I want to do a dry Irish stout next, but won’t have room in the kegerator for a while. If I have to store the stout until a tap is open, is it best to store it in a keg carbonated or just leave it in secondary?
Thanks
T
If its a few weeks, secondary is fine. If its well over a month, I’d go with the keg.
Both options are just fine.
Having it sit in a keg means you just have to make sure it stays pressurized but at least you have it in a keg and ready.
If you leave it in the secondary all you really have to worry about is the temperature but it can stay there for months.
Just really whatever you feel comfortable with is the correct answer.
Not essential, but my preference would be a keg if one is available. Easier to achieve optimal storage conditions (no light and no oxygen), and you don’t have to rack it to a third vessel which would further increase risk of oxidation and infection.
It doesn’t really matter. If you want to drink it as soon as room opens up put it in the keg then it’s ready to go. If you have another beer (and a limited amount of kegs) you want to drink before you could do a secondary vessel to age before transferring to a keg. Whatever works best for your situation
[quote=“TheNerdyGnome”]Both options are just fine.
…If you leave it in the secondary all you really have to worry about is the temperature but it can stay there for months…[/quote]
True. I’ve aged some beers in carboys for upwards of 12 months with no issues whatsoever.
A keg makes a great secondary. Run a hose from your primary to a liquid in fitting and drain directly into a purged keg. After your "secondary is finished, use a liquid-to-liquid jumper to rack to a final (purged) keg. Works fine, precludes oxygen, and minimizes spills.
I’m curious why you would do this extra step. Unless you’re dry hopping in the “secondary” keg or unless that keg has a short dip tube to leave most of the yeast behind, wouldn’t it be better to just move this keg to the kegerator for serving?
[quote=“The Professor”][quote=“TheNerdyGnome”]Both options are just fine.
…If you leave it in the secondary all you really have to worry about is the temperature but it can stay there for months…[/quote]
True. I’ve aged some beers in carboys for upwards of 12 months with no issues whatsoever.[/quote]
A dry stout though? The big beers tend to do well in a long secondary.
I’m curious why you would do this extra step. Unless you’re dry hopping in the “secondary” keg or unless that keg has a short dip tube to leave most of the yeast behind, wouldn’t it be better to just move this keg to the kegerator for serving?[/quote]
It would clean it up without any harm to the beer. Fresh beer in kegs tends to drop some yeast and moving will stir that up.
[quote=“tom sawyer”]
It would clean it up without any harm to the beer. Fresh beer in kegs tends to drop some yeast and moving will stir that up.[/quote]
When you transfer from the secondary keg to the dispensing keg, you’re still going to move quite a bit of yeast with the beer. Either way, after you let it chill, you’re going to get a glass or two of yeast followed by clear beer. No harm in doing what he’s suggested, but no meaningful benefit to justify the unnecessary work of having to clean and sanitize en extra keg. 
