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We're brewing faster than we can drink. Right now I've got 3 kegs on tap, 1 (primed) keg sitting in the garage (very cold), and 9 carboys ready to be kegged. My question is this -- how long will a primed keg last? Could I keg a beer, purge O2, pressurize with CO2, put it in storage and then put it on tap in 3, 6 or 9 months? If so, should I keep the keg cold? Or does that not matter? Any advice would be great.

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3 Answers 3

up vote 4 down vote accepted

If the keg is properly sealed and stored cool, it'll last for a long time. The real issue, if you wind up storing it for months, is how well the beer style itself can age. If it's a barleywine it can age for a long time, but other styles won't hold up so well.

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The question is more about the beer, and a little about the packaging. Mind your sanitization, purge the headspace and the beer will keep. –  Dean Brundage Feb 14 '10 at 16:41

I'll tell you the same thing I told PJ:

Drink More

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I figure that a beer that is kegged and purged of O2 and stored cool (<60°F) will last for up to a year without serious flaws. However, as Darknova said, the styles will change as they age. Usually for the better but that would depend on your taste. I almost never drink any of my beers until they are 2-3 months old. Not because I'm disciplined about aging but like you I always have a backlog to work through.

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