When to Keg

[Soup4you2]

Just finally starting to keg and had 1 pretty dumb question.

And that is when do you keg? I know that the beer takes a bit of time to age to taste right, but do you guys leave it in a fermenter to age, then rack to the keg?

or do you just straight keg it once fermentation is completed after a few weeks; and if so do you typically put in some Co2 and leave it in a closet or just place it in the fridge until the day arrives that it's aged and tastes right?

 

[Brulosopher]

My typical process (used on every ale I make):

- 10 to 14 day primary
- 2 to 4 day cold crash
- keg and force carb at 28 psi for 24 hours, reduce to 11 psi (serving pressure) and let it sit for 5 or so days before serving

I pitch adequate sized starters and control my fermentation temps precisely, so it's not uncommon for me to go grain to glass in 2 weeks on a sub-1.052 OG beer.

 

[aryoung1980]

I typically rack to the keg 3-7 days after fermentation is complete. I purge the air out with CO2 and leave it hooked up to my gas (12psi) for 1-2 weeks before tapping. This lets it clear and carb at the same time. I've yet to get a cloudy first pour. If I brewed a lager, I disconnect the gas after its carbed and I let it sit in the keezer for a few more weeks before tapping.

 

[glugglug]

At the same time you would bottle. After fermentation is done. Straight to keg, no priming sugar, right into kegerator. Blast with co2 at 30 psi to seat the lid. Check for leaks, purge keg to get rid of co2, set at about 12psi and walk away. Check next day to make sure I'm still at 12 psi, and wait another week. Should be good to go.

 

[chickypad]

I usually keg about a week after primary fermentation is complete. Most beers - IPA's, American ales, wheats - go in the keezer on the gas right away. Lagers get kegged after diacetyl rest and then lager in the keg. Some styles like certain Belgians or a bigger stout I want to age I will seal with CO2 and leave at room temp for a while.

 

[tre9er]

When I take FG samples I also taste them. If it tastes great (there will be a yeasty taste because it hasn't been cold-crashed yet) then I proceed to crashing for a few days then kegging. Lately though I've considered just racking it warm, because technically it will cold-crash in the keg while it carbs anyway. The first few ounces of the first pour will be cloudy, yeasty, so discard that...but otherwise I just drink it when I like the taste enough. YMMV.

 

[Soup4you2]

Much appreciated for all the answers. It just seems odd that even when a bottle is fully carbonated the taste is still off, so the beer would need to mature a bit longer to hit that magical prime when the taste is just fantastic.. usually this can take several more weeks. Is this process quicker when kegging? as it seems that people are drinking their beers after only a couple weeks when racked.

 

[tre9er]

Much appreciated for all the answers. It just seems odd that even when a bottle is fully carbonated the taste is still off, so the beer would need to mature a bit longer to hit that magical prime when the taste is just fantastic.. usually this can take several more weeks. Is this process quicker when kegging? as it seems that people are drinking their beers after only a couple weeks when racked.

It's known as bulk-aging. It's supposed to have a different, and perhaps faster, effect on the beer.

 

[SimonHucko]

Much appreciated for all the answers. It just seems odd that even when a bottle is fully carbonated the taste is still off, so the beer would need to mature a bit longer to hit that magical prime when the taste is just fantastic.. usually this can take several more weeks. Is this process quicker when kegging? as it seems that people are drinking their beers after only a couple weeks when racked.

when you bottle prime you're actually kicking the yeast into an active second fermentation. this process produces off flavors (most notably that "green" acetaldehyde) that then have to age out again. if you rack right to a keg and force carbonate with CO2, there is no second fermentation so no additional byproducts are produced. as long as you gave the yeast time to clean up the beer before racking, the beer is ready to drink as soon as it's carbonated. this is how people can go grain to glass in 2-3 weeks as long as they control their process the whole way through. (aerate, pitch an appropriate amount of healthy yeast, control fermentation temperature, allow a week or so of bulk conditioning, cold crash, burst carbonate.)

 

[MuddyCreek]

Honestly, my racking to keg schedule has a great deal to do with when I get an open keg...

I've had beer sit and age for a couple weeks before I've been able to free up a keg. A bit of extra time doesn't seem to hurt, although I wouldn't argue that it helps much either. I do think that once kegged, you should let the beer sit for at least a week or two (at least) before you get into it. I tend to slow-carb and it's not uncommon for me to leave the beer in the keg for two or three weeks before I even give it a taste.

(You may begin to see why I have issues occasionally with having a free keg...

 

[Soup4you2]

when you bottle prime you're actually kicking the yeast into an active second fermentation. this process produces off flavors (most notably that "green" acetaldehyde) that then have to age out again. if you rack right to a keg and force carbonate with CO2, there is no second fermentation so no additional byproducts are produced. as long as you gave the yeast time to clean up the beer before racking, the beer is ready to drink as soon as it's carbonated. this is how people can go grain to glass in 2-3 weeks as long as they control their process the whole way through. (aerate, pitch an appropriate amount of healthy yeast, control fermentation temperature, allow a week or so of bulk conditioning, cold crash, burst carbonate.)

Thank you, that makes perfect sense now.

I do plan to do the slow carb methods and wait an additional 2-3 weeks once carbed, but I never even thought about the 2nd bottle fermentation creating a 2nd off flavor.