I have a kegerator setup with CO2 and a tap. Once a keg has been put into the kegerator, how long will it stay good? What can I do to ensure that I get the longest life possible out of a keg once it's been tapped? Is there some way (aside from the flavor changing) to know that it's gone bad?
Is the answer to this question different for homebrew kegs than for commercial kegs?
Topic shelf-life kegerator keg homebrew
Category Mac
Do you know what Biogon is? Great mixture of CO2 and Nitrogen. We use it in Czech Republic, but I do not know if it is available in the USA. CO2 keeps the carbonation, Nitrogen preserves it, so it is a great combination.
I think it is called Mixed Gas in your country
I've seen a 15.5 gallon keg of beer be good over a year later. Kept in house at room temperature. Not just acceptable, but just as good as when it was kegged.
If the beer is being kept cool and you are using CO2 to push (which I assume you are) then it can last for months. I think the longest I've ever had a Corny keg last is three months, but that was finishing it, not spoilage. Kept refrigerated, sealed and under CO2, it should last longer than it takes you to drink it.
The one thing you may want to keep aware of is the cleanliness of your taps. The taps and lines will be dirty long before the keg goes bad or runs out. Regular cleaning (about once a month) is necessary. Dirty taps and lines can make a good beer taste bad.
As you drink the keg, you're replacing the beer in the keg with CO2. The CO2 isn't going to stale your beer. As long as you are keeping the pressure in the keg high enough to ensure that the carbonation doesn't dissipate into the keg's head space, the beer should stay tasty for quite a long time.
Unlike kegerators, hand-pump kegs replace the beer with air, which causes staling and allows the co2 in the beer to evolve out, leaving you with flat beer.
If you're not going to drink from the keg for a while, it's a good idea to disconnect it from the intake/outake lines. Just make sure you've pressurized the keg appropriately, then disconnect it.
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