Hi All,
I have found this to be a very generous and helpful group.
I have been brewing for 8 or 9 months now. My first couple brews were okay, but I have done 5 or 6 really good ones (not just my opinion: my BIL is a certified beer judge and had some good things to say about my latest 4 or 5 beers). I no longer use kits, but use extract recipes I find or come up with on my own. Anyway, that is just to set this up:
I have saved up a bit of cash, and I am at a crossroads. I am trying to decide whether to invest my cash in an all-grain setup or to go ahead and invest in a kegging setup. Here are the facts:
I have been brewing extract with specialty grains. I like that I can do the whole thing in a couple hours, but as I am interested in seeing how good I can make them, all-grain appeals to me. It probably requires a double-cooler setup and a larger brew pot, as well as perhaps a gas burner (I presently use my electric cooktop, but I am not 100% sure I can get 7 gallons of wort to boil).
My favorite beers tend to be ones that would be good on nitro. So a kegging setup would likely involve a tap or two on nitro and another tap or two on CO2. So, say, four kegs to start, and nitro and CO2 systems, as well as a fridge for my beer.
So you have probably heard this question 100 times, but what would you recommend as my next step, kegging or all-grain? I have two friends who are veterans of the home brew thing, and they are split. One says my money is better spent getting set up with kegs so I can enjoy my beers on draft and so I don't have to bottle any more. The other says my presently good beers will be great once I get used to doing it all myself, and that kegging can wait until next year.
Thanks for the help, folks, I know this is the place to go for info.
I have found this to be a very generous and helpful group.
I have been brewing for 8 or 9 months now. My first couple brews were okay, but I have done 5 or 6 really good ones (not just my opinion: my BIL is a certified beer judge and had some good things to say about my latest 4 or 5 beers). I no longer use kits, but use extract recipes I find or come up with on my own. Anyway, that is just to set this up:
I have saved up a bit of cash, and I am at a crossroads. I am trying to decide whether to invest my cash in an all-grain setup or to go ahead and invest in a kegging setup. Here are the facts:
I have been brewing extract with specialty grains. I like that I can do the whole thing in a couple hours, but as I am interested in seeing how good I can make them, all-grain appeals to me. It probably requires a double-cooler setup and a larger brew pot, as well as perhaps a gas burner (I presently use my electric cooktop, but I am not 100% sure I can get 7 gallons of wort to boil).
My favorite beers tend to be ones that would be good on nitro. So a kegging setup would likely involve a tap or two on nitro and another tap or two on CO2. So, say, four kegs to start, and nitro and CO2 systems, as well as a fridge for my beer.
So you have probably heard this question 100 times, but what would you recommend as my next step, kegging or all-grain? I have two friends who are veterans of the home brew thing, and they are split. One says my money is better spent getting set up with kegs so I can enjoy my beers on draft and so I don't have to bottle any more. The other says my presently good beers will be great once I get used to doing it all myself, and that kegging can wait until next year.
Thanks for the help, folks, I know this is the place to go for info.