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Post by Megary on Mar 3, 2023 9:47:34 GMT -6
I have a house Stout that has been 2 weeks in the fermenter and is most assuredly done and ready to package. I also have an empty, clean keg that is ready and willing. I just don't have a place for it in my fridge. I'm in no rush for the beer (or the fermenter) and a spot in the fridge will open up in about another week to 10 days. My options are: A - Leave the beer in the fermenter for another week +/-, keg it when a spot opens up. B - Transfer the beer to the spare keg, seal it up, set the now-packaged keg in a basement closet at ≈60°F until it's called upon. C - Get over myself, it doesn't make any difference.  I'm sure, for a measly 7-10 days, it doesn't make any difference to the beer. (I honestly think the only reason I am considering kegging it now is so I'm not cleaning a fermenter and a kicked keg on the same day. Spread the pain.) Curious as to your opinions. |
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Post by Ken on Mar 3, 2023 10:55:21 GMT -6
Are you in a spot where you have a cool/cold garage? If so, keg it and put it in the garage for now. If not, it will be fine in the fermenter. I have 10 kegs and the ability to keep 9 of them cold so one of them is just hanging out in the garage which is probably in the 40s right now. That whole thing about autolysis where the yeast begins to metabolize itself and create rubbery flavors... I have never experienced that in almost 24 years of brewing and I have probably left beer in the fermenter for a month on occasion. I don't want to say get over yourself but ... you know.  |
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Post by Megary on Mar 3, 2023 11:45:33 GMT -6
Yeah, it's not autolysis that I'm worrying about. I have let beers go for 3 weeks before and I have had talks with a fellow homebrewer who always goes 3 weeks minimum in the fermenter. I don't think I'd be concerned unless I was talking 8 weeks at least. But more broadly, would there be a difference in a finished beer if the beer was left in the fermenter for some (reasonable) extended period of time as opposed to one that was packaged but not truly cold conditioned and properly carbonated? And storing in a cold garage is a definite possibility. Thanks for that suggestion. Just hope it doesn't freeze as apparently winter in Pennsylvania has decided to finally arrive, just in time for Spring.  But, for argument's sake, let's say this was July and room temp was the best I could do? |
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Post by jimdkc on Mar 3, 2023 11:52:34 GMT -6
I'd vote C, but I am also always in favor of spreading out the work...
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Post by Ken on Mar 3, 2023 14:31:28 GMT -6
Yeah, it's not autolysis that I'm worrying about. I have let beers go for 3 weeks before and I have had talks with a fellow homebrewer who always goes 3 weeks minimum in the fermenter. I don't think I'd be concerned unless I was talking 8 weeks at least. But more broadly, would there be a difference in a finished beer if the beer was left in the fermenter for some (reasonable) extended period of time as opposed to one that was packaged but not truly cold conditioned and properly carbonated?And storing in a cold garage is a definite possibility. Thanks for that suggestion. Just hope it doesn't freeze as apparently winter in Pennsylvania has decided to finally arrive, just in time for Spring. But, for argument's sake, let's say this was July and room temp was the best I could do? Is there something like pressurized fermentation that you're doing that I'm not aware of? I still ferment in a traditional way and then closed-loop transfer to keg, chill and force-carb with CO2. In that example, a beer that fermented fully and then had the yeast drop out... I assume would be very similar if it were kegged at 2 weeks or 4 weeks. Could the 4-week beer be slightly better attenuated or maybe even benefit from the longer time because it served as an extended d-rest? Maybe but honestly... I don't think you'd notice. If it was July then I would probably keg it and place it in the coolest spot in my house... the lowest level. |
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Post by Megary on Mar 3, 2023 15:04:34 GMT -6
Nothing special in my brewhouse. I use a basic Speidel fermenter/airlock. I gravity transfer from the fermenter spigot with a hose into the keg below and then burp the keg to hopefully drive off some of the oxygen I undoubtedly picked up. Small batches, 2.5gal kegs that usually last 3-4-5 weeks, depending. Let's say I choose to keg the beer. I'm assuming the pressure drops some measure as the CO2 seeps into the beer. So what psi do you usually set the keg at as you disconnect the CO2? Does it depend on what temp you store it at? Sorry for all the questions but I've never had to deal with a backlog before! |
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Post by Ken on Mar 3, 2023 16:06:59 GMT -6
I transfer the beer in a similar way. I have my fermenter connected to the keg the whole time so the keg is purged of O2 by the CO2 from fermentation. Then I transfer through a spigot and when I'm done I hit the keg with a bit of CO2 from the tank to make sure the hatch is sealed well. If that keg was going to sit for any length of time before it was carbed, I would hit it with CO2 occasionally just to make sure it's secure. I should mention that it's been AGES since I had any kind of infection/contamination. Shit. I just typed that. Here comes a problem. Then when I had cold space I would chill the keg overnight, probably hit it with a gel solution and then go with about 25psi for 48 hours for the standard carb method I've been using forever. |
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Post by brewbama on Mar 3, 2023 17:53:34 GMT -6
I vote B. I have no reason other than once the beer is done I close transfer.
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