under pressure?

[Zymurgrafi]

storing beer that is? So you keg your beer. You force carbonate (your favorite method here) and then...

If you keep it in the fridge/kegerator do you need to keep it under pressure or do you disconnect until you are ready to serve? For instance, you have one or two you are serving, can you have a couple of others just sitting in back not connected to the CO2 tank as long as they are pressurized? Do they lose carbonation? Do they get overly carbonated if you have them under pressure but they are not dispensing???

Sorry if this is real basic knowledge. I searched the internet but could not find a straightforward answer.

Thanks folks!


Headed off to buy some more kegs... :rockin:

 

[Brewing Clamper]

when I keg a beer, I hook it up to the gas and put it in the kegarator. I don't bother with the whole shaking, ect. to force carb it. Once it drops down to the temp of my fridge (~40F) with 12PSI the beer will only absorb a certain amount of CO2 (close to 2.5 volumes). After about a week I got perfectly carbed beer.

EDIT: once you remove it from the gas connection, it's a closed system, you won't loose or gain any co2.

 

[Drunkensatyr]

I force carb em cold, then after about a week or two just disconnect the keg and let it sit till i tap it. Never had a problem (unless the keg leaked)

 

[david_42]

I used to condition under pressure, but I've had too many poppet valves start leaking and now condition without pressure. I go so far as to leave the pressure valve open.

 

[Glibbidy]

the key is keeping the pressurized beer cold if you don't plan on dispensing it right away.

 

[Zymurgrafi]

excellent.

Thank you folks. So I can stock up my fridge pretty well. It will hold 5 cornies with the CO2 tank, 6 if I put that outside.

 

[Zymurgrafi]

the key is keeping the pressurized beer cold if you don't plan on dispensing it right away.

So, if I run outta room... Don't carbonate it? Just seal it with pressure and let it sit in the basement (fluctuates 58°-60° in the winter, 65°-73° in the summer)?

 

[Movinfr8]

the key is keeping the pressurized beer cold if you don't plan on dispensing it right away.

I have plenty of room in the deep fridge right now, but just bought 5 extra cornies. my goal is to make a LOT of beer at one time, so I can condition it properly without rushing things to replace a last batch. We go thru about 5 gallons a month, and enjoy several kinds of ales, havent tried a lager yet.
Can I rack to the keg, and store the beer at room temp, if I purge the oxygen butdo not carb it?

 

[WortMonger]

So, you guys wouldn't suggest storing a finished beer at room temperature? By finished I mean naturally carbonated, conditioned, and ready for serving. I haven't noticed any ill effects (ales only). I have been brewing for years, and have always wondered about the science behind some of brewing's little controversial/multi-sided arguments. Being from Oklahoma, all of our beer above 3.2% ABW is sold in liquor stores at room temperature. They keep it 68*F and block out sunlight the best they can at my favorite store, but some of it is finished bottle conditioned beer so..... Anyways, I know someone will probably chime in with some science and educate me. :rockin:

 

[Glibbidy]

So, if I run outta room... Don't carbonate it? Just seal it with pressure and let it sit in the basement (fluctuates 58°-60° in the winter, 65°-73° in the summer)?

Can I rack to the keg, and store the beer at room temp, if I purge the oxygen but do not carb it?

You should be fine for conditioning the beer as long as you purge the headspace in the the kegs of O2.

IMHO 73f and above is to high for conditioning beer. My 2 cents. I have read about brewers having success with warm/hot storage above 73f

 

[Zymurgrafi]

well, I haven't experimented with priming/conditioning in kegs yet. i am totally new to it. Figured I would learn the basics first which is what this is about. I can store most of mine in a fridge, but it would be good to know about warmer strorage too.

 

[Bobby_M]

I don't find any problem with storing a carbed beer at room temp whether it was initially carbed cold or warm. If you carb it cold and then warm it up, you still have the same number of volumes you did before in the closed keg. Sure, you'll want to chill it back down before serving again.

 

[BierMuncher]

well, I haven't experimented with priming/conditioning in kegs yet. i am totally new to it. Figured I would learn the basics first which is what this is about. I can store most of mine in a fridge, but it would be good to know about warmer strorage too.

One piece of advice k of G...

Don't sugar prime a keg if you have sufficient gas to charge it instead.

I did that early on when I started 10 gallon batches. GAs one keg and prime the other and set aside for 2-3 months and hook up and serve.

Definite yeast bite in the primed keg. A Bass & Co Ale that I charged was a favorite of my friends...next keg...not su much.

I found the same to be true with subsequent batches.

GAs charged beer is much cleaner.

 

[Adolphus79]

not meaning to hi-jack the thread, but...

having not done any kegging yet, am I reading correctly that with kegging, you do not need to prime with sugar, just force carb under pressure? Just trying to get all my ducks in a row for when I do start kegging. Also, if force carbed without priming sugar, once carbed, it will stay carbed if taken off the gas?

 

[olllllo]

not meaning to hi-jack the thread, but...

having not done any kegging yet, am I reading correctly that with kegging, you do not need to prime with sugar, just force carb under pressure? Just trying to get all my ducks in a row for when I do start kegging. Also, if force carbed without priming sugar, once carbed, it will stay carbed if taken off the gas?

Yes and yes, those are correctly rowed ducks..