What is the best method to bulk age my 8% red?

[HHP]

Stats:

Volume: 10 gallons, 2x5 gallon buckets
OG: 1.068
FG: 1.008 (lower than expected)
IBU: 48
Yeast: 1L starter of wlp001

It is rusty red in color, which was the intention

I brewed it on 1/15, it is in the secondary, i put it there at 1.025 on 1/22, as the beers intention was just to prepare some yeast cakes for my barley wine (ironically, this is the more interesting of the two from what I've been told).

I will be drinking it in late august, when I come home for r&r.

The options I have come up with so far are:

1) Leave it as it is, in the closet, subject to SWMBO's ambient air temperature desires (which are 75-80)
2) Move it to my kegerator and set it on the warmest setting (no ranco or anything). This would be considered lagering?
3) Have SWMBO add priming sugar and keg it
4) Have SWMBO add priming sugar, keg it, and move it to the fridge in a month.

Thoughts?

 

[Hammy71]

Assuming your going to keg it. I would go with 2 on gas. If your not coming back til August, that'll be almost 7 months since it was brewed. Probably won't be that great if left warm for that long at only 1.069 OG. I'd sit in in the kegger and wouldn't even fidget with the temperature. Hook it up with the CO2 at serving pressure and it'll be something to look forward to when you get home.

 

[HHP]

OK, I figured this would be a good opportunity to try "naturally" carbonating it, but I can just have her keg it and put it on gas.

What is the shelf life of a beer like this sitting in the fermenter?

What about the shelf life of my barleywine that this beer made way for, OG 1.11, FG 1.022?

 

[samc]

If it was mine I would cold crash, keg & carb. Then leave it alone till you are back.

 

[edb23]

I would prime and keg the red and leave it carbed till you got back. the barleywine sitting in secondary should be fine for that period of time