Bulk Aging Question

[AZBeer]

Maybe a dumb question, but I am getting ready to brew a RIS, and this will be my first go at bulk aging. Plan is to ferment for 4 weeks, then move to a BB carboy until about Oct/ Nov.

Temp?
Do I put an airlock on it? Or seal it?

 

[Steveruch]

Maybe a dumb question, but I am getting ready to brew a RIS, and this will be my first go at bulk aging. Plan is to ferment for 4 weeks, then move to a BB carboy until about Oct/ Nov.

Temp?
Do I put an airlock on it? Or seal it?

I think you'd be better off putting it in glass or stainless steel for that long a time.

 

[AZBeer]

If the matterial matters, I could grab a glass carboy instead.

 

[HopHeavy]

I age my RIS in 5 gallon cornies...

 

[radwizard]

I age beers in the lower 60's. I always use an airlock instead of a solid bung if using a carboy.

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

I age mine in cornies too. I pressurize them to about 5 psi with CO2 (after purgine O2 first), then stick a spunding valve on. I store them in my basement which usually runs about 65 degrees.

The beauty of using a keg is that you can easily purge O2 and taking samples is a breeze. I have an adapter that is the 1/4" threaded fitting on a liquid out and a the other side is the fitting that a standard keg tap attaches to. I just put a tap on there and I can easily pour off a sample to monitor progress. This is particularly nice when adding oak.

 

[mr_stout]

Maybe a dumb question, but I am getting ready to brew a RIS, and this will be my first go at bulk aging. Plan is to ferment for 4 weeks, then move to a BB carboy until about Oct/ Nov.

Temp?
Do I put an airlock on it? Or seal it?

I suggest not aging for an extended period of time unless it smells/tastes bad. If it tastes great you might as well drink it now. You never know when you will go.

I noticed when I bottle the brew can smell bad but in two to three weeks it will be great. If it is not better by that time it means that the recipe was bad from the start or it has some other problem.

 

[AZBeer]

Thanks for the input guys.

No kegging setup yet, so that's out.
In Arizona, so no basement either.

I am thinking I can keep it in my fermenting fridge, and then do any cold crashing in my regular fridge out in the garage. That should keep it on the 65-70 range.