Bottling or kegging: which produces the better results?

[MikeFallopian]

I recently made a batch, kegging the majority and taking off ten bottles. On sampling it, I noticed that the bottled beer has a distinctly different flavour and aroma to the kegged beer.

Has anyone else experienced this? Does anyone know why this has occured?

Ultimately, which produces better beer: bottle or keg?

 

[Gduck]

I think one of the reasons you have different flavors in the bottle is due to the refermentation going on in order to naturally carb them. Also not having as much control over the pressure they develop as well as the fact you generally store the bottles differently than you would a keg.

As for which is better, that's a tough one as there are many styles that I feel evolve and develop some really great flavors over the course of a really long aging. A lot of your stronger beers will only gain a greater depth of flavor over time. I think, and this is a personal feeling based on my experiences, that some of the lighter styles, and the more bitter and hoppy styles lose their egde in the bottle. The flavors aren't as sharp and crisp, but more muted and subdued, where is in the keg they tend to pop more.

 

[mattmcl]

If you added any kind of flavorings to the beer, it will be better in bottles. Anything like vanilla, spices, etc. will drop to the bottom. With kegging, you'll get 90% of that flavoring in the first few pints, then nothing. Bottling will help spread the flavor out more evenly.

 

[jaynik]

I think my beers taste better in the keg. That said, I've only kegged two batches, but I prefer both of them to my bottles.

 

[LVBen]

I've had lots of bottled beers get oxidation. My kegged beers are definitely better!

 

[berkeleyjack]

I prefer kegging, just because I'm a control freak and I like highly carbed beers.

I never got good enough at bottling to reliably control carbonation, so my beers would end up either slightly too flat or slightly overcarbonated.

Also one time I brewed some bottle bombs, and the wife wasn't too happy when they started exploding in the cupboard!

 

[NWMOBrewer]

I have some that I prefer in the bottle, and some in keg. My lemon wheat would bot have done as well in bottle, but spiced ale would not have done well in keg, because bottles allowed it to last and develop it's own character. Ultimately the answer is personal preference depending on style.

 

[MikeFallopian]

I think one of the reasons you have different flavors in the bottle is due to the refermentation going on in order to naturally carb them. Also not having as much control over the pressure they develop as well as the fact you generally store the bottles differently than you would a keg.

As for which is better, that's a tough one as there are many styles that I feel evolve and develop some really great flavors over the course of a really long aging. A lot of your stronger beers will only gain a greater depth of flavor over time. I think, and this is a personal feeling based on my experiences, that some of the lighter styles, and the more bitter and hoppy styles lose their egde in the bottle. The flavors aren't as sharp and crisp, but more muted and subdued, where is in the keg they tend to pop more.

I should have mentioned - I naturally carbed in a pressure barrel rather than force carbed.

 

[Skarekrough]

I brewed on and off for ten years. I would get into it for a batch or two and then realize how much I hated bottling and then would be taken aback by the financial investment I needed to get into kegging.

As a result the facts were if I were bottling I wouldn't get anything....with kegging I have a steady supply, a pipeline and I'm much more active in the hobby.

So my vote goes for kegging!

 

[elpenoso]

I have noticed the same thing. Supposedly the temps for bottle priming are not as important as when the beer is in primary. I dont really buy this and will prime my next batch in the chamber @66.
Why wouldn't the yeast spit esters out all over the place if your priming at 75?