Is it really that bad?

[gnef]

BrewMU - I actually have over 100 kegs at this point. I estimate that I am using at least 70 of them right now.

benzy4010 - unfortunately, kegs are rising in price. I found the vast majority of my kegs through craigslist, but have bought from a number of online venders fairly recently. I would recommend for you to purchase as many as you can reasonably now, as I only expect the price to increase from here. I have bought some kegs from cornykeg.com, from their clearanced ones since they were cheaper. You can check with a local soda distributor, restaurant supply, bulk distributor, etc. to look for cheaper prices, but you may need to be willing to buy a pallet or more from some places.

 

[Yooper]

Before I become one of those whiny keggers, I bottled 150+ batches of beer (5 gallon batches). That's right- I bottled until about three years ago. 750+ gallons of beer, all bottled. By hand. Myself.

Storing that many bottles is tough, too. My basement is much neater with 7 kegs (plus three little 3 gallon kegs) instead of hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of bottles.

Still, if you're not sure you love the hobby, bottling is definitely cheaper!

 

[lnhoskins]

I do everything ass backwards, I started with a keg but after having so much trouble finding co2 in Germany, I switched to bottles. I think it's kinda fun bottling... It's waiting to drink it that's a pain. I have 3 batches bottled now, and can't touch any of them... Oh well, off to the store for some dopplebock. The 1/2 liter pop top bottles they use in Germany make bottling more convenient. Either way ya go, make the most of it and enjoy the hobby as much as I and I'm sure everyone else does! Cheers!

 

[benzy4010]

Yea I wanna find some of those bottles but gotta get then at lhbs I guess

 

[Yooper]

Yea I wanna find some of those bottles but gotta get then at lhbs I guess

Or go buy Grolsch in the flip tops. It's usually in green bottles, so it's a bit skunky, but if you buy it by the case, maybe it won't be skunky and you can drink the beer and keep the bottles. (That's what I did).

 

[benzy4010]

Yea I always hear avoid green. Also havnt seen seen then with flip top lately

 

[benzy4010]

If you keep then in a dark room to gar or a fridge will they still get skunky though?

 

[badbrew]

If you keep then in a dark room to gar or a fridge will they still get skunky though?

Darkness is all that matters. If the location has daylight at times then it could cause problems. Put them in a cardboard box if you can. Fridge is fine too.

 

[H-ost]

Bottling is fine and part of the process whether you like it or not unless you keg. However, with kegging I definitely find myself drinking green beer more often due to the fact that I can have it fully carbed in 2 days, with bottles it is easier to be patient.

 

[benzy4010]

Yea I have a wine cellar so id keep em on there and the ones I'd drink would be in a fridge so I guess I can use green

 

[gnef]

If you find yourself drinking your beer before it is ready, I'd recommend you brew more often if you can afford it (you may need more equipment in addition to the ingredient costs).

The reason for this is if you always have beer that has been allowed to age properly, you never feel rushed to drink the one you just made before it is good to drink. The more often you brew, the less likely you are to drink beer before it is good.

 

[benzy4010]

This is my first now two batches fermenting I'm gonna let them age and only sample one or Two but wanna see what they can really do

 

[Scottanooga]

I haven't been brewing long enough to move to kegging yet. That said, though, my wife could care less about brewing, but loves to help with the bottling. Having an extra set of hands for capping and just general helpfulness makes it much quicker.

 

[Calichusetts]

I wouldn't say its a pain, but I wouldn't say its fun. Its the last possible change to ruin (infection or oxidation) your hard work over the past month(s) and that can be stressful for some.

I do one gallon batches and use 16oz flip-tops...bottling takes me less than 10 minutes with no bottling bucket, just siphon into my pot of dissolved honey, then into the bottles. I close the flip-top with one hand while i fill the next. Only 7 bottles (6 with dry-hopping and a secondary....plus a half glass of a yummy sample) and I really can't say THAT is a pain...

 

[PortDawgBrewer]

It's definitely a chore. Do it a few times and you'll be kegging in no time flat. I just finished a new keezer build to solve this problem. You can always bottle from a keg for those occasions you want to take some with you.

 

[benzy4010]

Do they make keezer sizes that can fit four pin locks and what's the main diff between pin and ball since were talking about kegging

 

[jaynik]

For me it was worth it to switch from bottles to kegs. Sounds like Revvy's got it down to a "simple" science, so I'd take your next batch to his house and see how he does it.

Bottling is easy. It's cleaning all the bottles that wears you out.

 

[Beerbeque]

I have bottled 111 batches now. All by myself. It's quick and easy compared to brewday. I don't plan to keg.

 

[Skagdog]

Go back to page 2 of this thread and click Revvy's link. I read and read and read over that thread, then bottled. Since my first batch, I have made small adjustments for efficiency but I love poppin' a top.

I use 16.9 fl oz bottles for the whole batch so that cuts a little time, I usually get 36-38 full bottles each batch.

On a related issue, I like to bottle one 12 oz Corona bottle because it's clear and I can look at it over the course of bottle conditioning. *It's not a special trick and I am not looking for anything specific, I just like to look at it every few days during that period*

 

[lowtones84]

On a related issue, I like to bottle one 12 oz Corona bottle because it's clear and I can look at it over the course of bottle conditioning. *It's not a special trick and I am not looking for anything specific, I just like to look at it every few days during that period*

Yup, I do the same with Newcastle bottles! I usually do 2-3 or so from every batch in clear bottles and have them in different places within the stack or whatever.

I'm another person who actually enjoys bottling, and I sanitize in a bucket the old fashioned way ;-) Having another person there to help is -very- useful in my opinion though. In my experience friends will keep volunteering to do it as long as I do the more difficult/tedious tasks and let them do the "cool" stuff like using the capper or bottling wand. Revvy's system/link is good, but the best advice is like he says, find what works well for you and your equipment.

 

[Stauffbier]

I bottle alone, as well. It takes me 2 hours to do 55 12oz bottles which includes; bottle washing and sanitizing, all of my set-up, filling & capping, and clean-up. I don't have a brew room/space so I have to lug out everything and set it all up everytime I bottle. Aside from that it's not so bad. I do aspire to start kegging this year, but I will still bottle also...

I also do the Newcastle/Corona bottle thing...

 

[dwshotwell]

I have a few bottlings under my belt now and don't find it too bad, really. I like the look and feel of bottles, enjoy doing labels, and already give a lot to friends. And, as I spend one week in S.E. Michigan and the next in northern Michigan, hauling full - blown corny kegs back and forth isn't an option. I've been reading up on some of the middle ground options, such as mini kegs, party pigs and the like, and would love some more feedback, if any of you, particularly the "pro - bottling" crowd, have insight to offer. I am thinking about doing a mini keg or two out of each batch to take to gatherings etc, although I might just invest in a few large format bottles instead. Lots of mixed opinions on other threads. Thoughts?

 

[benzy4010]

I see freezers all over craigs list but don't want to buy one that more Than I need in size

 

[benzy4010]

Cuz I only wanna out four taps in

 

[jamiesavoie]

Count me one of those who actually like the bottling process. For me it gets me to play around with brew and it relax me. Using flip top bottles save lots of time! I can cap while filling my next bottle easily.

I just got 2 kegs and 20# co2 tank the other month. While I plan to keg, I don't plan to stop bottling. Acutally last night I picked up around 100 flip top and I already had around 100. I only want to keg my session beer and keep bottling my "specialty beers".

 

[benzy4010]

So bottoming tomorrow. I just run bottles in dishwasher on fanatics mode with no soap and they are good to go right out of the rack?

 

[Stauffbier]

So bottoming tomorrow. I just run bottles in dishwasher on fanatics mode with no soap and they are good to go right out of the rack?

I don't have a dishwasher with a "fanatic" setting, but I'm guessing that must work pretty dang good! haha

 

[dinnerstick]

i run mine on 'extremist'

 

[lud]

I run on "badmofo" setting...

 

[benzy4010]

Hahaha sanitize... Damn u auto correct.