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Tiredboy

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I'm thinking about an alternative to bottling. I've contemplated the partypig but saw all the negative comments about buying a new pouch for every brew and the costs involved. An alternative is to move towards kegging but I haven't really got the room for a full 5 gallon keg so I was thinking about maybe a 2.5 gallon.

Has anyone got any comments or suggestions?

Is there an intermeadiate step between party pig and cornelius kegs?
 
I'm thinking about an alternative to bottling. I've contemplated the partypig but saw all the negative comments about buying a new pouch for every brew and the costs involved. An alternative is to move towards kegging but I haven't really got the room for a full 5 gallon keg so I was thinking about maybe a 2.5 gallon.

Has anyone got any comments or suggestions?

Is there an intermeadiate step between party pig and cornelius kegs?

A 2.5 gallon keg set up doesn't really save any room, except the keg is a bit shorter. Everything else is the same size, the tanks/regulator/etc- plus the diameter of the keg is the same. They are small enough to fit in a dorm fridge without much converting of the fridge (bending back the freezer compartment), though. So I have one little kegerator at my cottage that I use with 2.5 gallon kegs.
 
Thanks Yooper (quick reply as always!)

After a bit more research I am thinking about a tap-a-draft system - I just need to see if I can get the CO2 cartridges locally.
 
Midwest supplies also sells a mini keg system called Party star deluxe 1.33l mini kegs. May see if you can get them locally.
 
I was looking into the mini kegs myself at Midwest maybe 4 to a batch. It'd still take up a shelf in the fridge for one batch though.
 
My LHBS charges about $0.55 for an empty 12oz bottle. A party pig pouch just doesn't seem cost prohibitive to me - a shade over the cost of a six pack. I guess if I had an endless stock or supply of empty bottles I'd feel differently about it.
 
I'm thinking about an alternative to bottling. I've contemplated the partypig but saw all the negative comments about buying a new pouch for every brew and the costs involved. An alternative is to move towards kegging but I haven't really got the room for a full 5 gallon keg so I was thinking about maybe a 2.5 gallon.

Has anyone got any comments or suggestions?

Is there an intermeadiate step between party pig and cornelius kegs?

I think its all relative. I have 4 party pigs since I don't have room to keg. They have their pluses and minuses, but I haven't had an issue with them. I have kept beer in them as long as 5-6 months in fridge with no problems.
 
My LHBS charges about $0.55 for an empty 12oz bottle. A party pig pouch just doesn't seem cost prohibitive to me - a shade over the cost of a six pack. I guess if I had an endless stock or supply of empty bottles I'd feel differently about it.

Dumpster dive at recycling center I swear by it.
 
Our industrial sized dumpsters have small openings and cardboard, glass and alum combined. In the words of Dana Carvey doing George Bush, it wouldn't be prudent.
 
I've been a fan of the tap-a-draft system, until one blew up last night. Fortunately I was setting it up outside so the mess wasn't catastrophic. When I put in only one CO2 cartridge, the bottom of the bottle blew out, quite violently I might add. Again, glad it wasn't in the fridge. I will still use system but will certainly be wary.
 
ask a bar or liquor store. I just drank from bottles to get started, it was rough

Man thats the best part of getting started. Grabbing a couple of cases of bottles then inviting friends over to have a few beers. I've got a couple of hundred bottles in a few months just from buying bottles from the store with free beer in them.

Now I just need to find a place that sells some cases of nice fliptops. I would eventually love to get it down to mostly kegging, but if I need to bottle using fliptops.
 
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