If you can, keg instead of bottle!

Spyk'd · May 30, 2006

I keg, but I've also got some 32 oz swingtop bottles(also come 16oz) and I usually do a mini bottling run with brews I know a certain friend likes, or that are more 'complex'. It's not uncommon for me to hand over a bottle when I'm visiting and say, "There's more where that came from...but not for long!"

I like to entertain, so people are over at my house most of the time anyway. Bottling and cellaring does help you to 'save' the more excellent brews as there is no warning when the keg goes out sometimes!

kornkob · May 30, 2006

I also find it easier to age finished beer in bottles as I can put them in the basement storage where they are easily 'forgotten'.

gnef · May 31, 2006

how many kegs do you guys have? and how many do you use at any given time? right now i have about 6 kegs that are good, and am only using two... i really want to brew more. haha.

DrewsBrews · May 31, 2006

I only have five. Four to fill the fridge and one spare for rotation. I don't drink/share enough to warrant having more. Two cases of 16oz flippies hold anything I plan on saving for any length of time.

gnef · May 31, 2006

haha. i was also thinking of putting cleaner in one of the kegs to use for cleaning the beer lines or even other kegs with. or also maybe using it for dispensing other beveridges other than beer. i'm also contemplating modifying my chest freezer to hold 2 more kegs... heh.

homebrewer_99 · May 31, 2006

gnef said:
how many kegs do you guys have? and how many do you use at any given time? right now i have about 6 kegs that are good, and am only using two... i really want to brew more. haha.

I have over 15 - 5 liter minikegs and 30 cases of 1/2 liter bottles from Germany!

DrewsBrews · May 31, 2006

homebrewer_99 said:
I have over 15 - 5 liter minikegs and 30 cases of 1/2 liter bottles from Germany!

Show off.

SpecialEd · May 31, 2006

I considered getting a kegging system, $265 at my local brew shop, includes CO2 tank 5 gal, cornelius keg, 5 gal, and regulators hoses etc. Whats the advantage to kegging(besides lazines, I have that in spades)? Can you skip fermentation steps or something. I have also heard of fermenting in the keg(at least lagering). Do you have tolug the co2 tank around to take it with you?

kornkob · May 31, 2006

Yes, the co2 tank has to come with you to properly dispense although there are gadgets that use the tiny 12g co2 capsules. Either that or, as stated in this thread, bottle on the fly for events.

Making beer is still the same, although there are adapters out there for using a keg to ferment, I don't think it gains you much.

The biggest thign is to strip you of the requirement of bottling. Kegging beer takes as much time as it takes to siphon your beer out of a carboy-- as opposed to the grueling labor involved in bottling (especially using capped bottles) Also, 5 gallons of beer in a keg takes up less space and is easier to store than 5 gallons in glass bottles. That and it would be damn hard to break a keg or have someone chuck it in the recycle bin 'by mistake'. : )(

bikebryan · May 31, 2006

SpecialEd said:
I considered getting a kegging system, $265 at my local brew shop, includes CO2 tank 5 gal, cornelius keg, 5 gal, and regulators hoses etc. Whats the advantage to kegging(besides lazines, I have that in spades)? Can you skip fermentation steps or something. I have also heard of fermenting in the keg(at least lagering). Do you have tolug the co2 tank around to take it with you?

$265 for that? Hmm. I think you are getting ripped.

I got a brand new, fully charged CO2 tank w/single guage regulator, TWO cornies, and all the hoses/connectors/etc, all for about $180 at my LHBS. Shop around and you can probably find a better price. That just seems awfully pricey to me.

gnef · May 31, 2006

if you hound craigslist in your area for a while, or go to a lot of garage sales, you can eventually find a setup for very cheap...

edit - for example: i got a 20lb co2 tank, dual gauge regulator, faucet, shank, and sanke tap - all for 80, all of my kegs have been about 20 a piece, i got a 50 lb co2 tank for 20 dollars, a 2.5 lb tank for 10, a chest freezer for 15, 6.5 gallon carboy for 15, 5 gallon carboy for 5. that's all i can think of right now. but craigslist and garage sales are definitely your friend.

DyerNeedOfBeer · Jun 10, 2006

Iv'e now been drinking off of two different kegs in my kegerator for a couple of weeks now... well, back to the thread's title...

If you can, keg instead of bottle!

Many good points brought up about bottling and obviously bottling will never go away. I mention this only for those of you who are 'on the edge', have the means to get the equipment and just cant decide whether its worth while. IT IS! :ban:

The two beers I have on tap right now are recipe's I have brewed before yet these are undoubtedly better. The beers are clearer and seem 'crisper' to me. The carbonation levels are perfect (and adjustable if they were not!). The head retention is much better out of the tap than with the bottled versions of the same brew.

After going all grain, I would rate this right up there with the best things I could do to produce better beer and enjoy the hobby more (one other thing would be the fermentation cooler). It really impresses the heii out of all my friends and neighbors too!

CHEERS...

Neil

If you can, keg instead of bottle!

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