I’m looking to brew about four different beers within the next couple months. I am not going to drink them until Jan-March. Is it ok to keg the beer when they are done and let them sit that long? The reason I am looking to do this is because I am currently 4.5 months pregnant, due around Christmas. I brewed two beers for my husband over the summer but I would like to start stock piling now for after the baby is born. I don’t think I will have a lot of time or extra money to brew for a while after the baby comes so I want some good homebrew on hand.
Congratulations!
The general rule is, the more alcohol, and the darker the beer, the better it ages. You will be fine with your plan.
RIS (or any stout, really), porters, scottish, etc. will all age well.
Just purge the keg with some CO2 and you can let it sit for quite a while, years maybe.
The other option that will force you (I guess more so, your husband, if you aren’t having any alcohol whilst prego) to wait is to brew some lagers. Marzens, Viennas, even some amber lagers will be great around that timeframe if you brew now.
Sounds good! Thanks!!
A keg is a near ideal aging vessel, since it is opaque to sunlight and can be easily purged of oxygen. If you have a basement or other cool place to store them in (or just keep them refrigerated if you have the room) that would be ideal. Even an ordinary strength beer if properly stored will be good for over a year. It might be a bit past its prime, but it won’t go bad. Stronger beers will fare even better.
You are quite right that you won’t have much time after baby arrives, so brew while you can, sounds like a great plan.
Oh, and when my wife was last pregnant she was advised that an occasional half glass of wine would not be harmful to baby. I see no reason why beer would be any different. So don’t feel bad about taking the occasional small sample of your efforts.
Bless you, Woman!.. :cheers:
Thanks! I think I am going to go with an Imperial IPA, Milk Chocolate Stout, some type of traditional Lager and an Oktoberfest. Glad to know the brews will be safe to store in the keg for a couple months. Just have to keep the hubby away from it! 
just dont dry hop your ipa before you keg open back up later after aging for hops and make as late as possible within reason
I’m glad you noted that because I would have dry hopped before kegging. Last time I threw the hops into the keg to dry hop I had problems with the pour. This time should I use a hop bag in the keg?
hops would be faded if you dry hop and let them sit…ipa need to be drank fresh as possible.
Yes just use a hop bag
A hop bag suspended with some dental floss allows you to remove it when you’re done dry hopping. Some people leave it in the whole time…I haven’t had as good results with that, personally.
Congrats!!
[quote=“CCM”]A hop bag suspended with some dental floss allows you to remove it when you’re done dry hopping. Some people leave it in the whole time…I haven’t had as good results with that, personally.
Congrats!![/quote]
if you suspend it to a certain level your only dry hopping until the beer gets past it
For dryhoping put the hops in a bag with marbles and let it sink.
panty hose make great hop bags. In the boil kettle or the keg/fermenter. At $.99 I don’t feel bad about tossing them after use.
I use a nylon (not a muslin) hop bag with leaf hops and no dental floss.
I do sometimes do a keg-to-keg xfer to get the beer off the hops into a serving vessel, for instance if I am bringing it to a party.
:shock: So you are doing the brewing for your husband!!
:cheers: Sweet!!
Yup! But the next couple will put away until I can enjoy them with him.
I don’t know if you’ll be breastfeeding but my wife and I just had our first baby this past Jan. We found tons of info online that said beer, especially hoppy ones, help bring more breast milk in. My wife would drink an IPA (Two-Hearted Ale)each evening and it did seem to make a small difference.
Anyway, just thought I’d throw that out there.
Do you have a sister? 
HAHA!! Yeh, unfortunately she enjoys the Coors Light variety of beers…very disturbing!
[quote=“SolomonsCommune”]I don’t know if you’ll be breastfeeding but my wife and I just had our first baby this past Jan. We found tons of info online that said beer, especially hoppy ones, help bring more breast milk in. My wife would drink an IPA (Two-Hearted Ale)each evening and it did seem to make a small difference.
Anyway, just thought I’d throw that out there.[/quote]
I’m thinkin’, that it is the relaxing aspect of having a beer brings more milk!
When we were living in Germany, and my twins were born, our German neighbors told the Wife that she should be drinking “Two Baby beers a day”, to help with milk production…The beer they referred to was MAYBE, 1.5-2% ABV…And the Germans are firm believers in they’re beer!
Other studies have shown that the alcohol is not good for the developing infant.
What research, I don’t recall…I know, I know…People been breast feedin’ babies beer for centuries!
Hell, it did’nt affect me none… :shock:
