flatrockbrewing
Well-Known Member
I found my homebrew tastes better from a bottle then a keg. It's much clearer and seems to condition faster. Does anyone strictly bottle all of their homebrew?
Bottling vs kegging
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I bottle all of mine. To me,it's just a few more hassles to keg till I'd get used to what needs to be done. Over & above the expense. Besides,I've got my bottling day set up to where I can sit down the whole time,& everything is within arms reach. I'm actually beginning to enjoy it.
I also like the "crackin my own bottles" aspect of it.
I also like the "crackin my own bottles" aspect of it.
TopherM
Well-Known Member
Have you tried priming and conditioning in a keg like you would in a bottle? I found that this makes kegged beer taste more like bottled beer. I have heard that some people are sensitive to the difference between the conditioned CO2 in the cylinder and natural CO2 straight from the yeast.
I basically primary for 3 weeks then siphon to a corny, add priming sugar, after a few days do a quick 1-2 second oxygen purge, and let the keg sit for 3-4 weeks at about 70 degrees.
Saves CO2 in the kegorator. Just note that you use about 50-60% of the priming sugar in the keg when you are carbing in bulk than you would when bottling.
Also note that the first pull will be yeast slurry. After that, everything is crystal clear and taste more like bottled beer.
I basically primary for 3 weeks then siphon to a corny, add priming sugar, after a few days do a quick 1-2 second oxygen purge, and let the keg sit for 3-4 weeks at about 70 degrees.
Saves CO2 in the kegorator. Just note that you use about 50-60% of the priming sugar in the keg when you are carbing in bulk than you would when bottling.
Also note that the first pull will be yeast slurry. After that, everything is crystal clear and taste more like bottled beer.
solbes
Well-Known Member
+1 to naturally carbing kegs. Question to Topher though, why not purge the O2 right away after you seal the keg up? That's usually what I do.
Mainly because I'm cheap though, and getting the CO2 tanks filled is extra time that I could be doing something else. I buy corn sugar in bulk, so very easy and very cheap.
Mainly because I'm cheap though, and getting the CO2 tanks filled is extra time that I could be doing something else. I buy corn sugar in bulk, so very easy and very cheap.
TopherM
Well-Known Member
Yeah, I know I could purge the O2 on "bottling" day with CO2 from the tank, but I haven't found any adverse effects to just leaving the headspace O2 in there an purging it with just the relief valve once a little bit of carb has built up 3-4 days after "bottling" day.
solbes
Well-Known Member
I guess I wan't questioning the O2 exposure, but rather would "burping" the built up CO2 affect carbonation levels? Prolly not, just asking.
LAjerm
Member
I like to have naturally carbed bottles as well, nice to have bottles to give out and for comps.
I fill my keg, add priming sugar (same amount as if I straight bottle).
Then I use my bottle filler, which is spring loaded, to fill bottles of primed beer. I only use enough pressure to prevent foaming. Best part is I can bottle on the countertop, not the floor and If I get tired of bottling I can quit whenever I want. Beer not bottled carbs up naturally although due to increased air space may not get as high as desired, but thats ok, since its kegged and easily adjusted.
I fill my keg, add priming sugar (same amount as if I straight bottle).
Then I use my bottle filler, which is spring loaded, to fill bottles of primed beer. I only use enough pressure to prevent foaming. Best part is I can bottle on the countertop, not the floor and If I get tired of bottling I can quit whenever I want. Beer not bottled carbs up naturally although due to increased air space may not get as high as desired, but thats ok, since its kegged and easily adjusted.
TopherM
Well-Known Member
It certainly would if I purged it for any extended period of time, but I literally burb it for like a second.
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flatrockbrewing
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It's a huge debate in our brewery if we should sell bombers over kegging our beers. Most of our beers are oak barrel aged and to me that just screams out for bottle conditioning.
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To me the bottling vs kegging question lies with the OG. Big beers get bottles. Something above 1.055 or 6% should go to bottles. No doubt kegging is easier than bottling hands down. The act of cleaning and sanitizing 48 bottles is a pain in the a$$. Whereas doing the same with one keg, well that's a no-brainer.
Beerbeque
Well-Known Member
I prefer to bottle my beer too. I have bottled all 106 batches so far. I begin drinking them after 2 weeks in the bottle but save some for many weeks afterward. I enjoy seeing and tasting the way the beer develops over time. I don't think I'll ever keg my beer.
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flatrockbrewing
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Our brewery staff are debating selling bottles vs kegs. Kegs seem easier to deal with but we barrel age much of our beers and bottle conditioning seem to go hand in hand with oak aging.
MrManifesto
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why not do both?
I do both. My session beers go straight to keg, but anything that needs extended aging, I'll bottle.
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flatrockbrewing
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I was actually thinking about a parti-gyle brew with the first running going to barrels then bottles and the second run going directly to kegs. We live in a rural area and most of the beer drinkers are coors lite drinkers. So the lower gravity second run might be a good fit.
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I bottle apfelwein and keg everything else. Bottling is a PITA.. I hate doing it. If I want some bottles, I fill from the keg.
So, you brew commercially? Brew pub? Microbrewery? For the latter, bottles, for the former, kegs.
When you say "selling bottles vs kegs", what volume and type of kegs were you considering selling?
IDK how ageing in bottles is any different from ageing in kegs. How would it be any different? I have always kegged because of the ease of kegging. I have aged in the keg for 5 months and the beer came out great. If I had put that beer in bottles it would have been better?
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For me big beers are not the type where I want to drink three in a row. I have a three tap draft setup. I don't want one of the taps tied up with a saison, IIPA or a doppelbock. I currently have three sessions on the taps. Right now I have apfelwein bottled and drink off the taps; brown porter, Irish red, light ale.
Kegs are for session beers, bottles for anything special. I believe this makes sense you are running a business or just homebrewing. If you are not kegging or haven't done so you may not be able to appreciate kegging. A business will not tie up a tap with an obscure beer that it may not sell very often, but they will stock bottles for those looking for something special. The exception is if you are at bar that is really a tap room. (Meaning 100+ Taps)
Meh. That's what I call "thinking small". The obvious solution is more faucets...
Cheers!
Cheers!
I can understand that...makes lots of sence not to tie up a faucet if you dont have enough. I agree with day-trippr though...you just need more faucets
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flatrockbrewing
Well-Known Member
billtzk said:
Applying to the ttb in a few weeks. We have a space although it's small. We will sell barrel aged beers and smaller beers in 5 gallon kegs.
That sounds really cool. Best of luck to you Lawrence.
I've got to try barrel aging a beer one of these days. Though my impression is that people usually do that only with big beers. I find I don't really care much for beers with an OG over about 1.070.
I've got to try barrel aging a beer one of these days. Though my impression is that people usually do that only with big beers. I find I don't really care much for beers with an OG over about 1.070.
I bottle all my beers. I only drink one or (seldom) 2 bottles a day and like a range of beer flavors to choose from so I might have a blond ale, creme ale, Irish red, porter, oatmeal stout, cream stout, APA, and a spiced dark ale available at one time. That's a lot of kegs and taps to keep clean and charged. With bottles I can chill a few and choose what I'd like for that day. As I get low on any one variety, I know I'll have empty bottles that I can fill with that variety or something else.
MrManifesto
Well-Known Member
i live in an apartment so bottling is what i have for now. at some point i'll get some kegs but it'll have to wait until i move to a real home...which will have to wait until i get a higher paying job...and move out of the city...uhh at least i can get bottles for $2 a case?
seriously though, i'll always bottle the high gravity brews, i'm never going to have enough taps, no matter how many i have, to age a barleywine or a sour.
seriously though, i'll always bottle the high gravity brews, i'm never going to have enough taps, no matter how many i have, to age a barleywine or a sour.
rico567
Well-Known Member
Yeah, I bottle all of mine....but I wouldn't know anything about the comparative taste. I just bottle because I don't care to undertake the expense and dealing with the complexity of kegging....and because how we drink beer around here is really unsuitable to it. Usually we are working on 7 or 8 different beers, and we don't drink it all that fast (I make maybe 16-20 5 gal. batches in a year). All I know is that bottling is simple, efficient & cheap, and suits me.
BrewingRugger
Well-Known Member
I love to do my kegs. I have to fill one instead of 50, and it's ready to drink in days instead of weeks. At the same time, having filled bottles around is quite enjoyable. I vote is to do both; I do.
LAjerm
Member
To me, only the really big beers get bottled.
Barley wine, Russian Imperial Stout, OLd Ales...
You can always bottle from the keg
Barley wine, Russian Imperial Stout, OLd Ales...
You can always bottle from the keg
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flatrockbrewing
Well-Known Member
I think this is the way for us to go...keg session beers and bottle beers like Barley Wines Imperial Stouts, etc. I was thinking about 22oz bombers even though I would rather buy 12oz "special" brews then 22oz bombers. Maybe I need to find more beer drinking friends but I always find myself dumping the last 10 ozs of high gravity beers. But it does make for a faster bottling run.
LAjerm said:
I think this will be my plan as well once I get my keezer up (hopefully this week!). I have a mild and a Moose Drool clone ready to go. I may bottle a gallon of Moose Drool for competition in March, but keg the rest. Tomorrow I'm attempting my 1st RIS and a BDS on Saturday, and will bottle those after months of bulk conditioning.
