Aging in Fermenter vs in Keg, Cold vs Warm

[CascadesBrewer]

I brewed an Oatmeal Stout back on Dec 9th. The fermentation was healthy and a week later signs of fermentation completed and I was at my expected FG. I normally would have let it sit in the fermenter longer, but I had some free time, I knew it would be a busy week, and I am traveling out of town for a week starting tomorrow. I went ahead and kegged the beer and put it under C02 and in my beer fridge.

I am not too worried that I messed up anything too badly, but I guess I am now wondering if I would have been better served leaving it in the fermenter for 3 weeks. Or if it would have been a good idea to move it to a keg, and let it sit out at room temps.

What has been your experience? Are there any "good things" that occur at 70F that do not occur at 40F?

 

[CascadesBrewer]

So I made my way through all the posts on the "Aging Beer" thread. It was a useful thread, but mostly a lot of contradictory anecdotes. I suspect the real answer is somewhere between "7 days grain to glass" and "12 months secondary aging". I might just have to do some trial batches and see the impact for myself.

 

[brewcat]

I usually keg ales around 10 days. When fermentation is done there isn't a reason not to keg. The key is pitching enough healthy yeast. I think some brewers age longer because they get off flavors that need to age out because of poor fermentation.

The beer will age in the keg. I just stick kegs in the fridge.

 

[HTH1975]

I don’t keg, because I don’t have any kegs (yet). However, I do crash my beer down below 5C after a week rather than leaving it at room temperature. I think it stays fresher that way, plus it clears up nicely ready for bottling (with some help from brausol).

 

[IslandLizard]

I aged a Pumpkin Ale for close to a year in a keg in my utility room, between 65 and 75F I gather, depending on the season, under 12 psi of headspace CO2, but not permanently connected to gas all the time. I tried samples along the way every month or so with a tap clipped onto a QD. No problems, and the beer turned out fantastic, losing the bit of spice that overwhelmed it early on, IMO.

I now store NEIPAs in kegs too, as soon as the 2nd dry hop is finished, typically 7-12 days after brewing. I may jump it to another 100% liquid pre-purged keg if there is a lot of sediment. That way I can transport it too.

 

[khannon]

I brew 10 gal batches and keg into 5gal sanke kegs.. I have yet to do a pressure transfer, but typically run a fair amount of CO2 into the keg, transfer beer in bottom up, then purge via release valve a few times in hopes that I get the most O2 out that I can without going overboard. Sometimes I naturally carb by adding sugars, and sometimes I force carb.

Most times the second keg I put on tap is a better(read more mature) beer, but I keep my kegs cellar temps (for Mass this means 55 in winter 65 in summer).

The yeast seems to keep doing "cleanup" after transferring to kegs at these temps. I think depending on the yeast, most ale yeasts are going to stop most activity at 40(F).

as an aside, the 3 times I've done a NEIPA, I get about 2 weeks from a 5gal keg, so there is not too much time between the first and second keg, but my son's friends have all found it to be cheaper to drink here than go out so I just take quick keg empties as a compliment.

All rambling aside, I think a keg at room temp is probably similar to a secondary without as much of the "risk" of oxidation, and is probably not at all a bad thing for non hop-forward beers, or beers that otherwise benefit from yeast cleanup.

Again all of this is in my experience, and I am a big fan of "slow"(or proper?) sours, and feel that "7 days grain to glass" is great for some beers, but some things just take time. Of course I also tell my wife that "Like the good beers, I may just take some time to age properly", so take it all with a grain or two of salt.

 

[IslandLizard]

I think a keg at room temp is probably similar to a secondary without as much of the "risk" of oxidation, and is probably not at all a bad thing for non hop-forward beers, or beers that otherwise benefit from yeast cleanup.

Exactly!

Leaving a beer in the fermenter for a few weeks is fine as long as there isn't air in it and none can get in. I siphon samples from buckets through the airlock hole using a 2' piece of skinny 5/16" OD tubing, followed by a headspace CO2 flush if fermentation has finished. For lids I had drilled a 1" "utility" port in I push the sample out with CO2.

Kegs are the best "secondaries" and bulk aging vessels in general, since they can be purged and beer is stored under CO2.

 

[gunhaus]

I drink most of my beer, as fast as I can as soon as it is ready - Just me.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

I read through the Yeast and Fermentation chapter of "How to Brew" (just got myself a copy to supplement my 20 year old books). I am feeling like in this case I would have been better off leaving it in the fermenter while on vacation to ensure the yeast cleared up any off flavors. Oh well. I used S-04 which ferments pretty fast. I used to rack to a secondary but recently moved away from that.

I might brew a 5 gal batch and spit it off into smaller containers to test out the impact of different aging techniques for myself.