I will be buying a chest freezer soon and I was planning to leave the temperature at around 40 degrees, since a friend told me that non-pasteurized will spoil above that temp. This is unfortunate because I won't be able to ferment a lager at the same time, due to it's higher temp requirements. Does anyone know how if 40 degrees really is the highest temp you can go without spoiling your beer?
What temperature is safe for keg storage?
- Thread starter solbergg
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Well, I am fairly new to kegging myself, but not brewing. I store all my beer at room temperature, bottles and kegs, until I have room in the fridge.
If your beer container is sealed, and you use good sanitation, it won't be any different that any other beer.
If your beer container is sealed, and you use good sanitation, it won't be any different that any other beer.
Professor Frink
Well-Known Member
You're friend is right, and wrong. If you keep the beer in the open above 40 degrees, then yeah, it'll go bad. However, when you have a beer in a keg, there's positive pressure on the beer, meaning nothing can get into the keg due to the pressure. Therefore, you can keep kegged beer up to room temp as long as there's positive pressure.
Keep in mind that beer is pre-spoiled. It is not like you are leaving wort out. If your sanitatin is good and your keg is sealed, you are in fine shape.
FYI, I do tend to keep my chest freezers at 37-38 to avoid mold and mildew problems, except when I am fermenting in one of them.
TL
FYI, I do tend to keep my chest freezers at 37-38 to avoid mold and mildew problems, except when I am fermenting in one of them.
TL
abracadabra
Well-Known Member
The cooler you keep the beer the longer it will stay in the condition at which you originally put it in cold storage.
In other words you don't want to put your green beer in cold storage as it will age very slowly. Beer ages faster at close to fermentation temp.
But beer also has an optimal day at which it tastes the best. Cold storage at that date keeps the beer tasting better longer.
And although the beer won't spoil per se it won't taste as good after it's optimum date. That's why even Bud has a born on date.
"Mildew" is a growth that only grows outside on living plants (such as hops) and is commonly misunderstood by the general public.
In other words you don't want to put your green beer in cold storage as it will age very slowly. Beer ages faster at close to fermentation temp.
But beer also has an optimal day at which it tastes the best. Cold storage at that date keeps the beer tasting better longer.
And although the beer won't spoil per se it won't taste as good after it's optimum date. That's why even Bud has a born on date.
"Mildew" is a growth that only grows outside on living plants (such as hops) and is commonly misunderstood by the general public.
abracadabra said:
Yes, very true. Just to clarify my last post, I meant that I kept temperatures down to prevent mold and mildew on my kegs, in my taps, on the walls of my coolers, etc. I'm not at all worried about anything like that growing inside my sealed keg.
TL
wedge421
Well-Known Member
Keeping the beer at that low of a temp will also help to clear it up a bit.
I had an Oktoberfest in a keg in my basement from May to November with no problems. It was probably 70 F down there for at least two months. It spent the last month in the fridge in the mid 40's. It was Awesome!
WolfieBrew
Well-Known Member
In The Complete Joy of Home Brewing, I thought I read that there are Lagering Yeasts that are active from 35 - 60 degrees. Is it possible to store your beer at 38 and ferment at the same temperature? I apologize if this is an ignorant question; I am very new to brewing.
wildwest450
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38 is to cold even for a lager. I "cellar" my beer at 50-55f, they age well at this temp, and it's perfect for fermenting lagers.
brewdogskip
Well-Known Member
Does anyone leave kegs outside to condition during the cooler months? Would daily temperature swings have any effect on finished product?
I have a keg of APA that I have had outside this weekend as an experiment. So far it has worked just fine (high 50, low 37) with a daily CO2 recharge. I'll report back with how things hold up over the week ahead.
I have a keg of APA that I have had outside this weekend as an experiment. So far it has worked just fine (high 50, low 37) with a daily CO2 recharge. I'll report back with how things hold up over the week ahead.
dakubica
Member
Guys - lots of good info. This helps a lot as I am legging today (noob here) and my new kegerator won't get here for another 2 weeks. I store it in my fermentation closet as close the the fermentation temp as I can.
Thanks again
Thanks again
