Want to keg? Do it NOW!!!

Just started kegging actually working on my first ever kegged beer at the moment. If you are on the fence just pull the trigger already. World of difference, and oh so easy once it all setup and ready to go.

Seriously do not waste anymore time bottling your beer make the switch and you will not regret it I promise!!

THUMBS UP.

Kegging is what really got me into the hobby. I always found brewing kind of a pain in the rear because of the messy, slow process of bottling.
Once I got the equipment to start kegging I got really excited about making beer. It's so much faster, and force carbing really speeds things up.

I am so, so glad I invested the money into my kegs & kegerator.

It really changes the whole process. The ease of putting the beer into the keg just makes me want to brew that much mroe. I just wish I had space for 20 + CU chest freezer. 25 various home brews on tap would be awesome.

I will say that the beer I have in the keg right now seems to be one of my better attempts at a home brew. It really coming together nicely. It gets a little better every couple of days. I probably need to slow down on it and let it do its thing but patience is not something i am very good with.

I've been working with a Frigidaire mini-fridge with all the shelves ripped out so I can jam 2 kegs in there with picnic taps.

I'm buying a chest freezer this weekend so I can get more kegs and expand. With the ease of kegging I want to start toying with ciders, home-made sodas, and all kinds of other carbonated beverages and I need more available taps for that.

Having 3 or 4 kegs with beer in them really helps you let the beer sit long enough to get really good.

silver02ws6 said:

I will say that the beer I have in the keg right now seems to be one of my better attempts at a home brew. It really coming together nicely. It gets a little better every couple of days. I probably need to slow down on it and let it do its thing but patience is not something i am very good with.

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This is what I'm afraid of. I have enough trouble letting beer mature. I have to hide bottles away so I don't drink them all. If I was kegging and force carbing, I feel like none of my brews would last long enough to properly condition.
I will still eventually take the jump into to kegging though.

I like bottling my belgians. My IPAs and Stouts would be nice to keg. I also like the idea of having carbonated water and or homemade sodas. In due time, in due time.

If you want to try making your own sodas not-from-concentrate, this recipe for a lemongrass soda is really good:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f95/super-awesome-lemongrass-soda-186976/

Sort of like one of those flavored carbonated waters, but with a nice amount of sweetness to it.
You can pick up lemongrass pretty cheap at most asian grocery stores.

I agree! just finished off my first keg and my only complaint is it gets consumed way faster than it does in bottles

I also like having complete control over carbonation levels

Not to mention used ball lock cornies keep going up in price as the supply is getting shorter. I looked at them a few years ago when I wasn't brewing yet, $25. Got started brewing in January, but bottling, $40. Now the local brew shops around me are starting to go up. My main one is still holding at $40, but I'm sure it won't be long before another hike.

I force carbonated my first and only keg to date. Might actually just prime the next one with sugar and let it carb on it's own in the basement (CO2 blanket first of course). Seems like it would be easier than continually checking, but who knows.

I really want to start kegging, but honestly, I have no idea where to start!

I am drinking from the 6th batch of beer that I kegged. I honestly think I would have quit brewing if I was still bottling!

djt17 said:

I am drinking from the 6th batch of beer that I kegged. I honestly think I would have quit brewing if I was still bottling!

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Me too.

craig_reed said:

I really want to start kegging, but honestly, I have no idea where to start!

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I started here.... http://www.midwestsupplies.com/brew-logic-dual-tap-draft-system-with-reconditioned-co2-tank.html

Super easy to do, and so much easier than bottling.

Bottling isn't that bad! At least it's not when my wife would help me do it. With a bottle tree, bottle washer (vinator), autosiphon and bench capper we can bottle 65 beers in no time. I bottled over 900 bottles in the last year!

But I did put my first ever keg in my kegerator today and I have to say I'm excited! It's a Festa Brew cream ale that's been keg conditioning for about 2 weeks.

Bottling isn't bad at all with the right setup. Even by myself I enjoy bottling actually.

I don't find bottling that bad. Of course I have to bottle. I get everything prepared and set up a mini production line.
Anyone got a spare 6 keg unit hanging around taking up too much space? I can help out....

solbes said:

Seems like it would be easier than continually checking, but who knows.

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I follow the 40/20/serve rule.

Pressurize at temp to 40PSI for 24 hours.
Pressurize at 20 for 24 hours.
Pressurize to serve pressure for 48 hours.

Drink. Drink. Drink. Drunk.

smokinghole said:

Bottling isn't bad at all with the right setup. Even by myself I enjoy bottling actually.

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Yep. I keg AND bottle depending upon the brewed beer.

The actual bottling isnt bad, the cleaning a sanitizing of 50 bottles isnt all that fun.

mlyday said:

The actual bottling isnt bad, the cleaning a sanitizing of 50 bottles isnt all that fun.

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Dude buy a bottling tree and a vinator. It makes sanitizing bottles a snap. I rinse out old ones as I go let they dry and box them. Then on brew day I fill the vinator with starsan couple 2-tree pumps and stick them on to hang. Then I grab six off at a time while I'm bottling. It couldn't get easier unless I ran a T on my bottling nozzle and filled two at once (not a bad idea just wonder about flow).

I keg and use my ghetto counter pressure filler to fill bottles for events with friends and school lunches. The neighborhood events I usually use the swing top bottles

(just kidding about school lunches)

I have my keg and kegerator just waiting for my batch in the primary right now, I can't wait to see how great this really is.

mlyday said:

I started here.... http://www.midwestsupplies.com/brew-logic-dual-tap-draft-system-with-reconditioned-co2-tank.html

Super easy to do, and so much easier than bottling.

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Thanks for the link - seems to be about the going price give or take.

I have a fridge I use for fermentation, but guess I'll have to start looking around for one to convert.

smokinghole said:

Dude buy a bottling tree and a vinator. It makes sanitizing bottles a snap. I rinse out old ones as I go let they dry and box them. Then on brew day I fill the vinator with starsan couple 2-tree pumps and stick them on to hang. Then I grab six off at a time while I'm bottling. It couldn't get easier unless I ran a T on my bottling nozzle and filled two at once (not a bad idea just wonder about flow).

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Amen. I do basically the exact same thing, except the tree sits next to me and I just pull them off as I need them. I can knock em out pretty quick. I will still bottle, but now it will mostly be via keg. I will naturally ferment some, such as the rauchbier that will be bottled this weekend.

To be honest, I do both. But usually I keg 5 gallon batches and bottle smaller batches, although I will occasionally bottle a 5-gallon batch if both of my kegs are occupied.

Funny thing is, after I started kegging, I got my bottling technique down to where it is much easier than it was before. But kegging is still easier and faster, and having draft beer on tap is awesome! On top of that, if I want to bottle a few, I just use my counter-pressure bottle filler.

I got bottling down to a science just before I bought/built my kegerator. My dishwasher has a 'sanitize' setting that actually heat sanitizes to the point that I have never had an infected bottle. I rinse them, store them, then put 60 in the dishwasher without soap to sanitize and bottle right off the removable dishwasher rack.

zoner21 said:

My dishwasher has a 'sanitize' setting that actually heat sanitizes to the point that I have never had an infected bottle. I rinse them, store them, then put 60 in the dishwasher without soap to sanitize and bottle right off the removable dishwasher rack.

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+1. And I bottle on the open dishwasher door. If there are any drips or spills, when I am done I just fill up the dishwasher and wash some dishes.

Picture below is my first capped bottle of homebrew. You can see the other bottles on the toweled floor ready to cap as well as the milk carton I use as a seat. Wife calls me wafflebutt.