25 replies to this topic

[SchwanzBrewer]

Now that I am brewing all grain, I have noticed that a five gallon batch costs me about $20. That makes it much easier to brew more. My extract batches were costing around $45-$50 (non kit recipes). So I have 1 beer cold conditioning, 1 in primary and both of my carboys are in use. If I brew once every 2 weeks I will be constantly recirculating my carboys, but then I run into consumption problems. I can keg now too, and I have 2 cornies. I can hold 4 cornies in the fridge at one time with my gas. If I don't keep up by consuming enough I will run into storage problems, which leads to my question:Is it ok to store a keg of homebrew at room temperature off gas, but under pressure? I want to brew more, but I dont have the money to build a storage chamber or buy a big chest freezer to convert. What do you all suggest? (I am in florida so no basement, and its hot outside)Cheers,Rich

[ChefLamont]

Yup. I do it all the time. I have them in the basement garage, and in the summer it is not exactly cool down there. Ideal? no, but acceptable.

[SnailPowered]

I think you should look into Brewer's Anonymous hahahah. The first step to get help is acceptance. Ok, so really I have no useful information unfortunately. Why do you want so much stored if you aren't drinking it all though? Just curious. Good luck though! I am jealous, I can't wait to start brewing!

[jammer]

Yup. I do it all the time. I have them in the basement garage, and in the summer it is not exactly cool down there. Ideal? no, but acceptable.

Are they carbonated at this point? Or just pressurized?

I think you should look into Brewer's Anonymous hahahah. The first step to get help is acceptance. Ok, so really I have no useful information unfortunately. Why do you want so much stored if you aren't drinking it all though? Just curious. Good luck though! I am jealous, I can't wait to start brewing!

Some beers require some aging. And some brewers just drink LOTS of beer.

[SchwanzBrewer]

I think you should look into Brewer's Anonymous hahahah. The first step to get help is acceptance. Ok, so really I have no useful information unfortunately. Why do you want so much stored if you aren't drinking it all though? Just curious. Good luck though! I am jealous, I can't wait to start brewing!

I want good beer on demand. Right now I am running out, but I should have a batch ready in two weeks.

Are they carbonated at this point? Or just pressurized?Some beers require some aging. And some brewers just drink LOTS of beer.

Well I can do whatever, but I figured some positive pressure from CO2 would be a plus so there wasn't any air on it. I haven't tried storing anything like this yet, but I will if I can.Cheers,Rich

[Flashman]

I do this all the time with no problems. I keep them in a spare bedroom at room temperature.

[djinkc]

I usually have 5 - 7 kegs on deck. Ready to carb, under a little pressure and sitting at 70 - 71df waiting to go in the kegerator for carbing and conditioning. Hybrids go in the kegerator ASAP. I think my beer turns out OK. Ideally, maybe eventually I'll have another temp controlled holding area to keep them cooler. That really would be best but hey, homebrewing......

[SnailPowered]

What about adding some nitrogen (I pretty darn sure that is the correct gas) to the CO2 if you are going to pressurize the kegs? I read somewhere that that helps keep the beer fresh when I was setting up my kegerator. Good beer on demand definitely sounds like the best plan! I am sure that as soon as I start brewing I will want to store plenty so that when I empty one keg and put the next one in! May also hit up craigslist for a free chest type freezer if you have the room, that is how I got my free kegerator fridge. Most of all, best of luck to ya!

Edited by SnailPowered, 23 May 2010 - 08:51 PM.

[MtnBrewer]

What about adding some nitrogen (I pretty darn sure that is the correct gas) to the CO2 if you are going to pressurize the kegs?

In theory that makes sense because N₂ is not very soluble in water. The problem with putting it under CO₂ pressure is that the CO₂ is just going to dissolve into the beer, leaving you with no pressure again. However, in practice not many home brewers have N₂ or beer gas lying around.

[ChefLamont]

The N2 isnt a bad idea. I have beergas, but as Mtn said not that necessary. After fermentation, the beer already has a fair amount of CO2 dissolved, so the additional pressure is just to keep the lid sealed. Sometimes I will go back later and hit the keg with CO2 just to make sure.That kind of leads to an extra credit bonus (read: "hijack") question. We talk about the toxicity of CO2 to yeast during fermentation and how it is good to keep it reasonably low. So would that same argument apply to secondary aging where yeast are cleaning up the byproducts? If so the N2 is an even better suggestion.

[Kremer]

I force carb all my beers via second regulator and CO2 tank in my basement and once carbed up they sit there until the kegerator has room, my barleywine aged in the basement for over a year, carbed and ready in the keg. no problems.

[SchwanzBrewer]

I usually have 5 - 7 kegs on deck. Ready to carb, under a little pressure and sitting at 70 - 71df waiting to go in the kegerator for carbing and conditioning. Hybrids go in the kegerator ASAP. I think my beer turns out OK. Ideally, maybe eventually I'll have another temp controlled holding area to keep them cooler. That really would be best but hey, homebrewing......

Why do the hybrids go in immediately? (what beer types too) Do you think the beers would be better if you stored them cool?Cheers,Rich

[SnailPowered]

I think the N2 idea comes from it not being soluble and therefore having no affect on the beer. The thing that I was reading was saying to get a mixture of nitrogen and CO2 in the pressure tank for your kegerator when you get it filled. It was just a suggestion that I read a while ago and thought that I would pass on. Nitrogen would certainly be better than having something that would dissolve into your beer and affect the flavor! Just my inexperienced postulations.

[djinkc]

Why do the hybrids go in immediately? (what beer types too) Do you think the beers would be better if you stored them cool?Cheers,Rich

Kolsch, Alts and Steam beers. I don't want them warm for long and they seem to do better with some lagering.

[SchwanzBrewer]

Kolsch, Alts and Steam beers. I don't want them warm for long and they seem to do better with some lagering.

So then basically any lagers or altbiers that need lagering or cooler ferm temps as part of the style. Got it. I was thinking the hybrid category where my cream ale might go, but you were referring to a hybrid fermentation.That makes perfect sense.Cheers,Rich

[MtnBrewer]

That kind of leads to an extra credit bonus (read: "hijack") question. We talk about the toxicity of CO2 to yeast during fermentation and how it is good to keep it reasonably low. So would that same argument apply to secondary aging where yeast are cleaning up the byproducts? If so the N2 is an even better suggestion.

I don't think yeast play a large role in secondary aging, except for lagers. Secondary aging is mostly for removing the yeast.

I think the N2 idea comes from it not being soluble and therefore having no affect on the beer. The thing that I was reading was saying to get a mixture of nitrogen and CO2 in the pressure tank for your kegerator when you get it filled. It was just a suggestion that I read a while ago and thought that I would pass on. Nitrogen would certainly be better than having something that would dissolve into your beer and affect the flavor! Just my inexperienced postulations.

You would only do that if you were serving through a stout faucet. This type of faucet is what creates the creamy head on stouts and certain other beers. It has a small disk called a sparkler in the flow of the beer. The sparkler has several very tiny holes in it and it takes a lot of pressure to push the beer through it. If CO₂ were used, the beer would become overcarbed in no time. So beer gas is used instead, which is 75% N₂ and 25% CO₂.

[ChefLamont]

I think the N2 idea comes from it not being soluble and therefore having no affect on the beer. The thing that I was reading was saying to get a mixture of nitrogen and CO2 in the pressure tank for your kegerator when you get it filled. It was just a suggestion that I read a while ago and thought that I would pass on. Nitrogen would certainly be better than having something that would dissolve into your beer and affect the flavor! Just my inexperienced postulations.

Correct. I have a beergas tank. It is 75% N2 and 25% co2. It is used for serving on a stout faucet (think regular guiness and that thick dense foam). CO2 dissolves in the beer but it really doesn't affect the flavor in any real way. Well not in a "contamination" sort of way. It does have an affect on the final beer in that over or under carbed beer with all everything else the same will taste different and not as good. That is a whole other discussion. If you put a beer on a little CO2 and leave it a long time and then carb it properly, there is no harm.Actually purging the keg and putting it on CO2 is good because it keeps O2 out. Now O2 in the beer is bad.MTN: Agreed, really the stuff I am talking about should be done in primary before going to secondary anyway.

[SnailPowered]

Learning has occurred! Thank you guys! Of course, with my learning comes more questions but I think I can save them for another time, like when I start kegging and am worried about dispensing.

[Howie]

Personally, I wouldn't store them at room temp. You just work too hard to produce good beer to risk off flavors by storing warm. Bacteria grows faster at warm temps, and oxidation occurs at a more rapid rate.I wouldn't consider anything above cask temps, or maybe fermentation temp.

[SnailPowered]

If O2 is bad for beer wouldn't that make CO2 bad for beer storage since there is a possibility of the carbon molecule attaching to something else and leaving 02 to give off tastes? I'm no scientist so this is all speculative but it makes sense when I think about it. Sorry if it's a dumb question! I would definitely think cooler temps are better but you can only do so much sometimes, the best thing I can see for that is putting an ad in Craigslist for a second fridge or a freezer that would be set to the lowest setting so that it was acting like a fridge.