I bought my keg cold, but then stored it in room temperature, but have not tapped it. is it still good?

Question

I bought a half keg about 2 months ago and it came cold. However, I have stored it in my house (which is obviously at about 72 degrees). I have not tapped the keg yet so it has not been exposed to air. Once I bring the beer back to a cold temperature, is the beer still good to drink? or will it be "skunked"?

Answer 1

It depends. If it is a pasteurized industrial beer you need not to worry (it should be microbiologically ok, although it was probably already tasteless from the start).

If it is a craft beer, it is probably not pasteurized (saving the full flavour), but if the brewery has sorted out it's quality it still should be perfectly ok.

However, some beers require treatment equally like diary products - store in a cool place (which is of course always better). It's all about the microbiological circumstances.

And - of course, it also assumes the keg's mechanics are ok - if the gaskets or valves are a bit iffy, then you may still have a problem.

Answer 2

It is skinked, dump it out!!!

Answer 3

the beer will not be "skunked," though it may not taste quite as good as if it had been kept cold.

skunking is a photochemical reaction.  exposure to ultraviolet light will cause a chemical reaction, causing it to have "off" flavors.

also, contrary to popular beliefs, cycling beer from cold to warm will not "skunk" beer, though again, it will negatively effect the flavor.  if you start with a flavorless beer like bud light, you may have only water left !

Answer 4

I don't know but I hope it is till good! That would be alcohol abuse if it went skunky on you!

Answer 5

this beer is going to be skunky but you can still drink it it just wont being as good

Answer 6

it only becomes skunked if exposed to visible light, it might be a little warm but it is safe to drink.

Answer 7

I actually have no idea, but I personally wouldn't drink it, and I don't think anyone else would if you told them that either! lol

If nobody provides a good answer, I would suggest calling the store you bought it at and asking them.

Answer 8

Why buy a half keg and not tap it for 2 months.  Thats alcohol abuse dude.... you need help.

Answer 9

It should be fine.  Without oxygen it should be as fresh as it was the day you got it.

Answer 10

Kegs are stored at room temperature in alot of places. As long as you get it cold before serving it will be fine.

Answer 11

ummm....should be okay....wont tatse as good as it did before....but just try it and see if it taste bad dump it.....

what a shame if you wasted all that beer...!!!

Answer 12

I'm going to preface my answer with a little bit of background on myself. I have been a beer collector for several years. I purchase and age beers for up to several years sometimes. Currently I have well over 200 individual bottles in various stages of aging.

Cold to warm to cold skunking is a myth. Skunking is caused by the beer being light struck which is impossible in a keg.

It should be fine as long as you didn't tap it as you said. I wouldn't wait much longer however. Your average American Pale Lager only has a shelf life of 3 to 6 months and there is no telling how long it sat at the distributor before you purchased it.