Leaving beer and kegs while on vacation

Vallka

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So because I'm a rookie at the kegging thing, I have another question. I have four beers kegged and I'm heading out on vacation for two weeks… What do I do with the beers and the kegs. Carbonate and leave, Keep hooked up to the c02......??
 
What stage are they in? Are they carbonated, cold, already on tap? Odds are, don’t do anything! But where are they now?
 
just turn the pressure down to as low as your can get it like 2 psi and you'll be good
 
What stage are they in? Are they carbonated, cold, already on tap? Odds are, don’t do anything! But where are they now?
They are anywhere from 4 to 1 week old, two are on top and are being kept cold, two are being kept out of the fridge to condition, all of them are carbonated
 
I’d hook them up to serving pressure, the cold ones. They’ll be good when you return.
 
They are anywhere from 4 to 1 week old, two are on top and are being kept cold, two are being kept out of the fridge to condition, all of them are carbonated
Just look at the kegs as big bottles of beer and treat them as such. If you have them set at proper serving pressure with CO2 that's where they will be when you get back. If you mean you added sugar and are carbing in keg, treat like a bottle. Enjoy the vacation,RDWHAHB when you get back.
 
I'd disconnect the serving lines just as a safety measure.
Leave on the gas as stated above.
Cheers
I see your point, but line would possibly go stale without CO2 couldn't it? Invite off flavors maybe?
I just like to do no more than needed as I am my own worst enemy in over thinking beer brewing and maintenance.
 
If you leave them at serving pressure and disconnected you should be good. It would be just like a brewery filling a keg and sending it to the distributor to then go to a bar. Just a sealed container of beer. I'd rinse out the serving line so there isn't old beer getting nasty in there. Then hook everything back up when you return.
 
I think you're over thinking it.
Disconnect the liquid, spray the fitting and faucet with star san, go on vacation.
Done, carry on.
 
I carbonated a keg last march and served in June after being disconnected and sitting in a corner for 3 months. I'd worry about draining your CO2 tank if you have a leak but otherwise 2 weeks is nothing to worry about.
 
I think you're over thinking it.
Disconnect the liquid, spray the fitting and faucet with star san, go on vacation.
Done, carry on.
I've never given my kegged beers a second thought. I leave. I come back. I drink beer.
Seems like thnderwagn and I think The Brew Mentor is overthinking it!

Bottom line is, there are several ways to deal with kegs while away for an extended period of time. Any of those methods is correct.
 
Thanks everyone. So I'm going to do a little of everything all of you suggested, keeping the cold ones cold, going to flush lines (so easy) disconnect gas, leave conditioning ones conditioning.........simple. We will be away three times this summer season so we'll see how it goes.
 
If you don't have a leak, you can leave the gas on. Or turn it off, either way.

I WOULD disconnect the serving lines. Something as small as a minor bump or a tiny leak could mean all of the beer in the keg is in the bottom of the kegerator if the serving lines are connected.

It probably wouldn't happen, but with the serving lines disconnected, it couldn't happen. It's a "just in case" thing. If I was gone a long time, that's what I would do.
 
If you don't have a leak, you can leave the gas on. Or turn it off, either way.

I WOULD disconnect the serving lines. Something as small as a minor bump or a tiny leak could mean all of the beer in the keg is in the bottom of the kegerator if the serving lines are connected.

It probably wouldn't happen, but with the serving lines disconnected, it couldn't happen. It's a "just in case" thing. If I was gone a long time, that's what I would do.
Unless what you have is a leaky poppet, then you would’ve been better off to leave the hose connected!
 

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