Blending Beer. When Is The best Time To Do It? Fermenter? Keg? Glas

[michael_aussie]

Blending beer. When is the best time to do it? Fermenter? Keg? Glass?

I ferment 23 litre batches, but can only fit 19 litres in a keg (cause thats all they fit!). A while ago I asked what I should do with the left-overs from a number of fermenters, and someone suggested that I blend the left overs. The suggestion was you never know what youll end up with.
Well Ive tried and the outcome was fantastic.
I blended a dark ale with an English Bitter, and just like the Beatles, the whole was better than the parts. Sometimes 2 and 2 added together give you more than 4!!

My question is

What differences will I fine if I blend beers:
a) in the fermenter
B) when kegging
c) when pouring into the glass to drink??

Will the same two beers, blended in the same proportions give the same result under those three scenarios??

What are the pros and cons of blending?

One big con I can see, is, once blended you cant go back.

 

[michael_aussie]

bump

 

[Amber Fluid]

Blending beers, now that's an interesting concept. I usually do 3-5 PET bottles with the left overs. How do you blend the beers?

I am assuming you just keep "topping" up a keg. If so, surely this is subject to infection.

 

[michael_aussie]

Blending beers, now that's an interesting concept. I usually do 3-5 PET bottles with the left overs. How do you blend the beers?

I am assuming you just keep "topping" up a keg. If so, surely this is subject to infection.

When I started kegging I also bottled the "left-overs".
As I ferment 3 batches at a time, I had enough to fill a 4th keg ... so I get 4 kegs from 3 fermenters.

My question still is ... should I leave the other 3 unblended and blend in the glass (pouring 1/2 from one keg and 1/2 from another), or should I blend in the kegs??

 

[unrealeous]

Suggest do it on a small scale first (ie in a glass) until you get the balance right - then if its a winner, go the whole hog (keg)

The only time I've done anything similar is when I've brewed a beer that's too strong - and so after working out how much I wanted to dilute it - I partially filled a keg with boiled water, let it cool, then continue to fill with the beer to be diluted. Worked well.

 

[peas_and_corn]

I put the beer I have left over in a keg, and top up regularly. I call it DP Blend, it's on tap at times (not right now though), and I've had some good beers come out of it at times. Other time, it's just been all right beer come out- I've never had any unpalatable beers come out of this process.