks I wouldn't think twice about it--but I think this sucker could age REALLY well. I'd like to age a case at least, and try it as months/years go on.

Wouldn't you have to somehow connect CO2 to the keg (as opposed to the pump type picnic tap)? Is it like a corny keg with the same fittings?

The Blichmann Beer Gun is a pretty awesome tool.

 

[El Pistolero]

Well, the beer gun wouldn't be the problem. That wouldn't oxidize it, but the limited exposure to air before I cap it is what I'm worried about.

I have no idea what I'm talking about here, but I was reading a lot about that Blichman, just because it looks so cool. I thought the idea was that you're purging air from the bottle (with CO2), then filling at pressure from the bottom, so that when you're done the "air space" at the top of the bottle should be filled with CO2, so if you cap it quick there's no exposure to air.

I'd be willing to chance it anyway...put me down for a sixer of 22 oz. bottles.

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

I think what I'm getting at is that I'm not familiar with 1/6 kegs and how the beer would get from the keg to the beer gun...I assume the beer gun would be connected to CO2 for purging the bottles, but how will you be forcing the beer from the keg? Every keg I've gotten from a brewery used a picnic tap which of course would force the beer out with air which would imply exposure to oxygen. If a 1/6 keg is really just a corny with a gas in post then I get it.

 

[Dude]

I think what I'm getting at is that I'm not familiar with 1/6 kegs and how the beer would get from the keg to the beer gun...I assume the beer gun would be connected to CO2 for purging the bottles, but how will you be forcing the beer from the keg? Every keg I've gotten from a brewery used a picnic tap which of course would force the beer out with air which would imply exposure to oxygen. If a 1/6 keg is really just a corny with a gas in post then I get it.

A 1/6th keg looks just like a corny, but instead of a beer in/gas out on each side, it has one center hole that you hook up a sanke connection instead.