Kegging or bottling?!?

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Meat_Cat

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Oh man, I can't decide. I can't decide. My first brew is approaching rack point soon. I don't know whether to keg or bottle. What do most homebrewers do? I know a bit about the benefits of each. I know the price differences for equipment too.

Any stories or feedback? :(
 
I bottled my very first batch and ever since then I have been kegging. They both have pros and cons. Kegging is 1,000 times easier especially with one person. Though the start up cost for kegging is a lot.

Also remember if you keg, you can bottle from the keg without getting the yeast sediment on the bottom like you do when you bottle.
 
I like them both, but I primarily keg because I am about to add another 3 head tap, 6 taps of tasty home brew. I do use the bottles after I keg so I can store for a long time wait and see.
I use the flip top bottles so bottling is easy.
 
I bought all the necessary kegging equipment. I really want to bottle special stuff, though, to age and see if it gets any worse than the horrible trub rot I drink from the keg.
 
Having both is good, so if you have to buy bottles its not a huge loss.

Bottles work well for aging long brews, things like Cider, Mead, Barleywine..where you dont necessarily want to just leave a carboy out of commission for 8+ months, bottle it all up, hide it in a corner of the closet and continue brewing until its ready. Kegs are way better for dispensing immediate beer though, only needing to carb for a few days to be ready if you dont force carb.
 
I started out bottling, but I prefer kegging because it is less work and I can control my carbonation level more easily.
 
Bottle the first batch.
You'll love the keg after that.

Beside, with a full kegerator you will never be short on friends that want to hang out.

Speaking of kegerator, the logistics of keeping a supply of cold beer is easier with bottles.

I just invested in a chest freezer and most of the stuff to complete the conversion for my bar.
I'll be good for five beers on tap.
 
I mostly bottle, but I do have a tap.

Everyone makes it seem that bottling is so difficult. I do not find that to be the case. I usually bottle while my grains are mashing. I can bottle a batch before the mash is done. easy.

I like variety and usually have about 15 different brews around. with 6-8 different ones in my fridge. I also do a lot of Belgians so I have many bottles of them just sitting in the basement aging.
 
It's not that bottling is hard to do, it's just time consuming and the bottles take up a lot of space while you are waiting to use them. Mostly it's the time thing for me though.
I have been thinking of making a counter pressure bottling wand ( of sorts ) though. That would be a nice addition to the bottling setup. You have to bottle some!
 
I bottled for a few years. Bottling can be a chore until you get a process that works for you down to a science. With that said I prefer to keg. I started kegging a few months back and kick my self for not starting to keg sooner.

Since starting to keg I have upped my batches to 6 gallons so I can bottle some and keg the rest. Seems to be working out well.
 
I used to bottle (started off that way) in swing top bottles. I've since switched over to pushing my finished brew into corny kegs (I, typically, fill two 3 gallon kegs per batch). I have the ability to bottle off of tap/keg though. Having the ability to do that means I don't worry about a lot of elements anymore. For one thing (as already posted) I can dial in the carbonation level to where I really want it. Not something you can do with bottle carbonating. I can also pull a few bottles, of different sizes, to bring someplace and not worry about how carbonated they are. I also don't worry about someone drinking from the bottle and getting a mouth full of sediment. Then there's less items to clean and sanitized. Not to mention it takes far less time to transfer to a keg than to bottle. I can have my two corny kegs filled in about the same amount of time it takes to rack into a bottling bucket. Then I'm basically done. :ban: I've also tweaked my system so that I only have to watch the level in the corny keg. Once it's where it needs to be, I move the transfer hose to the second keg (I fill via the liquid post on the serving keg).

IF I was to do things all over again, knowing what I know now, I would have switched to kegging far sooner. Maybe even from the start.
 
Yep, not having to boil water, look up sugar weight needed, another rack to bottling bucket THEN another rack to bottles, then wait 2-4 weeks, sediment...some styles really shine when bottled...but for ease and control, I like kegging.

Now, I'll be bottling my Bananas Foster beer though to maintain the aroma of everything that went into it...but that's a special case.
 
Well, I agree with everybody here that says that kegging is easier but I prefer bottling for a couple of reasons. 1. Money...bottling really costs next to nothing compared to kegging. Iowa has a bottle deposit so I just went to the local grocery store and paid for the deposit and I had all the bottles I wanted for .05 each. Granted I had to clean them but I figured my time was cheap. 2. Space...when I first started to home brew, I was living in a small house with a wife and two small kids so space was at a premium and a couple cases of bottles really doesn't take much space at all. Transportation...my wife and I seemed to spend a lot of our time socializing at other people's houses so it was easy to take a sixer to someone's house in small cooler. Also, my other passion is fishing and nothing beats fishing while drinking a home brew...it just hits the spot but its tough to take a keg and ice bucket on my small fishing boat...I suppose I could leave the wife at home...shhh...don't tell her that;)

Those are just a few quick things I thought of...
 
BigRock947 said:
Well, I agree with everybody here that says that kegging is easier but I prefer bottling for a couple of reasons. 1. Money...bottling really costs next to nothing compared to kegging. Iowa has a bottle deposit so I just went to the local grocery store and paid for the deposit and I had all the bottles I wanted for .05 each. Granted I had to clean them but I figured my time was cheap. 2. Space...when I first started to home brew, I was living in a small house with a wife and two small kids so space was at a premium and a couple cases of bottles really doesn't take much space at all. Transportation...my wife and I seemed to spend a lot of our socializing at other people's houses so it was easy to take a sixer to someone's house in small cooler. Also, my other passion is fishing and nothing beats fishing while drinking a home brew...it just hits the spot but its tough to take a keg and ice bucket on my small fishing boat...I suppose I could leave the wife at home...shhh...don't tell her that;)

Those are just a few quick things I thought of...
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For a good many of us, bottles would take up more space then kegs do.

Then there's not being able to drink bottle carbonated beer direct from the bottle (unless you like drinking the trub, or the style has you drink that).

You can bottle from keg/tap rather easily when you want to take just a few with you (a 6 or 12 pack). I've done it and continue to do it in fact.

My brew fridge takes up little space. It's a 10 cubic foot Whirlpool fridge (freezer top, which has all my hops in it). I have three taps through the door, and four 3 gallon kegs inside.

As for the cost aspect. My time is NOT cheap. I'd rather spend a fraction of the amount of time it takes to bottle a batch with kegging.

Also, I can transfer my finished beer from my fermenter/aging vessel into the serving kegs without moving them at all. Since I'm fermenting in the basement, and store most of my brewing gear down there too, it's even easier. No more lugging 6.5-7 gallons of finished beer, in fermenter, up stairs, then onto a table in order to transfer to a bottling bucket (hope you got the seal tight on the spigot) and such.

BTW, with using 3 gallon corny kegs, transporting is really easy. I'm also working on making a portable kegorator to use later. That is, if I go someplace where there's enough people that will drink, and enjoy, my homebrew to have it make sense. Otherwise, I can simply fill a few bottles to bring for me, and a few others, to enjoy. :rockin:
 
Golddiggie said:
For a good many of us, bottles would take up more space then kegs do.

Then there's not being able to drink bottle carbonated beer direct from the bottle (unless you like drinking the trub, or the style has you drink that).

You can bottle from keg/tap rather easily when you want to take just a few with you (a 6 or 12 pack). I've done it and continue to do it in fact.

My brew fridge takes up little space. It's a 10 cubic foot Whirlpool fridge (freezer top, which has all my hops in it). I have three taps through the door, and four 3 gallon kegs inside.

As for the cost aspect. My time is NOT cheap. I'd rather spend a fraction of the amount of time it takes to bottle a batch with kegging.

Also, I can transfer my finished beer from my fermenter/aging vessel into the serving kegs without moving them at all. Since I'm fermenting in the basement, and store most of my brewing gear down there too, it's even easier. No more lugging 6.5-7 gallons of finished beer, in fermenter, up stairs, then onto a table in order to transfer to a bottling bucket (hope you got the seal tight on the spigot) and such.

BTW, with using 3 gallon corny kegs, transporting is really easy. I'm also working on making a portable kegorator to use later. That is, if I go someplace where there's enough people that will drink, and enjoy, my homebrew to have it make sense. Otherwise, I can simply fill a few bottles to bring for me, and a few others, to enjoy. :rockin:
Click to expand...

All valid points...all I want to do is give the OP my experience and opinions about kegging vs bottling. I'm guessing you didn't purchase all of your kegging equipment at once so...the OP says he has some beer ready to rack right now and I believe bottling can be valid option for their first batch.
 
I only bottle and the wife will not approve me moving to kegs. Being completely honest, the bottling is the only part I do not enjoy and I dream of the day I just have one shiny metal bottle to fill...
 
OClairBrew said:
I only bottle and the wife will not approve me moving to kegs. Being completely honest, the bottling is the only part I do not enjoy and I dream of the day I just have one shiny metal bottle to fill...
Click to expand...

Start leaving the bottles on the kitchen counter after you pour and rinse until there are many taking up space. After appearing lazy for a while wife will eventually start to complain and then you can tell here there is a excellent solution to the problem.
 
Toga said:
Start leaving the bottles on the kitchen counter after you pour and rinse until there are many taking up space. After appearing lazy for a while wife will eventually start to complain and then you can tell here there is a excellent solution to the problem.
Click to expand...

I have done this as well as completely fill a closet with filled bottles, she complains but still won't give in!! Maybe I will steal her Coach and Prada purses and hold them ransom until she gives in.... :rockin:
 
OClairBrew said:
I have done this as well as completely fill a closet with filled bottles, she complains but still won't give in!! Maybe I will steal her Coach and Prada purses and hold them ransom until she gives in.... :rockin:
Click to expand...

With what those purses cost (from what I hear) you could have gotten several kegs AND the rest of the hardware needed to use them (including a keezer, CO2 setup, etc.). You could point out that her purses are only for her while your brews are for many to enjoy. Plus, with kegging you would have more time to spend with her since you won't be bottling. Transferring to a single keg is far faster than the entire bottling process. :D
 
I was asking myself a similar question so I hope you won't mind if I add this option but what about the 5L (a bit more than a gallon) mini-kegs? Any downsides on these ones that I should be aware of?
 
Apatride said:
I was asking myself a similar question so I hope you won't mind if I add this option but what about the 5L (a bit more than a gallon) mini-kegs? Any downsides on these ones that I should be aware of?
Click to expand...

IME, those suck donkey balls (and more). Hard to clean, CO2 systems for them equally pitiful (unless you go over the top and make up your own rig), and they cannot withstand the same pressures as real kegs. I used a set for part of two batches before setting them aside and never using them again. I since sold them to another local homebrewer that was interested in the setup. Took a heavy loss on them, but at least I didn't need to move them. :drunk:
 
Golddiggie said:
IME, those suck donkey balls (and more). Hard to clean, CO2 systems for them equally pitiful (unless you go over the top and make up your own rig), and they cannot withstand the same pressures as real kegs. I used a set for part of two batches before setting them aside and never using them again. I since sold them to another local homebrewer that was interested in the setup. Took a heavy loss on them, but at least I didn't need to move them. :drunk:
Click to expand...

Agree Golddiggie...I'd rather stick to bottling my beer over using the mini kegs
 
Ouch!! Thanks for the info Golddiggie. I was hoping it would be a good way to save some space without having to buy a complex CO2 setup (I live in a small apartment). Looks like I m gonna have to talk to the manager of my local pub to get some pint bottles... Too bad, I also liked the idea of heading to a party with a mini keg or two rather than lots of bottles I ll probably never see again.
 
I used to live in a small apartment (about 500 sq feet, one bedroom) and still managed to set up for kegging. It's really more a matter of how you set the place up.

You can still bottle from keg/tap, so you don't need to be 100% in either mode.

I went and picked up the fridge I use, from Sears, and modified it for holding 2.5 and 3 gallon kegs. I run the CO2 through the sides of the fridge, via gas bulkheads, to give me more room for kegs. Plus, it allows me to use larger CO2 tanks. :D IF you have room in the kitchen, you could do the same thing. The fridge I picked up was less than the kegorators you see being sold. Even after adding the taps through the door. Plus, I have enough room in the freezer (top section) for all my hops. :rockin: This allows me to have just food in the freezer that's part of the main fridge. :ban: Of course, some hops might spill over into that freezer at some point. :D

Towards the time when I was getting ready to move, I went and got a storage unit for some stuff. That helped out more than a little bit, for me. Now that I'm in a 2 bed, 1.5 bath house (renting it) with a basement, I'm much, much happier. I easily have enough room for all my stuff, including brewing gear/supplies.

IMO/IME, you're better off saving your money, that you would have spent on the 5L mini keg setup and putting that towards a real keg setup.
 
I've recently looked into Kegging and it looks a lot easier than bottling but it's definitely more expensive to start up. I went ahead and got bottles to start brewing with because I wasn't sure if I would continue doing this. Plus if I were to invest in a keg later on down the road, it'd be nice to still have the bottles laying around to take beer to friends houses and such, I don't think lugging around a keg would be much fun. :D
 

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