Beer storage

[Canidrinkityet]

Hi folks

I'm about to keg and bottle my wherry, my plan it to add the beer sugar to keg etc leave for a few days then bottle half from the keg.

My issue is my garage is detached from my house but want to store my beer in there and was worried that the temperature out there is basically air temp,so if 10 then 10 in there if -10 then -10 in there, I can cover with old quilt and boxes etc but WILL IT BE OK ???

 

[marksa222]

To carbonate properly, it needs to be warm enough for the yeast to work (maybe 16+) for a couple of weeks. You can then store at lower temperatures and it will help to condition the beer. If it got to freezing though, I wouldn't leave my beers out there.

A duvet round the barrel would help insulate the temp the beer already is, but if it's freezing out, I can't imagine you'd get away with it for too long.

I personally wouldn't bottle after it's been in the barrel for a few days either. I'd either bottle a few first priming the bottles individually, then barrel the rest, or batch prime in the barrel and then put in bottles straight away... Only if this can be done without splashing around too much (bottling wand ideally if it fits the tap).

The reason for all this is that the beer carbonates when the remaining yeast in the beer after fermentation consumes the fresh sugar that has been added. As this produces co2 and the vessel is sealed, the co2 after a few days/weeks is absorbed back into the beer, creating the fizz etc... The yeast needs to be at a temperature to be able to do it's business for carbonation to be possible and by bottling a few after a couple of days, I'd imagine the co2 would just escape, meaning it'd have to start again, but this time with less sugar for the yeast to go at.

I could be wrong, and don't mind being corrected if so.

 

[darthballs]

As Mark says, I'd bottle my beers prior to kegging for exactly the reason he states. Then leave the beer in the house (somewhere warm so that it's about 20 degrees or so, I put mine in the airing cupboard) for at least a week preferably two so that the beer carbonates properly. Then move it to the garage and leave it too cool, but not freeze, for 4-6 weeks depending on your patience levels, bring it back into the house for a day or so to gain serving temp of around 12 degrees-ish and drink. It should be a lovely drop by then :-)

 

[Canidrinkityet]

Thanks guys
It will be ok to prime the keg then bottle half straight away (I do have the bottling attachment ) then I just add the sugar to keg ?
I don't want to fuss about priming 20 bottles .

As far as stirage goes thinking the garage is going to get to cold so going to store in the porch.

 

[Rolfster]

Yes prime the keg (its called batch priming).
Just boil the desired amount of sugar in a little water, then cool, then add to the beer.
After a gentle stir with a sanitised spoon its ready to bottle.