Aging big beers in the keg

[Tdevin]

I am getting ready to brew an Old Ale OG 1.076, and a Wee Heavy OG 1.098.  I plan to ferment both out in 6.5 gallon carboys, then transfer to  corny kegs.  I plan to age the Old Ale 3-6 months in the keg and the Wee for probably around 12 months in the keg.  I have a room in my basement that sits around 66 in the summer to down around 60 in the winter.  Should I put the kegs in that room, or am I better off setting up a fridge at 50-55?  I really don’t want to tie up a fridge that long.  I’m also planning on a Irish Red Ale and a Lambic that I plan on leaving in secondary glass carboys in this room.

[denny]

@Tdevin

I am getting ready to brew an Old Ale OG 1.076, and a Wee Heavy OG 1.098.  I plan to ferment both out in 6.5 gallon carboys, then transfer to  corny kegs.  I plan to age the Old Ale 3-6 months in the keg and the Wee for probably around 12 months in the keg.  I have a room in my basement that sits around 66 in the summer to down around 60 in the winter.  Should I put the kegs in that room, or am I better off setting up a fridge at 50-55?  I really don’t want to tie up a fridge that long.  I’m also planning on a Irish Red Ale and a Lambic that I plan on leaving in secondary glass carboys in this room.

The colder the better.  Basement is OK (not great), fridge is much better. What’s the reasoning behind secondary for an Irish red?

[Tdevin]

Mispoke, Flanders Red, not Irish Red.  I guess with the 6 refrigerators I have going in the house already, what’s 1 more lol.  What are your thoughts on the Lambic and Red in carboys in the basement?  Would colder be better for sours also?  These will be my first sours. The only other big beer I’ve stored for any time was a RIS that I left in a carboy in the basement for about 12 months that turned out very good.

[HopDen]

@Tdevin

I am getting ready to brew an Old Ale OG 1.076, and a Wee Heavy OG 1.098.  I plan to ferment both out in 6.5 gallon carboys, then transfer to  corny kegs.  I plan to age the Old Ale 3-6 months in the keg and the Wee for probably around 12 months in the keg.  I have a room in my basement that sits around 66 in the summer to down around 60 in the winter.  Should I put the kegs in that room, or am I better off setting up a fridge at 50-55?  I really don’t want to tie up a fridge that long.  I’m also planning on a Irish Red Ale and a Lambic that I plan on leaving in secondary glass carboys in this room.

I have kept some big beers in corny kegs up to 4 to 4-1/2 years w/o issues. Each time they were barrel aged first up to 18 months then kegged. As Denny stated, colder is definitely better. My opinion is 35-38*

[Drewch (Drew C.)]

@Tdevin

I’m also planning on a Irish Red Ale and a Lambic that I plan on leaving in secondary glass carboys in this room.

For the lambic:  There’re some old CB&B podcasts where they interview several lambic brewers & gueuze blenders. One of them (Tilquin, I think) said he keeps his barrel room cooled below about 18C in the summer but does not heat in the winter.

[reverseapachemaster]

The basement temperatures are fine for the sour beers

[profitt_chartermi.net (Kevin)]

I always use my keezer for storage. But then I don’t drink a whole lot and I am the only drinker in the house so I have space for one or two kegs to do nothing but sit for long periods of time.

[brewthru]

I’ve done in carny kegs as more of them fit into my converted chest freezer than other SS items. Will have SEDIMENT in the bottom. Therefore, I’d rather leave the sediment in the secondary and transfer the clear beer into the carny keg for serving. Doing in a carny keg makes it difficult, at least for me, to know when I’m getting close to the sediment. Also, need a very long racking tube.