My uneducated gut instinct is the answer is no but I thought I’d seek advice from a more experienced group… I typically let beers ferment and condition until I’m ready to serve and then burst carbonate (in kegs). I currently have a Belgian Quad and a cider that I’m aging. Every few weeks I like to sample because it’s what we homebrewers do. I’m thinking of carbonating these this week to see how they taste fully carbonated but I’m wondering if this will in any way slow down or affect the aging process.
You’re correct…no problem.
Thanks. gives me something to do on this rainy, social distancing, day
In principle there is no problem, and carbonation will have no effect on the normal aging process for beer. In reality your CO2 will not be absolutely pure, so carbonating with it will introduce a small amount of oxygen, which can eventually lead to oxidation and staling. The significance of this depends on your CO2 purity, your level of oxygen paranoia, your temperatures and the length of time. Carbonating only when you are ready to serve will minimize the exposure time, leaving you with only the first three to worry about.
We keg and force carb everything, including competition submissions, and haven’t noticed any detriment. Of course, kegs don’t last too long around here.
Jim
I will throw this out there, subject to getting beat up over it. I was judging light pale lagers at a competition last weekend and I was paired with a friend who is a pro brewer. I asked him about knowing when to go to carb with light lagers and he said he tastes them as they finish fermentation and he prefers them to have just a hint of residual sweetness just before carbonating them in the bright tank - he says the carbonic acid offsets the sweetness in his lagers, so he prefers the final outcome. This is one person’s opinion, but I think he may be on to something about carbonation, generally.
I am not sure if that applies to what you are contemplating, but I guess I would say that take the carbonic acid “bite” into account in your aging on carbonation, especially with lighter lagers - but as to a Belgian Quad or a cider, it may not be a factor.