I have a Russian Imperial Stout that I want to age for a full year. I currently have it in kegs, uncarbonated. I like to bottle from kegs that have been force carbonated due to the lack of sediment in the final product. Can I force-carbonate it now, then bottle, and still expect it to get better with age? What if I'm force carbonating in the refrigerator?
asked Nov 25, 2011 at 16:53
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Do you have a counter-pressure bottle filler? You're going to want to purge all the atmosphere from the bottle with CO2 before filling. Even then, I suspect you'll introduce a small amount of oxygen when capping, which will accelerate spoilage.– FishesCycleNov 25, 2011 at 19:45
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I have a Blichmann beer gun. You can purge the head space with CO2 when you use it, but like you say, some oxygen may be introduced while capping.– Dustin RasenerNov 26, 2011 at 1:06
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2 Answers
Yes, you can do what you propose. A better solution, though, would be to add a bit of yeast to the keg and then bottle, rather than force carbonating. The tiny bit of bottle fermentation will help scavenge the oxygen from the bottle and promote better aging.
answered Nov 25, 2011 at 17:12
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Probably don't need the yeast, just the sugar. There should be enough cells in suspension to carbonate & scrub oxygen over a year's time. Jan 24, 2015 at 17:18
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Dean, my fear would be that since it was already kegged the yeast might have really fallen out. Of course, it's also possible that wouldn't happen, but I was playing it safe. Feb 12, 2015 at 17:08
I am getting ready to do the same thing with a very similar beer (for the first time)
I plan to bottle condition, I sit the carboy up were I will rack it from a day or two before so the sediment has time to settle out
If I were to force carb then bottle I would purge fill then purge that little head space at the top. co2 is heavier then atmosphere so you could even hold the beer gun over (instead of in) the bottle.