Storing kegged beer at room temperature?

[stevedasleeve]

Hi all. I am kegging now, with two kegs and a refrigerator. I can fit about 3 kegs in the fridge, but I want to brew more frequently than I can consume! I wonder if I get more kegs, brew and store the resultant beer in these kegs in my basement or garage if this will be OK? Ambient temp is 50-60 in the garage and 60-75 in the basement. If these are uncarbonated and obviously hygienically kegged will they last, say a year? More? I don't have room for any more refrigerators!

These would be all types of beer, Scottish low gravity ales through high gravity barlywines and old ales and everything in between, though the hoppy ones are likely to be consumed fresh.

[Luthierzan]

I would thnk you would want them carbonated. The pressure would help keep everything sealed up and keep the bugs and stuff from getting in.

[brewinhard]

They should be fine, but your best bet would be to only long term store higher ABV beers in this fashion as they won't oxidize as fast as the others. Unless of course you are perfect at transferring with no oxygen introduction (lord knows I'm not!).

[Blowmax10]

The higher temp is going to change the flavor profile

But if that is all you can do then I would try it and see how it goes

[stevedasleeve]

But if that is all you can do then I would try it and see how it goes

Well I was actually looking *not* to ruin, say, 25 gallons of beer - as in, 5 batches later I tap a keg and drink...piss!

So Has anyone done this? Stored kegs of beer at room temperature for more than a few weeks?

[mediumsk]

So Has anyone done this? Stored kegs of beer at room temperature for more than a few weeks?

sure
Ive done sours for years at a time in carboys and currently have two beers ageing in cornies. It is an ideal aging environment since you can purge the oxygen from the vessel. The only things to remember are,

to purge the keg if there is any sort of re fermentation going on IE ( brett and or pedio/ lacto etc.)
Yeast and bacteria will work (or not) differently under pressure.

Also, remember that what you have is basically a 5 gallon can of beer, this is a mixed blessing, Once carbonated it is easy to put it in and take it out of your fridge whenever you fancy a drink, wide temerature swings like that will kill a beer stat. Just remember that storing your beer at a steady temperature is far better than at one that fluctuates.

good luck!

[stevedasleeve]

Cool! Just to be clear the beer is racked to the keg, purged of o2 and then set aside for while un-carbonated right?

My plan is to brew once a week, this summer, kegging the beer and bottling a 6 pack at the same time. I'd be able to get an idea of how the beer tastes roughly by cracking open a bottle but the keg would likely be stored for a few months.

Oh an I am very interested in sour beers, in concept at least (I have not tried one!)

Steve

[brewinhard]

I typically secondary age my beers in kegs. Or until I get around to drinking them, and these are left at cellar temps 50's during winter, and 66 or so during summer mos.