Maturing In The Keg

[Crunched]

I started kegging a few weeks ago and just filled my 3rd and 4th kegs today. I'm planning on letting these sit for a few weeks or so to mature (a golden ale and an aussie pale FWK).

Anyway, after reading around it seems that most people on AHB don't bother maturing and just chill the kegs, force carb and drink straight away. I did this with my first 2 kegs and even now (about 3 weeks on) they're still a bit rough.

So what's the go - is it worth maturing? Or is it a waste of time?

Also - can I mature these kegs cold? I mean - can I put them in my chest freezer with the other kegs and allow them to mature there or is it best to let them mature close to their fermentation temps?

 

[pokolbinguy]

I naturally carbonate my kegs instead for force carbonating, for this reason there is atleast a few weeks wait before they are ready to drink but generally my brews have been in keg for a few months before being tapped. I have found about 2-3 months makes the beer develop better texture and flavour.

As for maturing in the freezer........buy more kegs and taps....serve more beers and then you will find your kegs aren't empty all the time and this will allow you to mature your beers better.

 

[mika]

Depends on the beer, something like an APA with a truck load of late hops can taste quite ordinary. I generally have my beers in the keg for ~1wk before drinking, but I've gone less. Nothing like that freshness of the malt and hops. If you like it smoothed out, by all means mature them for a while, your beer, your call.

 

[buttersd70]

Depends on the beer

Exactly. On the far side of the examples from what Mika mentioned about APA, many English beers benefit from being drunk very young....I force carbed one straight from primary yesterday, just 3 days after fermentation ended....and finished 12L off that afternoon.... :icon_drool2: I just couldn't stop drinking it.

 

[QldKev]

For me;;;;;

Fermentor, at fermenting temp until ready, (depends on yeast)
then min 2 days at 2 degrees to clear beer, (hopefully 1 week)
Into kegs, with CO2 at serving pressure. (no shake, rattle n roll here)
Now depending on the beer, unless I want a fresh hops hit 2 weeks min before serving, 4-6weeks improves beer.

QldKev

 

[Cortez The Killer]

a week to a couple of weeks will change beer in the keg

i lack patience so i'm always sampling beers a little while after force carbing

most beers improve given time

cheers

 

[matti]

I allowed my latest ale to naturally carbonate and at ten days it appears to have reached a nice carbonation level.

I didn't use fining's and wondering how long will it take to make an average beer presentable by waiting for the all junk to fall out?

Also, I assume I shouldn't be sampling any until it has cleared fully?

Thirdly: were can I find a reference for type of beers and aging?

Cheers

Matti

 

[SJW]

I just ferment out,
Diacytl rest Lagers at 18 or 20 for 2 days,
then crash chill overnight (all in the primary)
Transfer to keg, and force carb only (no rocking or rolling) for 24 hours at 350kpa,
Then drink.
As above some beers need a couple of weeks in the keg and being cold makes no diff.
FWIW I can't understand why u would bother naturally carbonating kegged beer :huh: when there a bottle of good co2 ready to do the job.
Anyway, where's my flame suit

Steve

 

[matti]

I should rephrase that.
I left the gas at 100Kpa and allow it to carbonate by itself.
LOL
Wife need attention hehehehehe

 

[wyatt_girth]

For me;;;;;

Fermentor, at fermenting temp until ready, (depends on yeast)
then min 2 days at 2 degrees to clear beer, (hopefully 1 week)
Into kegs, with CO2 at serving pressure. (no shake, rattle n roll here)
Now depending on the beer, unless I want a fresh hops hit 2 weeks min before serving, 4-6weeks improves beer.

QldKev

My keg fridge only holds two kegs - 1 pouring, 1 hooked up to the gas carbonating.
I have only kegged half a dozen or so brews. I and am just wondering about chilling to clear in the fermenter. Is there any risk to the brew if I chill for a couple of days to help clear but then allow the temp to come back up to ambient (indoors) temp once kegged, till it's number comes up and it takes it's place in the fridge? I only have 5 kegs in circulation so it is easy for me to find a home inside for them but am just wondering bout the temp change post ferment and any harm it might bring.
At the moment I am just fermenting with temp control then after fermenting has ended I keg without any chilling and the beer clears ok in the keg once it eventually gets a bit of time in the fridge. It's not a big deal to keep doing what I am doing (is it?) but I was gonna try chill like QldKev has described to see the diff for myself.

Cheers
wyatt

 

[QldKev]

If you are going to mature the kegs at room temp then I think chilling them to clear in the fermentor will help. Even if you leave them in the fridge, clearing on a minimal yeast cake will always help improve the beer. Thats the same concept of using a clearing cube.

Somthing else to think about; I ferment in batches of 2 at a time, meaning if I don't chill first then I'm adding 2 warmish kegs into my serving fridge with the 2 cold kegs. My cold kegs warm up a bit and them they are not at drinkies temp for long...

The other method you could use it when you first keg dont worry about putting them in the drinks fridge, just gas up in the storage area, and leave them at room temp. I would still chill them in the fermentor fridge to clear.

QldKev

 

[newguy]

Weizens should be consumed very young - aging actually hurts them. There are probably other styles that should be consumed young but I can't think of any at the moment.

After I transfer my beer to kegs, I chill and force carbonate them. They stay in my serving fridge from that point on. Except for weizens, they all improve over time. The cold helps to drop the yeast too. Except for the first glass or two, expect clear beer after some aging at low temps, even withou finings.

If your sanitation is up to snuff, storing your kegs warm shouldn't hurt them as long as you've purged the headspace with CO2 and store them pressurised. Don't worry too much - beer is really quite forgiving so long as you pay attention to sanitation and oxidation.

 

[gava]

If your sanitation is up to snuff, storing your kegs warm shouldn't hurt them as long as you've purged the headspace with CO2 and store them pressurised. Don't worry too much - beer is really quite forgiving so long as you pay attention to sanitation and oxidation.

I would like to store kegs to , would the process be the following?

1) Ferment
2) put into keg
3) Carbinate (i.e. 300kpa for 48hrs)
4) Bring down to arond 100kpa
5) Store at room temp.

Will that work? or dont you carb until you go to drink them.

 

[schooey]

If you are going to age and carbonate in the keg, why wouldn't you just prime it with sugar in the keg and store. Just like a big bottle really...

 

[gava]

If you are going to age and carbonate in the keg, why wouldn't you just prime it with sugar in the keg and store. Just like a big bottle really...

No reason why I wouldn't its just i paid for the gas plus i didnt know you could do that i wanted to store some because I only have room in my fridge for two maybe three.. that might be enough really but I would like to have a few spare for when I have the boys over I can grab the stored ones and slap them in my fermenting fridge chill them and get them ready for when the other keg(s) run dry..

 

[buttersd70]

If you are going to age and carbonate in the keg, why wouldn't you just prime it with sugar in the keg and store. Just like a big bottle really...

Yep, best way. Arguably it aids flavour development as well. All you do is prime with half what you would for same volume going into bottles....when it goes into the keg, just purge it, then leave it to sit. The one and only reason I force carb instead of doing this, is that I'm behind on my brewing......

Even for a beer thats best young, 5-10 days after kegging, chill for 24 hrs, then bang, on tap. Luverly.

 

[jeremy]

If you are going to age and carbonate in the keg, why wouldn't you just prime it with sugar in the keg and store. Just like a big bottle really...

I would argue you would get a much "cleaner" beer by force carbing, and I also have an aversion to adding table sugar to a brew that I dont really need to, probably ridiculous but kegged beer just seems to tastes better to me and I cant help suspecting that priming may be the cause. (I think I need the flame suit, and the bomb shelter to live through this one...)

EDIT: By cleaner, I just mean less sediment in the bottom of the keg.

 

[Adamt]

Well, after sitting the keg in a refrigerator for a week or two, you'll find the yeast settles rather nicely and once the yeast has cleared from around the dip tube uptake, your pouring will be clean. Alternatively, there are some that trim their dip tubes to allow more room for sediment, or you can use gelatine or the like to achieve a more solid sediment. Besides, with the very small amount of fermentation (relatively) occuring during priming, very little extra yeast will be made, so there should be very little difference in the amount of sediment.

As for not wanting to use table sugar... use malt if you're that sensitive

 

[SJW]

I would like to store kegs to , would the process be the following?

1) Ferment
2) put into keg
3) Carbinate (i.e. 300kpa for 48hrs)
4) Bring down to arond 100kpa
5) Store at room temp.

Will that work? or dont you carb until you go to drink them.

300Kpa for 48 hours is way too long. 24 hours would be good enough to get u drinking.

 

[jeremy]

300Kpa for 48 hours is way too long. 24 hours would be good enough to get u drinking.

I go with approx 300kpa (more like 270 but this would make little difference) for 48 hours, always have a taste test after 24, but its never anywhere near enough...