will a second keezer help long term keg storage?

[msa8967]

Can't believe I am considering buying a second chest freezer to possibly store kegged beer for the long term. I currently am using a 9 cf chest freezer with a collar to store six kegs that are all on their own taps. Since learning to keg this past fall I have decided it is much easier than bottling and have now aquired 4 more kegs for using to carb more beer.

My idea (and it may not be very sound) is to try to have these 4 kegs as backups so that once a tapped keg is empty I can put these ready to go into the tapped keezer. I was thinking of using corn sugar for natural carbing of the keg (and purged any O2 at the start) and then the question is where to store these for long term durations?

Would having an aux keezer (with no taps) to keep these kegs chilled once they have been carb be overkill or am I just becoming obsessed with this new hobby? Is their a fine way to store untapped kegs for later use?

 

[SamuraiSquirrel]

No, i want to do this as well. I haven't picked up another freezer yet though. I have a buddy who has a freezer full of beers that haven't even hit the taps yet. Talk about pipeline. Then you don't even have to feel like you are waiting for them to age.

Would work very well for beers that age well. My pales ales and IPA's will always jump to the front regardless of what's aging at the time but for pretty much everything else the cold conditioning will only make it better IMO.

 

[samc]

I'd want to know ahead of time what age the beers are best served. No sense long terming something that is not going to do well. But I would agree that keeping them at a constant temperature would be ideal. I don't like corn sugar carbing and much prefer to pump in CO2 so if it was me I'd buy a second tank & reg, which I did of course. So I can carb my beers away from the serving kegs.

 

[msa8967]

I have found that I really enjoy brewing my own beer with now over 300 gallons brewed in 2 years (about 1/2 of this has ben shared and given away) but I just don't have time to bottle anymore since we have an 11 month old son and another hopefully along the way. I like the concept of a pipeline for the kegs but my brewing times can be so erratic that I may go a month w/o brewing and then run dry of some the beers I really enjoy having on tap. All of my brewing is done outdoors in the driveway/garage so i would like to find a solution where I can have plenty of kegged beer to make it through Iowa winters and into spring.

 

[Razorbrew]

I have a four tap keezer, and a total of 11 kegs. I use corn sugar to prime my kegs while waiting on a spot in the keezer, but just store them at room temp. If you have the cash and the room for the extra freezer that's cool. Well... until you get more kegs than the aux freezer will store. Then where are you going to put that third freezer.

 

[msa8967]

I'd want to know ahead of time what age the beers are best served. No sense long terming something that is not going to do well. But I would agree that keeping them at a constant temperature would be ideal. I don't like corn sugar carbing and much prefer to pump in CO2 so if it was me I'd buy a second tank & reg, which I did of course. So I can carb my beers away from the serving kegs.

Are you carbing the beers when they are warm(room temp) or cold with your second CO2 tank? That may be an easier solution provided they can carb OKwith CO2 at room temps in my basement.

 

[msa8967]

I have a four tap keezer, and a total of 11 kegs. I use corn sugar to prime my kegs while waiting on a spot in the keezer, but just store them at room temp. If you have the cash and the room for the extra freezer that's cool. Well... until you get more kegs than the aux freezer will store. Then where are you going to put that third freezer.

I have yet to sample any of my kegging results with corn sugar. I would like to know how much corn sugar you typically use to carb 5 gallons of beer in your kegs. I have read amounts anywhere from 3-5 oz being used.

 

[Benthic]

If you're going to force carb the beers then storing them cold in a second keezer would be a good idea. But if you plan to naturally carb them, you'll want to prime each keg and then let it sit a room temperature. Otherwise I'd be worried that it would be too cold for the yeast to work and carb your beer for you.

Brian

 

[msa8967]

As far as trying to keg with corn sugar for carbonation I was planning on leaving the beer in the keg with 3-4 oz of corn sugar per 5 gallons for a period of at least 3 weeks prior to moving to any cld storage unit. Do you think I shuld leave these at room temp for a longer period of time to help condition the beer?

 

[ChadS99SVT]

not crazy. We have a 6 tap keezer and plan on getting a second keezer strictly as a Carbing/Fermentation chamber. plan to get a 4 way manifold with gas lines only and carb them so they are ready to go.

This second keezer will be a craigsliist special and be stuck in the corner of the garage or basement.

 

[msa8967]

My beer fridge and freezer/keezer have all been Craig's list specials because buying brand new units are just to expensive.

 

[ChadS99SVT]

My beer fridge and freezer/keezer have all been Craig's list specials because buying brand new units are just to expensive.

yeah....that is generally the best way but for us the 6 tap collar system we wanted a black chest freezer and wanted it to be nice and in good shape since it goes right in the living room of the house. hard to find stuff in great shape let alone a black chest freezer on CL.

 

[samc]

Are you carbing the beers when they are warm(room temp) or cold with your second CO2 tank? That may be an easier solution provided they can carb OKwith CO2 at room temps in my basement.

Both ways. In the winter the garage is close to the right temp, otherwise you need to adjust the psi to account for the warmer temps. I bought a second tank & reg for $40 off Craigs List and then got another one for free right after that. So I have 3 tanks & 3 regulators (one of which leaks).

 

[Razorbrew]

I have yet to sample any of my kegging results with corn sugar. I would like to know how much corn sugar you typically use to carb 5 gallons of beer in your kegs. I have read amounts anywhere from 3-5 oz being used.

Same ratio as bottling. Just one big bottle.

 

[studmonk3y]

Same ratio as bottling. Just one big bottle.

Not true. I don't know the science behind it but you use about half the amount of priming sugar if you're kegging rather than bottling. Use a carbonation calculator it will tell you.

 

[Razorbrew]

Not true. I don't know the science behind it but you use about half the amount of priming sugar if you're kegging rather than bottling. Use a carbonation calculator it will tell you.

Well... I had not heard that before I read your post, so I did a little research (on this forum). And there seems to be no consensus. Now, I didn't read every thread on the subject, but it seems that those who think you only need half of the sugar, provide no proof or science to their theory. So unless you can't point so something definitive you shouldn't slap a "not true" on my post. If you can, I would love to see it. I am always open to learning something new.

 

[studmonk3y]

Well... I had not heard that before I read your post, so I did a little research (on this forum). And there seems to be no consensus. Now, I didn't read every thread on the subject, but it seems that those who think you only need half of the sugar, provide no proof or science to their theory. So unless you can't point so something definitive you shouldn't slap a "not true" on my post. If you can, I would love to see it. I am always open to learning something new.

Like I said, I don't know the science either but I've read it numerous times and it works.
see http://brewwiki.com/index.php/Kegging#Kegging_with_Natural_Carbonation

The calculator in Beersmith calculates it in this fashion as well. So I'm sure you can find a formula for this out there somewhere. I'm sure it has something to do with the volume to headspace ratio.
Cheers!

 

[msa8967]

So if I initially primed with too little corn sugar will having the keg hooked up to about 10-12 psi for a week or tI wo make up the difference for low carbonation? This assumes that I let the corn sugar do its thing for 3 weeks at room temp.

 

[studmonk3y]

So if I initially primed with too little corn sugar will having the keg hooked up to about 10-12 psi for a week or tI wo make up the difference for low carbonation? This assumes that I let the corn sugar do its thing for 3 weeks at room temp.

Yea let to sit for 3 weeks at room temp then hook it up to gas. Set the pressure depending on the temperature and the desired volume of CO2 (http://www.iancrockett.com/brewing/info/forcecarb.shtml). You'll eventually reach equilibrium. Because you already primed it, it won't take as long to get there.

 

[VaBrewer]

I have always done 1/3 cup of corn sugar boiled in 1 cup of water for a 5 gallon keg.
That's on the instructions that came with my first kegging kit from Midwest. I have never had a problem.

I don't leave wheat beer, fruit beer or IPA's in storage for long because they are the first to degrade. Typically your darker stronger beer will benefit from aging and only get better. Now I haven't had to dump antything, but the fruit flavors and hops fade fairly quick in the lighter beers after a few months. So that yummy IPA will still be good, just not as good as it was. I've had some on tap for 3 months and it's still good. I always purge mine with co2 when they get kegged, regardless if they are going right on gas or going to the basement for storage.

Well that's my .02!

 

[wildwest450]

As someone with 5 dedicated brewing freezers, I say go for it!!!


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