Lone drinkers - Has kegging been worth it?

[KookyBrewsky]

Currently I bottle, I do not drink everyday, and when I do drink, it's one or two beers max.

With that said, I'm interested in the taste and quality benefits that might come with kegging closed from my Spike CF10 conical. I'm not interested in the time it'd save nor easy access to cold beer, because I don't drink a whole lot anyway and I'm the only one in my household that drinks at this house. I often give bottles away but people take them home or I just bring them to who I'm visiting.

Do you think it'd be worth it for me to get a keezer based on the above?

 

[TwistedGray]

Currently I bottle, I do not drink everyday, and when I do drink, it's one or two beers max.

With that said, I'm interested in the taste and quality benefits that might come with kegging closed from my Spike CF10 conical. I'm not interested in the time it'd save nor easy access to cold beer, because I don't drink a whole lot anyway and I'm the only one in my household that drinks at this house. I often give bottles away but people take them home or I just bring them to who I'm visiting.

Do you think it'd be worth it for me to get a keezer based on the above?

I'm in the same boat.

I'm the only one here who really drinks. My wife might share one of my NA beers or have a Stella once in a Blue Moon, but it's mainly me. If I drink it is two beer max.

I have a small uKeg, and a 1.5 Torpedo keg. I still prefer bottled beer. I've never had a beer on tap that I liked more than in a bottle.

With that said, sometimes I just want a 4-6oz pour. That's where the keg wins...every time. It's a matter of convenience.

I'll probably get a keezer at some point if for no other reason than to try lagers and to have more cooled space. I'm always fighting for fridge space.

 

[beersk]

Kegging is always worth it. You could always bottle off the keg for people who want to take beer home. Or they could bring a 32oz insulated growler to take as well. Your beer will taste better and fresher.

 

[KookyBrewsky]

I'm in the same boat.

I'm the only one here who really drinks. My wife might share one of my NA beers or have a Stella once in a Blue Moon, but it's mainly me. If I drink it is two beer max.

I have a small uKeg, and a 1.5 Torpedo keg. I still prefer bottled beer. I've never had a beer on tap that I liked more than in a bottle.

With that said, sometimes I just want a 4-6oz pour. That's where the keg wins...every time. It's a matter of convenience.

I'll probably get a keezer at some point if for no other reason than to try lagers and to have more cooled space. I'm always fighting for fridge space.

That’s true. No matter my situation, I feel it’s almost inevitable that I will want to finally keg. If for no other reason than to perform closed transfers to minimize oxygen and get hoppy beers to glass faster so I can experiment more. I don’t mind dumping beer if I just feel like trying a new recipe or something. Five gallons costs me some time and about $20... I’m in the hobby for the long haul so I guess I can’t go wrong either way, avoiding kegging or going for it... it’s just the aftermath that might change.

 

[TwistedGray]

That’s true. No matter my situation, I feel it’s almost inevitable that I will want to finally keg. If for no Other reason than to perform closed transfers to minimize oxygen and get hoppy beers to glass faster so I can experiment more. I don’t mind dumping beer if I just feel like trying a new recipe or something. Five gallons costs me some time and about $20... I’m in the hobby for the long haul so I guess I can’t go wrong either way, avoiding kegging or going for it... it’s just the aftermath that might change.

I just shoot around until a used deal pops up, like on here. That's hope I you my mini keg, and perhaps how I'll get my keezer...at some point.

 

[KookyBrewsky]

uKeg looks really cool.

There’s a gentleman on Etsy that makes very nice keezers, called Cajun Keezers.
Around my town, there are ZERO reasonable, used deep freezers I’ve seen on CL, offer up or letgo. If they’re on there they’re over $500 with no warranty and much use.

Cajun offers extremely nice ones for $800-$1,000, the freezer can be replaced inside the beautiful wood body should it die, comes with a CO2 canister and everything but kegs. Ever since the pandemic deep freezers have been hard to come by or price gouged.

 

[TwistedGray]

uKeg looks really cool.

There’s a gentleman on Etsy that makes very nice keezers, called Cajun Keezers.
Around my town, there are ZERO reasonable, used deep freezers I’ve seen on CL, offer up or letgo. If they’re on there they’re over $500 with no warranty and much use.

Cajun offers extremely nice ones for $800-$1,000, the freezer can be replaced inside the beautiful wood body should it die, comes with a CO2 canister and everything but kegs. Ever since the pandemic deep freezers have been hard to come by or price gouged.

Honestly, I rarely look. It's one of those don't really need items...

 

[bracconiere]

i've always kegged...but i'm thinking from your situation, maybe something like a beer gun for your closed transfers? at 1-2 beers not even everyday, having an extra fridge dedicated to drinking seems like it'd be overkill....

of course on the other hand, a used fridge would probably be big enough to fit a carboy and a couple kegs in, if you don't mind drinking beer english style....or just make more lagers....

 

[firerat]

For me it's worth it just for the benefits of closed transfers and using my kegs as fermenters, starsan storage vessels, and to me it's just as easy bottling off of a keg as using a bottling bucket.

 

[bracconiere]

and to me it's just as easy bottling off of a keg as using a bottling bucket.

actually it's a lot easier.....but, i'm not really sure about closed transfers, but i think all he'd need with his conical is a little 5lb'r co2 tank and reg......and some way to purge the bottles....? please educate me if i'm wrong!

 

[Velnerj]

I just built a kegerator, which houses 2 corny kegs. I too am the lone drinker at home. One tap is beer and the other is soda water. Wife likes the soda water (which can also be flavored soda too).

It's a fun toy to have and if you're in it for the long haul you'll probably never regret it.

 

[Yesfan]

I'm also a lone drinker and I'll put it to you this way.......

Yes.

 

[Yesfan]

Here's an idea since you are not kegging, but do have a 10 gallon conical.

The CF10 is a unitank, so you could (if there is a way to chill the beer to serving temps), serve from it. All you would need is a co2 tank and a picnic tap from the racking arm. The only downside is, you have to drink all the beer first before you could use the conical to ferment your next batch.

The work around is you could bottle off a few beers as a reserve to get you from the time the conical is emptied to when your next batch is ready to drink. Bottling off a 12 pack would be a lot better than bottling 90-100 bottles.

 

[bracconiere]

Here's an idea since you are not kegging, but do have a 10 gallon conical.

The CF10 is a unitank, so you could (if there is a way to chill the beer to serving temps), serve from it. All you would need is a co2 tank and a picnic tap from the racking arm. The only downside is, you have to drink all the beer first before you could use the conical to ferment your next batch.

The work around is you could bottle off a few beers as a reserve to get you from the time the conical is emptied to when your next batch is ready to drink. Bottling off a 12 pack would be a lot better than bottling 90-100 bottles.

LOL, i was about to stop paying attention to this thread....but that's great, beats a closed transfer even! is there a way you could, like, have a seperatory funnel slowly drip priming sugar in it to keep it pressurized?

 

[Immocles]

have a Stella once in a Blue Moon

I saw what you did there.

uKeg looks really cool.

There’s a gentleman on Etsy that makes very nice keezers, called Cajun Keezers.
Around my town, there are ZERO reasonable, used deep freezers I’ve seen on CL, offer up or letgo. If they’re on there they’re over $500 with no warranty and much use.

Cajun offers extremely nice ones for $800-$1,000, the freezer can be replaced inside the beautiful wood body should it die, comes with a CO2 canister and everything but kegs. Ever since the pandemic deep freezers have been hard to come by or price gouged.

I have a uKeg too. Found a cheapish one on eBay around Christmas time. I brew 2-4 gallon batches and rack a gallon into it before sticking the rest in bottles every 2-3 brews or so. I really like it, and I actually find myself taking a half glass pull out of it when I would normally crack a bottle or a pint can instead. Cartridges can get annoyingly expensive, but I put them on subscribe and save and take advantage of deals on growlerwerks as well.

When I bought my beer fridge in the basement, I measured it out where I can fit a small CO2 tank and a 3G-ish keg and still hold a good amount of bottles. Its not high on the priority list, but the option is there if a deal comes by.

I have also found that I seem to prefer the bottle conditioned beer in a direct comparison too. Not sure why, but it takes better to me.

 

[Yesfan]

LOL, i was about to stop paying attention to this thread....but that's great, beats a closed transfer even! is there a way you could, like, have a seperatory funnel slowly drip priming sugar in it to keep it pressurized?

I was just try to think outside of the box. Never thought it was ideal, but I also wouldn't like the idea of knowing I had to bottle 100 bottles of beer either every time a 10 gallon batch was done fermenting.

I figured it would be no different than some who ferment in their kegs.

 

[Dland]

To answer original question, heck yeah! Sanitizing bottles and bottling adds at least 50% overall time spent per batch. An added benefit of kegging is you don't have to worry bottle bombs. Back when I bottled, it only happened on one batch, but it was a mess and a lot of broken glass.

Closed transfers are easy, with any vessel that will seal at all. You only need a couple of PSI, and you would need an CO2 supply to dispence anyway. And forced carbing is pretty easy if you don't want to bother with spunding or "sugar carbing".

 

[Kent88]

I got tired of dealing with bottling all the time. I'm in much the same boat, I don't drink frequently, and I'm the only one in my house who drinks beer. With the new rules I can't invite anyone over for beer.

I'm still glad I got the kegging equipment last black friday. I bought a couple of 2.5 gallon kegs and I'm happy I did.

 

[bkboiler]

I mean...just cuz u keg doesn't mean you CAN'T bottle the traditional way when you want to...
For instance, Belgians and British beers (e.g. "real ale") are possibly a bit more true to style when bottled compared to kegged...
But yes, low ABV lagers and highly quaffable beers, you'll be glad to have a keg!

 

[TwistedGray]

I have a uKeg too. Found a cheapish one on eBay around Christmas time. I brew 2-4 gallon batches and rack a gallon into it before sticking the rest in bottles every 2-3 brews or so. I really like it, and I actually find myself taking a half glass pull out of it when I would normally crack a bottle or a pint can instead. Cartridges can get annoyingly expensive, but I put them on subscribe and save and take advantage of deals on growlerwerks as well.

When I bought my beer fridge in the basement, I measured it out where I can fit a small CO2 tank and a 3G-ish keg and still hold a good amount of bottles. Its not high on the priority list, but the option is there if a deal comes by.

I have also found that I seem to prefer the bottle conditioned beer in a direct comparison too. Not sure why, but it takes better to me.

^ is my twin

You need to get one of those ball lock lids for your unit to avoid the one-time cartridges.

 

[AJinJacksonville]

I saw a uKeg on CL about a month ago...now wishing I would have gotten it. I'm the only drinker in the house, and like many others, I like the ability to do both as it deems fit. I need to keep an eye out for 2.5 cornies though...I think I'd be okay with doing half batches (kegged/bottled).

 

[Yesfan]

I saw a uKeg on CL about a month ago...now wishing I would have gotten it. I'm the only drinker in the house, and like many others, I like the ability to do both as it deems fit. I need to keep an eye out for 2.5 cornies though...I think I'd be okay with doing half batches (kegged/bottled).

I love my 2.5 gallon Torpedo kegs from More Beer. Got two of them along with two of the 1.5 gallon. A bit pricey compared to the 5 gallon versions, but I like them.

 

[AzOr]

It’s easier to find a unicorn for sale on Craigslist.

I finally broke down and bought a couple of new 3 gallon kegs. I can’t remember the brand but they were about $65 each.

 

[Immocles]

^ is my twin

You need to get one of those ball lock lids for your unit to avoid the one-time cartridges.

Definitely, if I had a tank. Someday, perhaps.

 

[Elric]

I keep a 2.5 gallon and two 1 gallon kegs and a 5lb co2 tank in my downstairs fridge, it also keeps all my chilled canned/bottled beer and still has room for overflow groceries for the regular fridge. Lately one 1 gallon keg is reserved for ciders that are primarily for my wife and the other 1 gallon and the 2.5 are for beers that I mostly drink solo. The ability to choose exactly how big a glass I want to pour each time is much preferred to having to crack a bottle every time I want a bit of beer. I also like having it ready to drink in a day vs two plus weeks for bottle conditioned.

 

[LuckyBeagleBrewing]

For me, it is worth it. I like nice clean lagers and having the space to let them settle for a very long time make a huge difference. Sure I give a lot away but for me the greatest joy is to create something that is memorable. This lets me be a whole lot more creative and experimental. I built my own out of a chest freezer and it has space for quite a few kegs to sit in lager mode.

If you are only doing ipa and are the lone drinker, A small keg setup will still make it easy on you. I dry hop in the keg and it works out great because you can test and pull the hops when you think it is ready.

 

[RePete]

Having a couple kegs in the basement makes it easy to drink way more beer than I should. Totally worth it ...

 

[mannye]

The first time I put all five gallons from a batch into a keg in one pour that took about 5 minutes and realized I didn’t have to wash and sanitize 52 bottles I was done with bottling forever.

I graduated to Sanke kegs about 5 years ago and now have a glycol cooled six tap tower with a gas blender to get the correct 80/20 CO2 and Nitro blend for lagers and 20/80 for stouts.

Each keg has a regulator so it can have any beverage in it at any pressure. That means that I usually have one filled with sparkling water, one with mead, etc.

 

[Paul_Aris]

I built my Keggerator for under $400. I just bought a used Keg and a two tap facet hose tank setup. Been running for over 10 years. I like kegging for a few reasons. Faster than bottling, can transfer right from my fermentor to keg and than put it on tap in Keggerator. After in the fridge for a couple of weeks you will be amazed how clear your beer is. The cold crashing and giving it time in the fridge make all the sediment fall out. Then you get a nice clear pocket around the pickup tube.

 

[mannye]

A trick I learned in the before times (the 1980’s) was to use a latex pickup hose and attach a sanitized medicine bottle (airtight) to the end. That would hold the hose at the top of the beer and ensure clear beer the whole time.

 

[seatazzz]

Kegging all the way. I don't always want a full pint, and with my kegerator I can have up to 3 different beers on tap at once. Storing bottles can also be a hassle, if you don't have room in the fridge for them. With kegging, I can pull a small glass of anything I want, and don't waste any. Or I can pull pints when the muse strikes me. Or fill growlers and bottles for friends. Fresher beer, you control the carbonation (takes practice), and perfectly chilled beer.

 

[moreb33rplz]

If you can justify a 10 gallon conical, you can get a couple kegs

 

[Snuffy]

Bottling is a PitA for sure. I usually split a batch into half kegged and half bottled. The one thing I have noticed is that the kegged beer doesn't mature the same way the bottled beer does. It ages out a little but It's relatively static compared to bottle conditioned. It's pretty cool to dig out a bottle you haven't had in a while and notice how it has improved and changed since the last time you tried it. And the head on a bottle conditioned beer is a bit better to me.

 

[ChiknNutz]

I am it in this household (for beer that is), but quickly grew to despise bottling, so spent the considerable funds to be able to keg. To me, time and effort that don't go into bottling are worth it to me. So far have only kegged one batch, but have another in the fermenter.

 

[AzOr]

My wife and I both drink beer but not excessive. Probably less than 8-10 beers for both of us but I’m still a firm believer in kegging. We give away much more than we drink. If I were still bottling, I’d be going through bottles like crazy and not seeing them again.
Now I fill neighbors growlers and don’t worry about bottle management.

Last year I did buy a couple of 3 gallon kegs but like I said I don’t mind giving beer away to friend or neighbors so I’m still doing mostly 5g batches.

 

[TwistedGray]

Definitely, if I had a tank. Someday, perhaps.

Wait for those 5lb tanks to go on sale again; I found out about them here ($35, if my memory is correct). You can start kegging for less than $100 : )

 

[acrowe]

I think its totally worthwhile. I used to brew a lot and bottle, which meant having over 200 full bottles and a bunch more emptied bottles. I had bought some flip top, which wasn't cheap and bought lots of beer in 750ml and 1L bottles to use for bottling. That was more pleasant than buying bottles. When I moved back to Canada from Chicago after grad school I had 72 full bottles in the uhaul, along with 2 dogs and 2 cats and a ton of houseplants. I opened the door and pointed it out to the border officials to be sure it wasn't an issue, they didn't want to know. I used to like having all those bottles to offer friends a good selection. Kegging is so much easier than bottling. People always enjoy getting themselves a beer from the keg/taps, and a large part of my enjoyment is social. I have a combined office space and rec room, one of my best buddies made a real habit of dropping by after he finished work for a half pint before heading home (he is in no way a freeloader).
I have moved across the country from Manitoba to Vancouver Island in a town where I don't know many people and Covid 19 has made it hard to meet new people (I am dying to have some BBQs etc.). I just got my kegerator setup going again and have a cider and a beer on. I am basically the only one drinking it now, I really like beer but I enjoy a beer with people. I still think kegging is worthwhile and agree that flexible serving size is one of the benefits. It can go both ways, not having the empties stacking up sometimes means the quantity consumed can sneak up on you, especially if you are inclined to to top up. I think bottling is cheaper but I won't go back.

 

[Snuffy]

Yeah - it's a lot more fun to drink with company. I moved an hour away from most of my drinking pals and then had lots more time to brew. The beer kinda stacks up after a while when you're drinking alone cause the wife might drink 12 Mich Ultras a year. That's kind of why I've cut back to half batches and 3-gal kits when I can find em.

 

[verboten]

Yes

 

[Gruel]

Besides the bottle collecting, cleaning, filling and carbonating issues, kegs also make storage so much easier. I built my own small cooling system that can take care of an insulated keg and a fermenter at the same time. No need to use up all that fridge space for bottles.