Downside to draft beer at home

[roastglint]

I just leave it hooked up and pour more beer in. I've got three batches through one keg in the last couple months.

Might clean that one out now... maybe.

I think people forget sometimes how hard it actually is to infect a beer. especially one that fermented out already.

 

[IronLion409]

Hook up lines to keg half full with warm water and oxiclean that was used to wash the keg hit co2 and purge. Repeat with hot water to rinse. Repeat with star san. Seems like a lot but takes about five minutes ten if interrupted by sips of homebrew.

 

[Cheesy_Goodness]

Silly n00b question but since we're talking about it, would it be beneficial to bottle the first few pours from a keg? They'll be cloudy but eventually they'll settle in the bottle and you can drink as normal right?

Seems like a win win. You get a few bottles for long term storage and have no waste from the first bad pour or two.

 

[Hello]

Silly n00b question but since we're talking about it, would it be beneficial to bottle the first few pours from a keg? They'll be cloudy but eventually they'll settle in the bottle and you can drink as normal right?

Seems like a win win. You get a few bottles for long term storage and have no waste from the first bad pour or two.

You could. It's obviously just the yeast that has settled and maybe a little hop debris. It certainly wouldn't hurt and it would save the first pint down the drain. I usually only have to pour off a pint before I am good to go and often that pint is consumed. I try to be conservative with my transfers and I don't capture a whole heck of a lot of yeast, or try not to.

 

[SupervisingChildren]

Downside to kegging- beer magically disappears and you're forced to rebrew sooner than expected.

I keg my everyday beers, and will bottle stuff I prefer to have every now and again. For the most part I'll keg, but when I do bottle, I get help from the kids. They love to help scrub bottles and cap, so it definitely speeds up the process.

 

[robotinc]

Downsides to kegging:

-Setting a beer to carbonate and there is a small leak in your line and you lose a full tank of co2.
-big beers can take a tap for a while creating a bottleneck
-cost


I tried but I can't think of any other serious downsides.

I too love 4-6oz pours, bottling from the keg, less work. I don't think anyone mentioned that if you are kegging you probably have a fridge/keezer to go with it which opens up lagering.

I still bottle condition big beers and most my sours as I like how they continue to improve in the bottle. That being said, having a Flemish red on tap was the best/worst thing ever. Best because it was, and worst because it's over now, and it's going to take a while to get back in business.

 

[ScrewyBrewer]

I clean out my kegs a day or two after they're kicked. The crud inside is still soluble and flushes clean with a warm water rinse followed by some StarSan solution pushed through with Co2 pressure.

I've never left a keg to sit long enough for the crud to turn into a hard sticky mess before cleaning, that's a overnight soaking in PBW project at least right there. I still bottle but use a beer gun to eliminate the whole hope the carbonation is ok in three weeks associated with bottle priming.

Getting back to the OP my only downside is keeping the kegs filled with beer and remembering if I ate lunch the day before at the barbeque we had last weekend.

 

[chisena]

No legitimate downside if you can Make the investment.

 

[Natdavis777]

Im going to go through my >year Lambic too fast. Its so good when it touches the lips...

 

[moreb33rplz]

Are people being realistic about kegging costs? I have wanted to buy the stuff for a long time, but always hold back because it costs so much:

2-3 kegs: $150
CO2/Regulator/lines/fittings: $150-175
Chest Freezer: $200
STC-1000: $30

Is there a way to do a reasonable 2 keg setup for less that $550?

My main complain with bottling is the inconsistent carbonation. The temp in my house changes, the batch size always seems to vary (hard to estimate an exact volume with big dry hop from whole cones).

 

[wilserbrewer]

Are people being realistic about kegging costs? I have wanted to buy the stuff for a long time, but always hold back because it costs so much:

2-3 kegs: $150
CO2/Regulator/lines/fittings: $150-175
Chest Freezer: $200
STC-1000: $30

Is there a way to do a reasonable 2 keg setup for less that $550?

My main complain with bottling is the inconsistent carbonation. The temp in my house changes, the batch size always seems to vary (hard to estimate an exact volume with big dry hop from whole cones).

Those are pretty accurate retail prices....I have bought kegging equipment for .20 cents on the dollar on the used market. Got a vintage good condition fridge for free, and chest freezers for free as well as 40-50 bucks.

Deals are out there, takes patience.

 

[Transamguy77]

Are people being realistic about kegging costs? I have wanted to buy the stuff for a long time, but always hold back because it costs so much:

2-3 kegs: $150
CO2/Regulator/lines/fittings: $150-175
Chest Freezer: $200
STC-1000: $30

Is there a way to do a reasonable 2 keg setup for less that $550?

My main complain with bottling is the inconsistent carbonation. The temp in my house changes, the batch size always seems to vary (hard to estimate an exact volume with big dry hop from whole cones).

I think that is about right, you can keep a look out for used stuff or buy it in pieces. I have $750 invested in my kegging set up, for me the fridge was free so I spent that money on more kegs. If you find a fridge you won't need a temp controller and it seems like fridges are cheaper.

It sounds like a lot of money but the time savings for me was worth the switch not to mention having 20+ cases of beer around now it's all in 10 kegs.

 

[brewfarmDan]

i prefer bottles. For one, a keg is not very mobile. I ted to go out a lot, fishing on the boat, disc golf, hunting, more fishing, camping. Pretty much every weekend we are not at home. Bottles fit in a cooler nicely. Also, I dont have to put all 5 gal in the fridge. I can pop a couple stouts in the fridge for the next day, and let the other 40 bottles continue to age in the cellar. The only thing i would keg is something i dont care about it aging, and want to drink really fast. Which with my taste in beer, would be nothing.

I like to fill swing top bottles from kegs for travelers

 

[SupervisingChildren]

I got a jockey box and co2 tank for 120, 5 kegs for 150, and a small fridge for free. Craigslist can definitely be your friend.

 

[robotinc]

I got a used kegerator for $300 that came with a co2 tank. It was only a single tap on the tower, but fit two kegs. I've picked up used kegs from $5-$40. If you are patient, there are great deals to be had on Craigslist

 

[Singletrack]

I'm a bottler who will eventually keg. For now, bottling works for me, and I actually enjoy bottling (gasp). I use 22 oz bombers and just a few 12 oz per batch. The big bottles cut the time and effort and serve as a reasonable stopping point for my consumption.

I bottle 6.5 gal per batch, because that's about the max for my equipment and system. If I start kegging, how should I handle the extra 1.5 gal? Would I need to both bottle and keg? If so, I see that as a down side to kegging.

 

[MattyIce]

There is a wonderful variety of keg sizes available. Five gallon cornies are the most prolific among home brewers, but they are far from the only option.

 

[AndytheBeave]

I'm a bottler who will eventually keg. For now, bottling works for me, and I actually enjoy bottling (gasp). I use 22 oz bombers and just a few 12 oz per batch. The big bottles cut the time and effort and serve as a reasonable stopping point for my consumption.

I bottle 6.5 gal per batch, because that's about the max for my equipment and system. If I start kegging, how should I handle the extra 1.5 gal? Would I need to both bottle and keg? If so, I see that as a down side to kegging.

Well you could adapt your recipe to ensure that you only have 5 gallons going into your fermenter. Bottling the last 1.5 gallons seems to me that you would be getting the best of both worlds:
1) beer on tap
2) bottles for the road
3) only 1.5 gallons to bottle rather than 6.5
Seems like a win all the way around to me.

 

[beergolf]

It is 36 steps to the tap..and only .10 steps to the fridge.....

 

[Gameface]

It is 36 steps to the tap..and only .10 steps to the fridge.....

Sounds like somebody needs to rearrange their furniture.

 

[atom]

I'm a bottler who will eventually keg. For now, bottling works for me, and I actually enjoy bottling (gasp). I use 22 oz bombers and just a few 12 oz per batch. The big bottles cut the time and effort and serve as a reasonable stopping point for my consumption.

I bottle 6.5 gal per batch, because that's about the max for my equipment and system. If I start kegging, how should I handle the extra 1.5 gal? Would I need to both bottle and keg? If so, I see that as a down side to kegging.

I typically have an extra half to full gallon of beer when i keg...i take the extra and put it into 2L soda bottles and throw a carbonator cap on em. get em cold, add some co2 and shake em up...they are ready to drink within hours and it's a nice sneak preview of what's to come in the keg.

 

[lefort3]

I was infected with the brewing bug and now I'm a health hazard, but loved in the community. Six taps. Right now an IPA, Blond, Saison, Kolsch, Milk Stout, and a Bourbon Tripel. Just installed faucet locks with teenagers entering high school. I sense curiosity may be kicking in.

 

[1977Brewer]

I was infected with the brewing bug and now I'm a health hazard, but loved in the community. Six taps. Right now an IPA, Blond, Saison, Kolsch, Milk Stout, and a Bourbon Tripel. Just installed faucet locks with teenagers entering high school. I sense curiosity may be kicking in.

On bottling day, my 16 year old kept telling me how good my Mosaic IPA smelled. She has a gluten sensitivity, and is very very cautious about it. Thank God.

OT, I think I said before that beer faucets at my house would only lead to heartache. Turns out that bottles are worse, when you have ten cases of them stacked all over the garage.

 

[PlexVector]

Disclosure: Bottler looking into kegging

Drinking too much because its convenient to get to is a concern I guess, but if that's a possibility I'd say its probably a bad idea to be homebrewing in the first place.

Having said that, if you're like most homebrewers who just like enjoying great beer and consider the alcohol a bonus (or a non starter), the time savings is a big deal.

Easy...put a lock on the keezer and give the significant other the key...

 

[lefort3]

My bar looks like it was built by a beer Nazi now. The Perlick locks stick up like a salute.