What will replace the headspace....

[htims05]

So I brewed to much and I have 2 batches ready to be kegged....but I don't have any space in the keggerator. Was thinking of getting them out of the fermenter and into the keg and just pressurizing to 30-50psi and letting them sit in my basement (about 68-72f) until I have space...probably in 4 - 6 weeks.

a) any issues with that - or should I just let them sit in the fermenter?
b) so as the CO2 is absorbed into solution in the beer - what replaces the co2 headspace - I mean if the keg is sealed and you don't have it hooked to CO2, what replaces it - or does it just not all get absorbed into solution somehow?

 

[Brew_Dude41]

I have done this often in the past.

As long as you have a good seal and have applied sufficient CO2 pressure, nothing replaces the gas you have pushed into the headspace. It will mearly reach an equilibrium when the max CO2 enters solution for the temp and pressure you are storing it at. In other words, the liquid will absorb x amount of CO2 at a given pressure and temp, after that it the residual CO2 stays in the heads pace. Drop the temp and more CO2 goes into the solution and pressure drops. Raise the the temp and the inverse is true.

Depending on style, you want to be careful, as the hop acids can degrade quickly in highly hopped beers,.

 

[htims05]

Thanks - neither are hoppy. I'll just set the pressure to my expected vols of co2 for the temp of the room and let it sit that way.

 

[DuncB]

I regularly do this starting from the pressure ferment ( carbing from warm in a way ).

Use this calculator and then vols you want it tells you pressure for the temp beer currently at, this will be right as well when you chill.
https://drhansbrewery.com/beercarbonationcalculator/
The other thing is you can get hop creep due to diastase activity so make sure the hops have all dropped pre transfer and periodically check the pressure in the keg sometimes they need venting if slow activity continues.

 

[william_shakes_beer]

i have several kegs that sat in my basement outside the kegerator for more than a year without issues. Just purge the headspace and pressurize.