Can I keep my kegs are room temp?

[jhorgan1]

Due to a few issues with where I live I had to remove my kegs from my room and I'm having a friend hold onto them until I find a new apt. The thing is, I kept my kegs in a fridge but my friend has no room for them in his fridge so the kegs are collecting dust in his closet. Is this gonna make my beer go bad? I'm thinking of grabbing one of the kegs tomorrow and bottling it if I can get enough bottles. My friends think that if it is no longer refrigerated it will skunk and be undrinkable. Verdict?

 

[david_42]

Skunking is caused by exposure to ultraviolet light, so in a keg in a closet is about as good as it gets. If room temperature is less than 75F, there shouldn't be any problem.

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Your friend is wrong. Keeping a keg at room temperature is no problem whatsoever. It's no different than keeping a bottle at room temperature (better, actually, as the keg doesn't allow any light in).

I keep my kegs cold when I have room, but when I have a lot of beer on hand and run out of room, they go into the hall closet and it's been just fine.

Edit -- one more point, though. The kegs should be pressurized and sealed. If the keg isn't holding pressure, it can allow O2 intake (or microorganisms in an extreme case), and that's the one situation where you can have a problem. Slam a keg with 40 psi just to be sure you have a good seal, pull the disconnect off, and *then* put it in the closet.

 

[Fantastical]

At a warmer temperature your beer will likely lose a bit of carbonation. Other than that they will be fine.

The thing I always remind myself: my carboys sit out for long long periods of time. Why not a keg?