storing a keg at room temp

[fluketamer]

i am not even sure if storing is the right word (conditioning, secondary fermenting)

i usually rack to keg and cold crash and carb at about 20 psi and 35 degrees.

i have cider and beer in primary that is ready to keg and i have keg space but no space in kegerator.

if i rack my beer or cider to a purged keg and then blast it with like 20 psi then leave it off gas at room temp is this advisable? or is leaving uncarbonated beer in a keg at room temp without constant gas an issue.?
i dont want to prime the keg with sugar which i know is an option because i dont like a lot of sediment in my keg and i dont want to condition in the keg for another few weeks with the added fermentable etc. . the fridge space will likely be freed up in week or two.

thanks

 

[tracer bullet]

Typically cold crash prior to kegging. But that aside... Cold temps tend to keep things more stable, warmer temps will let them change faster ("age"). It can be beer dependent if you want to store it warm or cold. I'd store a NEIPA cold, to retain the hop flavor as long as possible, but consider a stout stored warm being fine - any aging characteristics tend to be beneficial.

I'd carbonate something kegged for 2 reasons, 1) maybe (?) the slightly lower pH from carbonation could keep any spoiling down? I'm using lots of question marks there. But definitely 2) because it's nice to grab the keg and have it be ready to go, or at least close to ready.

 

[fluketamer]

thanks for the reply

 

[IslandLizard]

I've kept a kegged Imperial Pumpkin Ale in my 65F "utility room" for over 6 months. It kept improving, while the already subtle, but still a bit overwhelming spicing mellowed out nicely. Once that spice had integrated (or subsided) enough, it became one of the best, more memorable beers from that time. Period!

Kept under 15 psi to make sure the lid remained sealed. I would pull a small taster with a picnic tap every 1-2 months to "monitor" progress.

 

[day_trippr]

if i rack my beer or cider to a purged keg and then blast it with like 20 psi then leave it off gas at room temp is this advisable?

This is not likely to provide any benefit. Assuming the beer hasn't been warmed above its fermentation temperature it is probably holding around .7~.8 volumes of CO2, and the head space would (hopefully) be quite small. Filling that space with 20psi CO2 then taking the keg off gas isn't going to move the carbonation needle much at all, hence while it's not a total waste of time or CO2 it's not really going to change the situation wrt storage - and there isn't going to be much pressure keeping the lid O-ring squished.

If the facility is amenable I would put the keg on CO2 and keep it there until it has reached the desired carbonation level. The benefits would be somewhat lower pH (which is helpful for keeping bugs at bay), more pressure keeping the lid tight (keeping the CO2 in the keg), and it'll be ready to drink with just an overnight chilling...

Cheers!

 

[SFC Rudy]

Add half the amount of priming sugar needed for bottling, seal the lid and let it carbonate like a large beer bottle.

 

[whattabrau]

Pretty much what others have said, but if you can't leave it on gas, blast it several times for the first few days to ensure you get enough CO2 in there to keep the lid sealed. Or, if you have nitrogen or beer gas, one blast of that is enough.

btw, my process for dry cider is to rack from primary into a keg with priming sugar and wait about 6 months. IMO it gets drinkable only after about 3 months of aging. I know you said you don't want sediment, but if you don't move the keg, you have to discard just the first quarter pint. If you're really set against priming, force-carbonate but still wait. Or, if you don't want to experiment with the whole keg, bottle a few and see how they drink around the end of the year. (just a friendly suggestion, no offense meant)

 

[mac_1103]

Add half the amount of priming sugar needed for bottling, seal the lid and let it carbonate like a large beer bottle.

The OP said he doesn't want to prime in the keg. I assume this means he doesn't want to half prime in the keg either.