Serving Temperature

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I've no "kegerator", "keezer" or other means (apart from wet towels) of cooling Corny kegs of beer. This year we were abruptly kicked into Summer, beer temperature rising to 18-20C from 14-16C in just a couple of days - crisis! The hand-pumped ales kept at 2PSI lost all their CO2 condition and the "Belgium" style ales, while not losing their high carbonation, fobbed madly and didn't taste too good that warm.

After a few days the hand-pumped beers did settle down and even at 18C did restore an acceptable level of carbonation and tasted alright; perhaps not at their best but quite alright. Some got a bit lively because of the heat but although I devised elaborate venting procedures found the higher carbonation (4-6PSI) did no obvious harm flavour-wise at that temperature (except one where the yeast kicked off again and became "muddy" both in appearance and flavour). The "Belgium" styles get put into bottles and go in the fridge for an hour serving at 12-14C, any colder and they are destroyed, flavours (often "estery" in nature) become muted and transformed into "less pleasant" flavours.

High temperatures (18-20C) haven't turned into the disaster I was expecting earlier in the year for British style hand-pumped ales, but perhaps I'll have a "kegerator"/"keezer" set at 14-15C next year (12C I find too cold). I might even consider a cooler to get the "Belgium" styles just a tad cooler (10-12C, certainly no cooler).

Quick heads up, if your not 100% set on a kegorator, cool brewing do brew bags for cornies now. Not sureif their over here yet though

http://www.cool-brewing.com/hot-new-products/
 
Theres a reason pubs keep beer in cellars. Its a bit cooler underground and the perfect temperature for serving beer. My last brew was a Coopers English Ale (as I've never done one before). I have had one or two a bit chilled and the rest at room temperature. The chilled ones dont have a head when I pour them, but room temp ones do.

and its a stable temperature - less fluxuation is what you want for conditioning and stabalisation of carbonation - turning CO2 fizz into CO2 bubbles susspended in your solution
 

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