After beer is done fermenting can I move it to a keg not carbonate it and let it sit for a long time? Or could it sit for a longer period of time after being carbonated?
asked Jun 27, 2017 at 5:42
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How long is "a long time"?– PhilippeCommented Jun 27, 2017 at 18:11
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A month or two. The way it sounds is I can have a keg pressurized by co2 and continuously drink out of it for a couple of months. Does that sound right to you?– jordan thielmanCommented Jun 27, 2017 at 19:20
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1I had a batch sitting in a secondary (glass carboy) for a month (at cellar temperature) because I had left for vacation. I bottle-conditionned after that, and it turn out great. Important things for preservation are: no air and cool temperature.– PhilippeCommented Jun 28, 2017 at 12:49
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3 Answers
This would seem to be the same process as storing beer in a "brite tank" to allow it to clear after fermentation. Using a clean keg is always a good idea but I have found it sufficient to scald the keg using a kettle of boiling water. However I do clean and rinse the keg after use and before storage.
One could leave the beer to clear in a barrel/keg/secondary bin without adding any sugar and I have done this for periods of two or three weeks without any ill effect on the beer.
I agree with the comment above about adding a small amount of sugar/glucose (dissolved in a minimal amount of boiled water) to allow some continued fermentation to scavenge the oxygen from a closed keg while conditioning/ageing. However almost 100g for a 24 L keg is sufficient to carbonate it for dispensing from the keg. If one wanted to store it less or "un"-carbonated then approximately 20g of sugar would be sufficient to start minor fermentation and scavenge the oxygen in the closed barrel. There would be little point in doing this for an unsealed keg/barrel.
I do this regularly, not using a keg, but e.g. a glass container.
- Clean and disinfect well before usage
- Make sure that you do not splash when transferring
What I also do is add some extra sugar to start a little fermentation to let the CO2 blow out the rest of the air after transfer. I use 4g per litre of volume that needs to be filled (you do need an airlock then of course).
However, it also depends of the kind of beer you have made. This is better for strong beers than for light beers. I do this for bock, barley wine and imperial stout.
After beer is done fermenting can I move it to a keg not carbonate it and let it sit for a long time?
Bulk aging at cellar temps is generally not done in a keg, unless you use a spunding valve or something similar as if you leave it sealed, any pressure build up won't have anywhere to go and will carbonate the beer. The can have mixed results on the flavor of your beer.
Or could it sit for a longer period of time after being carbonated?
Generally, a carbonated and sealed ale will last a long time at cellar temps; the stronger (higher ABV) and more hops (higher IBU or dry hopped) the longer it will last.
Bulk aging after carbonation at fridge temps is also known as lagering.
The way it sounds is I can have a keg pressurized by co2 and continuously drink out of it for a couple of months. Does that sound right to you?
This sounds like a different question. Perhaps you should start with what it is you are trying to accomplish.
