Extra Kegs

[UsernameTaken]

Now that I'm finally kegging I am just wondering about back loading supplies?

When your chilled kegs are full is it advised to keep brewing and filling kegs for later?

And, if so, how best should they be stored?

Should they be carbonated straight away or would you wait until they go in the fridge?

Cheers,
UNT

 

[Blind Dog]

Depends. I've got 4 taps and 11 kegs. The Keezer fits 6, so 2 full kegs cold condition in there, waiting to be rotated on. All kegs in the keezer are usually connected to CO2 at serving pressure (70 kpa/10 psi). I'll often have another 2 or 3 at room temp and these are naturally carbonated using about 60% of the sugar or LDME that the priming calculators provide and are usually English styles.

 

[UsernameTaken]

So you are more than happy to leave kegs full of beer in waiting as you would with bottles?

Cheers,
UNT

 

[mtb]

Depends on a couple of things.

• Rate of consumption
  If you're going through a keg every three weeks on average, and you can turn around a batch (grain to glass) in four weeks, you might have a gap in supply if you brew to fill only your just-emptied kegs. My approach when starting out was to fill all available kegs and keep logs of when they go dry / are filled; eventually, I figured out my pattern of consumption, and adjusted my supply to match. I ended up with five kegs in rotation which left time for gradual carbing at serving pressure. Also, if you intend to let your beer age a little (even just a few weeks which I think is worthwhile) this adds extra time.
• Storage capability
  How many kegs can you fit in cold storage? The more, the better IMO. Not much point storing a keg at room temp unless you're dry hopping and you believe doing so in warm beer is more effective than when cold. If you're using the same CO2 bottle & regulator for kegs in cold storage & warm, consider that different temperatures of beer will absorb CO2 at different rates. If you want to carb as quickly as possible without force carbing, carb your kegs cold.

 

[malt junkie]

There are also beers that bulk age well at room temp(17-22°c), Belgians and RIS spring to mind, after filling the purged keg top it off with 200kpa, let sit for a year or so, transfer to a new keg, chill carb and serve.

 

[user 31093]

My current keezer I only have room for 2 kegs, I brew double batches so I've usually got 1-3 kegs out of the fridge pending keezer room, when one's finished I drop it in. I usually brew when I've got 2 kegs empty AND at least one keg (of a different beer) that's in the keezer half empty.

I've started naturally carbing kegs that are going to spend time outside of the keezer, effectively treat them like a big bottle.

Done both nat/forced carb with the same batch before, no difference noticed other than the nat carbed one is a little more likely to have sediment shaken up when being moved.

 

[earle]

My keezer has 5 taps but I built it with a 7 keg capacity in mind in order to have spare kegs carbonating at serving pressure so they would be ready when required. In reality I have only ever had 5 kegs in it. I have a second gas bottle and have set up a fridge in the back shed for conditioning/carbonating the spare kegs. In practice I drink from these once carbonated anyway - but it does mean I have a couple of nearly full kegs to move into my inside keezer when required. I usually brew when there is space in the back fridge for a keg.

The second gas bottle in the back shed also means I have gas on hand for cleaning/purging etc without having to phaff around with the gas on my keezer. Can also be used for portable set ups etc - the 2nd gas cylinder has been a good investment IMO.