Kegging A Beer - No Fridge Space

[dpadden]

Hi Guys,

My keg fridge only holds two kegs, which is currently full. I have a third brew that is ready to keg this afternoon, but probably won't make it into the fridge for at least another week.

Which option do you think is best:

1) keg the beer, purge the headspace and simply leave at room temp until needed.

2) keg the beer, chill it (swap one out of the keg fridge) force carb, and then leave at room temp until needed.

3) Keg the beer and add some dextrose to condition naturally over the next week or two.

Looking forward to your advice :icon_cheers:

 

[whitegoose]

Hi Guys,

My keg fridge only holds two kegs, which is currently full. I have a third brew that is ready to keg this afternoon, but probably won't make it into the fridge for at least another week.

Which option do you think is best:

1) keg the beer, purge the headspace and simply leave at room temp until needed.

2) keg the beer, chill it (swap one out of the keg fridge) force carb, and then leave at room temp until needed.

3) Keg the beer and add some dextrose to condition naturally over the next week or two.

Looking forward to your advice :icon_cheers:

Option 1 should be fine, I left an amber ale uncarbed at room temp for 3 weeks with no problems at all

 

[QldKev]

Hi Guys,

My keg fridge only holds two kegs, which is currently full. I have a third brew that is ready to keg this afternoon, but probably won't make it into the fridge for at least another week.

Which option do you think is best:

1) keg the beer, purge the headspace and simply leave at room temp until needed.

2) keg the beer, chill it (swap one out of the keg fridge) force carb, and then leave at room temp until needed.

3) Keg the beer and add some dextrose to condition naturally over the next week or two.

Looking forward to your advice :icon_cheers:

4) keg the beer, purge the headspace, add dextrose to condition naturally over the next week or two.


I would go with Option 4

QldKev

 

[tomtoro]

I agree that option 1 should suffice, but option 2 would be slightly more preferable if possible. In my experience force carbing a beer increases its shelf life out of a fridge enormously. I just took some kegs on a camping trip that had not been refrigerated at all for 18 months. Apart from the fact that they had lost almost all hop flavour and aroma they were perfectly clear, tasted great, and had no signs of any infection in the keg when i went to clean them after.

I would strongly discourage option 3 because i think it will cause the yeast to proliferate in the keg too much. It goes ok in a bottle because you open it and tip off the top clear bit, but in a keg I think you'll end up with 2 inches of yeast slurry on the bottom that will probably get agitated just enough by the flow of the pour to make the beer never remotely clear.

Tom

 

[Ross]

Option 2 would definately be my prefered option for the same reasons as Tomtoro.

cheers Ross

 

[whitegoose]

Sure, but if it's only going to be out of the fridge for a week, I'd say option 1 would not adversely effect the beer in any noticable way.

 

[Fourstar]

Why dont you just force carb at ambient? :unsure:

 

[Screwtop]

Most important: Purge and replace headspace with CO2
Less Important: Keep refrigerated

Best to do both!

Screwy

 

[mxd]

I've just tried option 4, the other option, drink hard and finish one of the other kegs.


could you leave gas on it outside of the fridge ?

 

[raven19]

I've just tried option 4, the other option, drink hard and finish one of the other kegs.

It is xmas afterall! Get some mates around to help you drain those offending kegs! :icon_cheers:

could you leave gas on it outside of the fridge ?

Yes you could, but at a warmer (ambient) temp the beer would not absorb as much CO2 into solution. Hence its only really worth purging the headspace as per other posts.

 

[dpadden]

Yeah I think option 2 is sounding the best atm. Just means I have one tap out of action for 2 days (one to crash, one to carb) which is no great shake.

 

[Fourstar]

Yes you could, but at a warmer (ambient) temp the beer would not absorb as much CO2 into solution. Hence its only really worth purging the headspace as per other posts.

You just adjust the regulator pressure to suit the temperatures at ambient. Atleast thats what i do to force carb out of the fridge.

 

[OzBeer_MD]

You just adjust the regulator pressure to suit the temperatures at ambient. Atleast thats what i do to force carb out of the fridge.

FourStar, How do you calculate the pressures and times? Also Do you rock the keg like the 'Ross' method? or just jam gas into theh keg for a few days? In post or out post?

 

[mxd]

FourStar, How do you calculate the pressures and times? Also Do you rock the keg like the 'Ross' method? or just jam gas into theh keg for a few days? In post or out post?

If I understand beersmith, 201kpa at 20 degrees

 

[brettprevans]

just think about those CUB/Tooheys trucks shipping round full kegs of beer in the hot hot sun. its ok to keg and not fridge
just make sure youve got come CO2 in the keg and your laughing.

id say optin 2 as well. although ive doine option 2 with no chilling as well.

 

[wynnum1]

Can dry ice be used to carb keg and also cool.