is it worth kegging without a kegerator?

[gregkeller]

New to this whole home brew thing. I've got my first attempt of Graff cider sitting in primary that I brewed up yesterday. I'm collecting bottles to use for this batch, I've got plans to build a keezer in the somewhat near future, but was wondering if there is any use in kegging my brew before i've got a refrigerator to put it into. Would it be pointless to keg it, then keep the keg under pressure in my basement, and fill a growler or something to keep in the fridge and drink from that? I don't know, maybe i'll just stick with bottling for know, but it seems that kegging is much easier.

 

[Kieran]

I'm new to brewing as well and wanted to go the keg route. I planned on kegging part of my first batch (in a 3 gallon corny) and bottling the rest, so I'd be able to drink some sooner, and then have a nicely conditioned keg ready to tap by the time I have my kegerator fully assembled.

 

[eelpout]

"keep the keg under pressure in my basement, and fill a growler or something to keep in the fridge and drink from that"

Thats excactly what I have done for years. these help alot too
http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?products_id=1196

 

[Brewfat]

All you need is a fridge (or freezer) and picnic taps. I don't have a kegerator, I'm just using the spare fridge I already had in the garage. Open the door and pour with a picnic tap. I've been doing this for over a year.

I'd like a kegerator but don't have a good place in the house and don't see much point for one in the garage.

I don't know if this helps but a used fridge can sometimes be had for cheap or free. don't think you have to go all out at first.

 

[Barnzy02]

This is what i'm going to be doing, my kegs are being delivered today. I'm moving into a new house that already had a second fridge in the basement which immediately became my beer fridge.

I have two kegs with picnic taps coming and i figure that will do well enough until i end up in the right situation to build and have a keezer.

Keezer or not, i'm looking forward to the ease of kegging my beer over bottling. I won't need as many bottles on hand taking up space, no more cleaning/sanitizing endless amounts of bottles, removing labels.

I've been bottling for a year and cannot wait til i can maybe just bottle a few 22s and keg the rest.

I say go for it!

 

[logdrum]

And remember: you can bottle from a keg, but ya can't keg from a bottle!

-d

 

[enaz32]

+1 for kegging.

Bottling is such a pain in the butt.

 

[Kaz]

Switched to kegging after getting a 2 keg setup for Christmas. I can squeeze 2 ball locks and a 5lb CO2 tank into the lower level of our side by side fridge/freezer in the garage. That leaves me 2 shelves above for bottles and all the room in the door (that half of the fridge is for nothing but beer. Then I use the picnic taps and coil the hose up in the fridge. Once I get a couple more kegs, I'm not sure how I'll deal with only having room in the fridge for 2 kegs at a time. Is it okay to store the beer in the keg at room temp until I empty a keg and free up fridge space?

 

[KevinM]

I'm doing the same. No kegerator/keezer and no plans for one until I move out of the apartment. Because it's winter, my kegs are outside in a store room (where the furnace and water heater are so the temperature is stable at 40 degrees. I checked.) I plan on keeping them inside in the summer to keep cool, but it'll be around 70-80 unfortunately.

I don't expect any problems with the situation, as long as I'm not trying to age the beer for a year + at 70-80. So I'll make sure I keep emptying those kegs and filling with new beer. (I kinda expect that there wouldn't be any problem if I left at a lower temp).

 

[logdrum]

... Is it okay to store the beer in the keg at room temp until I empty a keg and free up fridge space?

Sure just purge the full keg of O2, blast some CO2 on top, you're good to go. Some even prime the keg w/ corn sugar (1/2 the normal amount) so that it's ready to go-aside from chilling of course.

-d