Aging Beer in a Keg?

Craigerrr

Craigerrr

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
Established Member
Joined
Mar 14, 2018
Messages
10,531
Reaction score
19,750
Points
113
If I were to brew a 7.5% Double Chocolate Cranberry Stout (Bloody Finger)

Would it age well in a keg at typical room temperature?
Would it actually benefit (age) from 6 months in a keg in the fridge?
Or would it need to sit at "cellar" or somewhat cooler than room temperature?
 
If the keg was quite purged I’d think it would age fine. Not went over a few months and that was in a refrigerator.
 
I age sours and imperial stouts in kegs regularly (four kegs going at the moment). I put them in a dark corner where the temperature is as consistent as possible. I do a closed transfer, but don't purge the keg before transfer. Then I'll add around 5 psi of pressure to make sure they seal. I don't purge the headspace, but it's easy to do at that point. I think a little bit of oxidation helps with the aging in imperial stouts and the sours are still fermenting, so I purge them every month anyway.

I'll generally fill some bottles for the stouts and drink one every 4-6 weeks to get a rough feel for how it's aging. Since I've been keg conditioning I've been thinking about starting with that and just leaving the conditioned keg in the corner. It will probably make the bottle comparison a better check as well. Depending on the stout I'll leave them for 3-6 months. If I wanted to go longer, I'd be much more focused on minimising oxygen during transfer and would definitely do the keg conditioning approach.
 
Mark Farrall said:
I age sours and imperial stouts in kegs regularly (four kegs going at the moment). I put them in a dark corner where the temperature is as consistent as possible. I do a closed transfer, but don't purge the keg before transfer. Then I'll add around 5 psi of pressure to make sure they seal. I don't purge the headspace, but it's easy to do at that point. I think a little bit of oxidation helps with the aging in imperial stouts and the sours are still fermenting, so I purge them every month anyway.

I'll generally fill some bottles for the stouts and drink one every 4-6 weeks to get a rough feel for how it's aging. Since I've been keg conditioning I've been thinking about starting with that and just leaving the conditioned keg in the corner. It will probably make the bottle comparison a better check as well. Depending on the stout I'll leave them for 3-6 months. If I wanted to go longer, I'd be much more focused on minimising oxygen during transfer and would definitely do the keg conditioning approach.
Click to expand...
Second this. Never done it, but it makes sense :D
 
Aging at warming temperatures isn’t uncommon and the aging process is accelerated at cellar temperatures, but….

Colder temperatures slows oxidation. I have, over the last couple years, been “ lagering” ales. Recently I brewed a Porter with a friend. I apologized because the beer had a rough finish. After a couple of weeks of lagering, the beer really came to life. By 5 weeks it was really good. It smoothed out and gained a depth it didn’t have early on. I decided to enter it in the Milwaukee Mid-Winter Homebrew competition in January. It won a gold against 33 other beers.

The lesson I learned. Lagering ales works really well and patience pays off.
 
Last edited:
Craigerrr said:
If I were to brew a 7.5% Double Chocolate Cranberry Stout (Bloody Finger)

Would it age well in a keg at typical room temperature?
Would it actually benefit (age) from 6 months in a keg in the fridge?
Or would it need to sit at "cellar" or somewhat cooler than room temperature?
Click to expand...
Short answer: yes.
Cellar temp is dandy, no need for fridge. My opinion at least...
 
My only experience with this was a barleywine I brewed a few years ago it didn't age well even with the high ABV but no care was taken to reduce oxidation.

So it sat in the keg since 2018 it's in bottles now but I can't drink them no longer.

when it was first brewed it got a bronze in its category recently last year it was low 20's lol so theres the unbiased opinion there as well;)

Ambient temperature here in Aus is alot higher than in Canada :p.
 
I have previously bottled beer that I wanted age/condition. I think it is time to ditch all of the bottles save a few, and go the kegging route in future. The last one I bottled I underestimated the priming sugar so it was under carbonated. It was still a good drop, but it was disappointing to have a complete batch under carbonated.
 
Craigerrr said:
I have previously bottled beer that I wanted age/condition. I think it is time to ditch all of the bottles save a few, and go the kegging route in future. The last one I bottled I underestimated the priming sugar so it was under carbonated. It was still a good drop, but it was disappointing to have a complete batch under carbonated.
Click to expand...
One of the reasons i don't bottle anymore. To much, turn it down. Not enough, turn it up
 
Minbari said:
One of the reasons i don't bottle anymore. To much, turn it down. Not enough, turn it up
Click to expand...
Does anyone want 100+ 500ml bombers? They are packed away neatly upside down in perfectly sized wine boxes. Nice and clean would just need a little starsan spritz, and they are ready to go!
Feel free to stop by and pick them up anytime :rolleyes:
 
Craigerrr said:
Does anyone want 100+ 500ml bombers? They are packed away neatly upside down in perfectly sized wine boxes. Nice and clean would just need a little starsan spritz, and they are ready to go!
Feel free to stop by and pick them up anytime :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
I used to have about 7 cases of 24 bottles, they were 12oz, previously filled. Now, about 12 bottles left, in lol
 
Mine are easy: if I got too manty, I just return for the deposit.
Too little, buy a crate, drink, rinse, fill with home brew.
2 sizes: 375 ml and 750 ml ;)
 
Zambezi Special said:
Mine are easy: if I got too manty, I just return for the deposit.
Too little, buy a crate, drink, rinse, fill with home brew.
2 sizes: 375 ml and 750 ml ;)
Click to expand...
99.5% of the beer I buy is in cans, the bottles are typically the higher end ($$$), and or high ABV beers
 
Craigerrr said:
Does anyone want 100+ 500ml bombers? They are packed away neatly upside down in perfectly sized wine boxes. Nice and clean would just need a little starsan spritz, and they are ready to go!
Feel free to stop by and pick them up anytime :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
I'll stop by on my way to work and grab them!
 
Craigerrr said:
Does anyone want 100+ 500ml bombers? They are packed away neatly upside down in perfectly sized wine boxes. Nice and clean would just need a little starsan spritz, and they are ready to go!
Feel free to stop by and pick them up anytime :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
Depends. Are they full? Of beer?

Sadly, US customs would surely give me a hard time. (I won't share.)

And they're 14 hours away from here.
 
Trialben said:
Just boarding my vessel now gunna sail over then hitch a ride from the West coast with Don.

You'll pick me up in a couple weeks when I get there right? :p
Click to expand...
Yup. Just ring me a bit before, you're covered.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Want no ads? Go Premium and unlock all our brewing tools!
Copyright © 2007-2025 Brewer's Friend, Inc. - Send Feedback - Terms - RSS Feed - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

Back
Top