same beer -- bottle vs keg

[JLivermore]

Curious if anyone has any general theories with this. I keg, but I siphon off a 6 pack or so and carb w/ carb tabs.

Seems like the majority of the time the keg is significantly better.

I can carb w/ co2 30 psi for 24 hrs and it'll be better than bottles after 4 - 5 weeks.

I haven't been doing it that long but if anything I've noticed IPAs can come out of the bottle with a fighting chance. Anything darker or fuller bodied seems way weaker in the bottle. I'm not quite sure how to describe it but one of the best things I've brewed is the Austin Home Brew Red IPA

http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?products_id=12428

Out of the keg after even a day it will taste very clean and very high quality. The bitter end and the hop end stand out and are both pleasant. Out of the bottle they're both muted, plus it just tastes foamier. (I don't think I'm overcarbing, 4 brewer's best tabs.)

I can think of a few theories

- generally, kegged brew will taste better than bottled
- generally, primer sugar in the batch will taste better than carb tabs
- i'm insane, it's totally subjective and depends so much on so many things it's impossible to pin down

I am sure people here have done every combination of every kind of brew, so I'd love to hear your opinions.

Thanks!

 

[Pratzie]

U can bottle beer from the keg after its carbonated, that will give u more uniformity instead of using the carbing tabs.

But I agree, my beer tastes better out of my tap.

 

[bru-ster76]

I plan to get into kegging eventually, but wanted to get a few brews with the full experience before heading down that path. My question is... Is there anything that needs to be done specifically when filling bottles from a carbed keg?

 

[TopherM]

I think this is incredibly subjective to your personal preferences. I have read hundreds of threads on HBT over the years arguing that bottled beer is always better than kegged, and vice-versa.

It's like those people at the bar that say they get a hangover off draft beer, but not off bottles, then go into some baseless arguement about how the carbonation is different. Someone even tried to convince me once that yeast CO2 bubbles are a different shape than draft CO2 bubbles.

There is no science to back any of that up, it's all just personal opinion!

 

[Pratzie]

There's the Blichmann Beer Gun. There's a video on NortherBrewer.com you can check out.

Then theres this link...
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/we-no-need-no-stinking-beer-gun-24678/

There's also a bunch of videos online that show people using inserts in the perlick faucets. I'd recommend taking a look at all those and decided what is best for you. I personally haven't done it yet but will be investing in Perlick faucets and shanks and taking that avenue to fill from my taps.

 

[two_one_seven]

There's the Blichmann Beer Gun. There's a video on NortherBrewer.com you can check out.

Then theres this link...
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/we-no-need-no-stinking-beer-gun-24678/

There's also a bunch of videos online that show people using inserts in the perlick faucets. I'd recommend taking a look at all those and decided what is best for you. I personally haven't done it yet but will be investing in Perlick faucets and shanks and taking that avenue to fill from my taps.

I agree but I do prefer a counter pressure method to decrease the amount of CO2 loss when bottling. Either way works. Go on you tube and search up counterpressure bottling or blichmann beer gun and you will get the idea.

I have the 425 perlick faucets.......can't find anyone that is making the screw in hose barb adaptors anymore.....sad. I love my faucets and don't want to upgrade.