If you can, keg instead of bottle!

[gnef]

if you hound craigslist in your area for a while, or go to a lot of garage sales, you can eventually find a setup for very cheap...

edit - for example: i got a 20lb co2 tank, dual gauge regulator, faucet, shank, and sanke tap - all for 80, all of my kegs have been about 20 a piece, i got a 50 lb co2 tank for 20 dollars, a 2.5 lb tank for 10, a chest freezer for 15, 6.5 gallon carboy for 15, 5 gallon carboy for 5. that's all i can think of right now. but craigslist and garage sales are definitely your friend.

 

[DyerNeedOfBeer]

Iv'e now been drinking off of two different kegs in my kegerator for a couple of weeks now... well, back to the thread's title...

If you can, keg instead of bottle!

Many good points brought up about bottling and obviously bottling will never go away. I mention this only for those of you who are 'on the edge', have the means to get the equipment and just cant decide whether its worth while. IT IS!

The two beers I have on tap right now are recipe's I have brewed before yet these are undoubtedly better. The beers are clearer and seem 'crisper' to me. The carbonation levels are perfect (and adjustable if they were not!). The head retention is much better out of the tap than with the bottled versions of the same brew.

After going all grain, I would rate this right up there with the best things I could do to produce better beer and enjoy the hobby more (one other thing would be the fermentation cooler). It really impresses the heii out of all my friends and neighbors too!


CHEERS...

Neil