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Kevin Dean

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I had the good fortune to find HBT before I had hundreds of bottles, so I skipped botting totally and went right to kegging.

Let me tell you, kegging is NOT the natural prograssion. Eath method of containing your nectar has it's benefits and drawbacks.

I managed to get lucky, finding a kegerator, CO2 tank, regulator and tap for $75. However, there came a point in my brewing where I found myself buying more commercial beer than I was drinking in homebrew. In fact, it got SO bad I found I would have rather spent $13 on two cases of Natural Bohemian than drink the homebrew on tap. Blasphemy, you say?

No, because I like variety. This is a factor in the bottle/keg dispute that I think few people really take into account. Do you really want to drink 5 gallons of the beer you have on tap before getting something new?

My answer, discovered ONLY after my wife suggested it, was that no, I wasn't willing. On tap right now is a Laubmeister hefeweizen and an Apple Afpfelwein - neither I want to drink.

Having abandoned the compulsion to keg (and it is a compulsion when you've spent hundreds of dollars to do it) I am now finding beer freedom. By removing my two kegs, reg and CO2 tank, I'm now able to store many MANY varieties of beer in my beerorater and not have to finish one before I start the next. In addition, I'm able to give bottles from the fridge instantly to my guests and share the homebrew wealth.

Perhaps the grass is always greener on the otherside, by my beer is more enjoyable in bottles. :)
 
It was variety and not quantity that inspired me to build this

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:) Seriously, though I hear what you're saying. 2 taps would not be enough variety for me either. If I ever have a "backlog" of beer or one that I really want to get on tap, I figure I will bottle what's left of the lightest or least popular keg.

BTW, $75 for a two tap setup is a pretty amazing score.
 
Kevin Dean said:
I had the good fortune to find HBT before I had hundreds of bottles, so I skipped botting totally and went right to kegging.

Let me tell you, kegging is NOT the natural prograssion. Eath method of containing your nectar has it's benefits and drawbacks.

I found HBT BECAUSE I wanted to keg. I never intended to bottle and I never did. I hear what you're saying though. I haven't gotten to the point where I don't feel like drinking 10 gallons of the same brew, but I've been planning it that way. Now that summer is around the bend I need lots of pale ales and blondes so things are working out good right now. Once I have plenty of quaffable ales, I brew something like a stout that will sit for awhile. I'll have a glass of the darker stuff from time to time while I swill the lighter.
 
Kevin Dean said:
I had the good fortune to find HBT before I had hundreds of bottles, so I skipped botting totally and went right to kegging.

Let me tell you, kegging is NOT the natural prograssion. Eath method of containing your nectar has it's benefits and drawbacks.

I managed to get lucky, finding a kegerator, CO2 tank, regulator and tap for $75. However, there came a point in my brewing where I found myself buying more commercial beer than I was drinking in homebrew. In fact, it got SO bad I found I would have rather spent $13 on two cases of Natural Bohemian than drink the homebrew on tap. Blasphemy, you say?

No, because I like variety. This is a factor in the bottle/keg dispute that I think few people really take into account. Do you really want to drink 5 gallons of the beer you have on tap before getting something new?

My answer, discovered ONLY after my wife suggested it, was that no, I wasn't willing. On tap right now is a Laubmeister hefeweizen and an Apple Afpfelwein - neither I want to drink.

Having abandoned the compulsion to keg (and it is a compulsion when you've spent hundreds of dollars to do it) I am now finding beer freedom. By removing my two kegs, reg and CO2 tank, I'm now able to store many MANY varieties of beer in my beerorater and not have to finish one before I start the next. In addition, I'm able to give bottles from the fridge instantly to my guests and share the homebrew wealth.

Perhaps the grass is always greener on the otherside, by my beer is more enjoyable in bottles. :)

Start saving those bottles and soon you'll be able to bottle your homebrew. That is exactly why I have absolutely no desire to get a keg anytime in the near future. Well, that plus I enjoy the bottling process too much. If I ever keg I will want at least 6 taps available.
 
This is one reason why I really like the BMBF. You can keg a beer, carb it, and then bottle a dozen or two from it. Then the keg doesn't last as long, so you've got less time to get tired of it, and you'll have the bottles for later. If you make a habit of it, you can keep a stock of a bunch of your beers on hand for variety while still having beers on tap for easy access.
 
I only have two taps, so I see what you're saying. What I've done once or twice, though, is to change kegs. I have a fully carbed keg next to the fridge, and when I think, "Hmmmm, I want something different", I just change them. I also have a fully carbed keg in the basement (unless I'm low on beer, like now!), so I can run down there and get a pint, too, at least in the winter. I would really like to have 4 fridge taps, but I can't see my husband allowing me to get yet one more fridge. I mean, we have two in the cottage (one for beer) and two here at the house (one for beer) and he doesn't see the need for a big kegerator. I hate bottling so much, though, that I cant' see me NOT wanting to keg. Plus, I drink way to much to go back to bottles. I also like having a little beer at times, instead of a full 12 ounces. Last night before I went up to bed, I just had about 4 ounces for a "nightcap".
 
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