Someone convice me its worth it...

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duckmanco

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I'm probably in the minority here, but someone has to convince me its worth it, and hell, the ol' battle axe is telling me to do it, but I just can't seem to pull the trigger.

I have been told by the warden, that I can build a keezer, more specifically the latest build featured in BYO (black Frigidaire 7cu chest freezer) with 3 perlick taps. I priced this build out at $650 or so completed with this kit, which is 3 taps, kegs, and 3 way manifold:

http://stores.kegconnection.com/Detail.bok?no=195

I don't seem to hate bottling as much as everyone else. I followed revvy's advice from the first batch, bought a vinator bottle rinser and copied his method and I can get it done in an hour maybe an hour and 15, all told.

Kegging: I have been reading about kegging constantly, and it seems like force carbing is a mystery that everyone has to figure out on their own, I can't dispense at different pressures with the above setup without spending zillions on regulators, it also seems like cleaning/sanitizing kegs, beer lines poppets etc. is just as much work as sanitizing bottles ( I clean and rinse mine after each pour). And then to top it off, I saw a thread last week, that someone said "my beer tastes bad when forced carbed".... all this for 650? YIKES

Bottling: cheap, simple, dial in carbing with different priming sugar amounts, age big beers over years, portable. However, bottles are a pain in the ass to store, no question about it, and kegging and kegerators are cool looking and the ultimate homebrew toy.


So... someone help me out here, am I overthinking this? I just don't want to spend that kind of money on something and not be completely thrilled about it. (And I have scoured CL, and havent found much, also I am going with the black freezer because that is all the ball and chain will allow in the house, and its 3 taps min. otherwise its not worth it IMO).
 
Gosh, that seems like a fairly good deal. Damn you for making me think of what I have spent on mine. I don't like that.
 
If you build a keezer, you can still bottle too. Having beer on tap at the house is quite cool though. If you enjoy bottling, then bottle your ass off, but you can keg too if you (swmbo) wants.

Cleaning and sanitizing kegging setups is far quicker than bottling. The beer should taste no different in a bottle or keg. As long as you use a set it and forget it method, carbing and serving is very straight forward.
 
I think you may be over thinking the whole CO2 aspect of it.

I usually have 2 beers on tap at once, and use one regulator, split off. The beers are usually similar enough that 12-15 psi works just fine for carbonating and dispensing.

If, perchance I have a belgian which requires more CO2, I will just close the valve on the splitter that goes to the 12psi style beer, and only open it for serving.

Alternatively, I have a separate 5# tank with a cheap regulator that I can dispense with. (That tank is usually used for carbonating beers that are not currently on tap).

As far as off flavours, I can't say, other than that I have not had problems with CO2 tanks.

One advantage I can add, is that you only have to clean and sanitize one big bottle vs. a bunch of little ones.

Cheers!
 
I kegged for the fun of building it and the convenience of pulling a beer on tap. I also do not have a problem with bottling, although to be honest, I can usually keg much quicker. But also to be honest, I don't stress about leaving the beer in the fermenter if I can't get to bottling right away like I used to either.

Keg if you want, but if it's not a big deal, then why not spend some of that money you save on other brewing equipment or some on a few really good beers?
 
I think you may be over thinking the whole CO2 aspect of it.

I usually have 2 beers on tap at once, and use one regulator, split off. The beers are usually similar enough that 12-15 psi works just fine for carbonating and dispensing.

If, perchance I have a belgian which requires more CO2, I will just close the valve on the splitter that goes to the 12psi style beer, and only open it for serving.

Alternatively, I have a separate 5# tank with a cheap regulator that I can dispense with. (That tank is usually used for carbonating beers that are not currently on tap).

As far as off flavours, I can't say, other than that I have not had problems with CO2 tanks.

One advantage I can add, is that you only have to clean and sanitize one big bottle vs. a bunch of little ones.

Cheers!

Ok, so effectively for a belgian style brew, I would just cut off the co2 to a standard ale at 12 psi, and then just increase the output to the tap with the belgian style ale?

And thanks for the replies everybody, she just yelled at me "just get the kegerator already!!!!" So its on, calling keg connection now.
 
Ok, so effectively for a belgian style brew, I would just cut off the co2 to a standard ale at 12 psi, and then just increase the output to the tap with the belgian style ale?

And thanks for the replies everybody, she just yelled at me "just get the kegerator already!!!!" So its on, calling keg connection now.

Thank God! I was about to drive to VA and hit you over the head with a shovel. When SWMBO speaks, you listen....(as long as she's saying stuff like this:D)
 
imagine this. Walk over to your nice looking keezer you built up with your hands. Within it, the beer is the beer you've brewed. All you need is your favorite glass and a downward pull of the lever.

1. you can have as little or as much as you want
2. no yeast (although i sort of miss this)
3. you can always bottle beers you want to age (i just brewed a double bock for this purpose)
4. clean up.. clean up clean up
5. controlled carbonation to your liking either by style guidelines or not
6. less clutter in the kitchen
7. time back to yourself or family
8. racking into a keg.. 2 mins.
 
Yeah, it helps to make a mess, curse and break a kitchen item every time you bottle.

SWMBO will be demanding a kegerator in no time. I love mine!
 
My kegerator was a awesome investment for me......now the wife is pushing me to get a chest freezer to stage kegs in so she doesn't have to wait to drink them :)

As everyone else has said.....kegging is so much easier than bottling.

Jason
 
So what, at most you will have a dual stage regulator in case you want to carb 2 different levels. Set one regulator to low level for most beers and the other higher for Belgians or soda or whatever. you can T off from each of them to supply whatever keg you want, or use a manifold to do the same thing.
 
I also used Revvy's bottling procedure & didn't think it was so terrible to bottle...until I got a "deal to good to refuse"... 2 cornies, 20# tank (full), regulator, picnic tap, & hoses for $86. I didn't know how much I hated bottling until I kegged my 1st batch. :ban:
 
You may be the only person I've heard of that has a SWMBO encouraging a kegerator yet you yourself were not sold on it...

All joking aside, since building my kegerator I have been brewing a hell of a lot more because I can store more beer (4 batches of bottles seems to take up a lot more space than 4 kegs) and it takes me about 10 minutes to keg a beer rather than an hour and 10 to bottle.

Do it and you won't regret it.
 
Ok, so effectively for a belgian style brew, I would just cut off the co2 to a standard ale at 12 psi, and then just increase the output to the tap with the belgian style ale?

Get a CO2 regulator with a dual body like this. This is what I have and can push 2 different pressures out. Then I put a T in line with my 12psi line and I can serve 3 kegs at a time with 2 pressures.

Or you can get as many of these as you want and serve each off a different pressure. Or do any combo of the 2.

1 warning. You will drink more beer when it is on tap. Not saying that's a bad thing...just sayin' :mug:
 
My SWMBO said that I could only use the freezer to make a keezer if she was allowed to pain hop cones and bines all over it. Works for me! :D
 
I was on the fence for a while about the kegging also. My biggest turn off was the footprint a chest freezer would take up in my dinning room. Untill I found this build Here. I'll have two on tap for beers better young (wheats/IPAs) and I'll bottle aging beers. Not to mention this will match our wine cooler alread in the dinning room perferctly.
 
I was on the fence for a while about the kegging also. My biggest turn off was the footprint a chest freezer would take up in my dinning room. Untill I found this build Here. I'll have two on tap for beers better young (wheats/IPAs) and I'll bottle aging beers. Not to mention this will match our wine cooler alread in the dinning room perferctly.

hey, that is an awesome thread. :mug: (based on other builds of course)
 
thanks for all of the helpful replies everyone. I called keg connection and have a qoute coming my way for a custom system. And now that I'm moving forward with it, I'm pretty excited about it. I'll have to update this post with the build when it's done.
 
thanks for all of the helpful replies everyone. I called keg connection and have a qoute coming my way for a custom system. And now that I'm moving forward with it, I'm pretty excited about it. I'll have to update this post with the build when it's done.

Yes, please do. congrats.
 
UPDATE-

After much debate and even more money spent, the keezer is just about done. I asked before if kegging was worth it, and even though I've only just racked into my first keg, it wad without a doubt way easier, and way faster. It seems so simple now, but no one explained it this way to someone who still bottles.

Kegging to a bottler means being done at the same time when you rack to the bottling bucket. When that seemingly obvious fact finally clicked at 4am last night (had to keg the first brew) I suddenly got it. I'm still learning the kegging process, but so far, it's great. Thanks for the pushes.

And here she is, 3 tap system (left a hole for the fourth when I decide to add it). The collar looks painted brown due to the gel stain covering a little too well. Oh well, it still looks good where it sits and it seems to have a good seal.
eb403f1a.jpg
 
650 bucks. If you shop around Nd wAit for void deals you can get legging for a lot less. I probably son 150 initially for 1 Keg, used fridge q s co2 tank and a regulator and a picnic tap. I have since expanded to two kegs on a tower.
 

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