All grain set-up or Kegging set-up???

[realestatecat]

Since September of 08' I've been making partial mash brews and would like to step up into all grain brewing...however, I would also like to get a kegging set-up. Unfortunately, I can't get both right now, so it has to be one or the other.

Which upgrade would you choose? All grain gear or keg?

 

[Poindexter]

Both are inevitable.

Feel the force.

Buy some kegs.

Fill the pipeline.

Go all grain.

 

[BioBeing]

I went all grain and still bottle. I wish I could keg... but if I had gone keg first, I would be wishing I could go all grain.

 

[khiddy]

KEG!

KEG!

KEG!

Seriously, the #1 reported reason that folks get out of the hobby is that they get tired of cleaning and sanitizing bottles. You're buying yourself years as a brewer by going with a kegging setup now...

(Says the partial-mash guy who just today dropped $230 on a dual-corny-each-with-individual-regulators!)

 

[BrewBeemer]

My first investment in brewing even before going all grain as I knew I would was I purchased about all the corny's I think i'll ever need before their prices went up. I'm holding at 20 Pepsi with one Coke pin lock, the odd duck that must go. Second was a collection of half kegs again as the first two all grain brew systems I have I sold. It's a never ending step up to a better brewing system hobby. I'm guilty and can not help myself, the wallet shows this ask the War Department. This time no collection of PID's just a BCS-460 for a control unit. All it takes is time and money but they never seem to come together at the same time. I would collect the hard to get items first as their prices seem to go up as the supply demand factor steps in and adds to the cost big time. Try not to get screwed by having to pay these crazy prices. Take your time a good deal comes along you just have to wait and be ready to purchase quickly. Good collecting.

 

[Catt22]

Go all grain first. Soon you will feel the pressure to expand storage capacity and that will inevitably lead to kegs. Buy the kegs a few at a time to avoid sticker shock. Get a CO2 tank and regulator. You can often find perfectly good used ones at half the cost of retail. I'm one of the few that actually enjoys bottling occasionally. I do both and sometimes brew 10 or 12 gallon batches splitting haft to bottles and half to a keg. I like the easy portability of a bottle when you don't want to lug an entire keg around. There's something to be said for both.

 

[Yooper]

I went AG first but I have to say "it depends" for others. If you make great beer that you are happy with, then get the kegging gear. For convenience, kegging can't be beat.

In my case, I made very good extract and PM beer but I wasn't quite happy with the results. I wanted to get rid of the extract completely, as I live in an area where I have to order online to get fresh extract and the cost was climbing. I also thought my beer had a bit of the "extract twang" flavor at times, and I was disappointed. That's why I went AG and continued to bottle for another year!

 

[JesseRC]

Go with the kegging first. It will ease your way into all grain by simplifying some of your techniques an you'll have more time. Plus I think there are different levels of going all grain. You can do brew in a bag, buy a turkey fryer, and $10 to convert a cooler you already have is super easy. For example you can buy hte turkey fryer setup later and do full boil Partial mash. THen later on another paycheck you can upgrade a cooler. Good luck.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

I would go all grain first. To me kegging was not enjoyable until I had a kegerator to serve my beer out of. The kegs and gas may only be $250, but it will be another $300 at least before you are enjoying the beer the way you should. I continued to bottle (and still do) when I first bought my kegs because, cooling them down is a pain and serving from cobra taps just wasn't fun to me.

I think AG made my beer a lot better and I am in this hobby to make good beer. The quality of your beer does not depend on the container it is in, so make good beer, then worry about serving it on tap.

Or, if you have the money, are already doing full boils, and are happy with the quality of your beer, go to kegging. The choice is up to you!

 

[Lil' Sparky]

I keg and I've only ever done all grain. I'd say kegging would be the top priority, though. I still bottle some, but I really look forward to those batches that I get to throw in a keg!! Plus, you can convert to all grain for a lot less cash if you've got a tight budget.

 

[Arkador]

KEG!
Seriously, the #1 reported reason that folks get out of the hobby is that they get tired of cleaning and sanitizing bottles. You're buying yourself years as a brewer by going with a kegging setup now...

(Says the partial-mash guy who just today dropped $230 on a dual-corny-each-with-individual-regulators!)

I have a clone!!! I just ordered the same kit, and put all grain on the wish list! I estimated 2+ hours in cleaning, sanitizing, then botteling, and that is what really made me take a year off of brewing!

 

[wilserbrewer]

I also vote for kegging based on labor savings and increased enjoyment of the hobby...although depending on the funds available and what equipment you already have, you might be able to go all grain cheaper than you think. IMO almost any cooler will make a decent mash tun for batch sparging w/ a braid if preheated properly. On the cheap, no need for a valve either, just some tubing and a braid.

People are also having success w/ budget mills, coronas or pasta rollers will work.

I realize this simple approach is not for everyone!

 

[JesseRC]

Yup, you can't compare kegging to all grain in terms of money needed to invest. Going to all grain might just cost you about 50 for the minimal hardware. Keggin will cost you 250-400 depending on if you are investing in a kegerator. But if you've thought it out already then dude.... Keggin outfit first. It will motivate you to go to all grain.

 

[Talloak]

All-grain saves you money by cutting extract out of the picture. Use the money you save to buy kegging equipment. I know it isn't that simple, but maybe that is what you need to tell yourself. It also depends how you feel about bottling. I really don't mind it that much, but that is because I don't have a choice.

 

[JesseRC]

Every Man should enjoy pulling his own tap. You could push piss out of the tap and die a happy man tomorrow. Just do it.

 

[Yooper]

Every Man should enjoy pulling his own tap. You could push piss out of the tap and die a happy man tomorrow. Just do it.

What about Every Woman? Every woman should also enjoy pulling her own tap.

I'm just sayin'.

 

[JesseRC]

Good point

 

[illin8]

My wife tells me I pull my tap too much...so I pull it much more when she's not around. :cross:

 

[jpc]

My vote is for kegs, for the aforementioned reason that bottling sucks the life-force out of a being. As a recent convert to all-grain, I'm glad I did the keg thing first, as much as I find all-grain much more satisfying then extract brewing (and not too terribly difficult, either).

 

[dzamba]

Go low budget AG:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/cheap-easy-10-gallon-rubbermaid-mlt-conversion-23008/

and low budget Kegging:
1 Tap Home Brewing Kit 1 Cornelius Keg and CO2 Tank - eBay (item 300309165067 end time May-19-09 17:00:59 PDT)

 

[realestatecat]

Ok, so here's what I've decided, but I want to preface it with a big THANK YOU for all of the advice and opinions.

I was up at Home Depot the other day and found 10 gallon Rubbermaid's for about 35 bucks; a pretty good deal. Needless to say, I am going to go for the All Grain set-up because I really don't mind bottling. My wife helps me out and we have a bit of fun filling and capping.

After pricing out all of the kegging equipment and add-ons it could run me pretty high up there especially since I don't have a fridge to put it in.

BUT, I am going to get a couple of corny kegs and a CO2 tank so that I can ferment if I want and then polish and filter.

I'm in the property management business so I run across refrigerators from time to time so I will just collect one when I can.