Is kegging that much of a PITA?

[Teufelhunde]

I'm a noob, and enjoying this whole brewing (and drinking) beer thing, but, to me the bottling process is kind of a PITA, so I was thinking of starting to keg......

1) Reading about kegging, it appears that it can be a major PITA, so maybe I am better off staying with bottles......change my mind......

2) If I should decide to keg what would be a decent beginners setup? I would need to have two different styles available, as she who must be obeyed does not like hoppy IPA's which I do. While we can afford to spend what is needed to get this going, cost is ALWAYS a factor in any decision, so what is the most cost effective way to accomplish it?

TIA for any input

Lon

 

[Jag75]

Kegging is the way to go . It's way better then bottling imo. It really depends on your budget . You could find kegerators on craigslist for pretty good price . You could build one or a keezer . I bought a keg king kegerator and 2 torpedo 5 gallon kegs . Ultimately it really depends on your budget and what you want .

 

[kevink]

It's a hell of a lot easier than bottling.

 

[Deadalus]

You know how you transfer your beer from the fermenter into your bottling bucket? Ok now you are almost done kegging, the keg is your bottling bucket, just carbonate.

vs Beers in the bottling bucket. Now fill up 50 bottles and cap. Transfer bottles to basement.

 

[bracconiere]

damn, one bottling session....i went straight to kegging....just one lid to close, and a bigger bottle...

 

[Carolina_Matt]

I don't know where you're located, but I'd recommend checking out craigslist for keezers. You may be able to get a good deal on the keezer, kegs and co2 tank. You can immediately replace the lines, and I'd highly recommend the EVAbarrier lines from Morebeer.

Or for a cheaper set-up, you can just get a small fridge. My co-worker has a fridge that fits two kegs and a co2 tank, and he just uses picnic taps.

I've never bottled - I immediately went to kegging - and for the most part, it's pretty smooth. If you have a co2 leak, it can get frustrating. Or if you get nothing but foamy pours, it can get annoying to troubleshoot. But overall, it's great.

 

[cubalz]

Wait, what? There really isn't anything about kegging that is hard to do or tedious. The only con may be the initial investment in kegs, kegerator and other periphery supplies but that extra cost is soon forgotten after you experience the ease that kegging your beer brings. Bottling sucks.

 

[jack13]

Sure, kegging has its complications, but when compared to bottling, the vast majority of those who have done both say kegging is easier.

I am among that majority and I also find that my beer is also better when kegged. Cleaner, more clear, no more oxidation, carbonation always right.

 

[kh54s10]

Agreed, It is costly but EASIER than bottling. You transfer once to the keg - no priming sugar - add co2 pressure and you are done. Saves 50 steps.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Kegging is less time consuming, the initial investment is much higher than bottling beer bottles I empty are a nickel deposit. I keg for parties (my Oktoberfest) and HBC events, yet mostly still bottle prime. Easy to share, and competition ready.

 

[brew703]

I did the bottling thing for two years and I bitched every time. I finally had enough and just built a keezer. The initial investment is a con but after that it's smooth sailing.

You may want to see what it will cost to get your CO2 tanks filled. I'm lucky as my HBS charges $15 for a 10 lb fill and $10 for a 5 lb fill. There is also a fire extinquisher place that charges $1/lb to fill but the drawback is they are only open M-F until 4 which makes it impossible for me to get there unless I take off work.

If you are stuck having to swap out tanks at a welding supply then you can look at paying $25+, which IMO a rip off.

Also when I used to bottle, every NEIPA i brewed became oxidized so i quit brewing that style until I started kegging. Now I have yet to have an oxidized beer.

If you are in no rush, start buying your parts a little at a time if needed and continue to watch Craigslist for freezers, kegs and co2 tanks.

Build.com had a 5 lb tank for $38 shipped, which I brought. If they are still available that's a huge steal.

 

[wsmith1625]

No contest kegging is easier and quicker than bottling, but it definitely cost more to get started.

New 5 gal. corny Keg...$75
I already had a kegerator, but had to change my sanke connections to ball lock....$15
No longer able to use kegerator as fermentation chamber, so used wine chiller from Facebook Marketplace....$50
Adapter to change my beer line cleaner to fit a ball lock....$12
Now I need another keg so I can brew another batch....$75 at some future date
More ball lock connectors for new 2nd keg...you get the idea. Costs add up.

 

[McKnuckle]

One thing I found when I first got into kegging was that you nearly always have to modify whatever stock refrigeration device you choose. If it's a fridge, you'll need to drill holes in the door or top. It's also likely that you'll have to remove (Read: destroy) some of the molded materials inside the fridge to fit everything.

If it's a chest freezer, you'll need to build a collar and modify the top's hardware to integrate it. You could drill through the top, but that's a PITA because then you can't easily open the darn thing! And you'll do that a lot, not just to maintain your kegs, but to store bottles and occasional food items.

I started with a fridge, but outgrew it quickly. I now use it for hops, yeast, bottles, and fermenting. I now have a big chest freezer that holds at least 6 kegs. I downsized to 3 taps recently, and 2.5 gallon kegs, because it was just too much!

My suggestion for a "beginner" (really, for anyone) would be a small chest freezer, because the mods are reversable and it's so much easier to manipulate items in there. A small fridge is going to be super tight for 2 kegs.

You'll need a 5 lb. CO2 tank and a regulator, plus a two way manifold inside the freezer, from which you'll feed your kegs. Keep the tank outside the freezer and run a hose through the collar. And of course, there are taps, shanks, tubing, and hardware. Don't forget those hose clamps! They're essential on every gas and liquid barb where a hose attaches.

The benefits of kegging are indisputable. It opens up fermenting in kegs, pressurized fermenting, oxygen-free transfers, dry hopping in kegs, and profoundly greater ease of use in all aspects of packaging and serving.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

I'm with you. Bottling is the way to go. I love cleaning over 50 bottles, sanitizing them, then one by one filling them up. Even better is collecting all those empty bottles from friends, rinsing them out after each use, finding a place to store them between fillings, delabeling commercial bottles to replace the lost ones. Then there's always the inevitable multicolored cap batch because you thought you had enough of this one color, but you didn't.

Kegging is a passing fancy.

 

[grampamark]

When I started kegging, about 7 years ago, I bought this kit from AIH. I didn’t buy the C02 tank because we have an account with a welding supply company. I added a 20lb bottle to that account. Forty bucks to swap out and no recertification fees.

I installed the kit in an old fridge which I got for the low, low price of free ninety-nine. In my experience, when it comes to refrigeration equipment which is going to be used for what is, to all intents and purposes, recreation, the older the better. Old fridges don’t have many moving parts and they’re binary-either on or off. No heat/defrost cycles or circulation fans to make them frost free. There just isn’t much to go wrong with them. My kegerator is 61 years old; my ferm fridge is about 70. All that’s needed is a $30 temp controller and a hole in the side for each faucet. In this part of the world, old fridges are, literally, a dime a dozen. If one of mine died today I could probably have a replacement lined up tonight; probably for nothing more than hauling it away. YMMV.

A kegging system does require some routine maintenance and cleaning but the spare parts are cheap and cleaning is pretty painless. When a keg kicks I take a spare, clean, keg (I have more than I need; used, ugly, pin locks are pretty cheap) and put a couple gallons of hot Oxyclean solution in it and run that through the lines and faucet for that tap, followed by a hot water rinse and a flush with sanitizer. Then I disassemble, clean and lube the faucet. All of that takes about 10 minutes. I store clean, empty kegs pressurized. On kegging day, if the keg I select isn’t under pressure, I’ll know I have a leak. It’s easier to deal with those before the keg is full.

As others have noted, kegging is probably the best thing a homebrewer can do to make the entire process more enjoyable and hassle free.

 

[BrewMan13]

My entire kegging process, including sanitizing and cleaning the tap lines, is roughly 45min. I hate bottling so much I wouldn't brew half as much as I do if I had to bottle everything.

 

[grampamark]

Huh. That’s interesting. I edited my post to correct a spacing error in the 3rd paragraph and it turned everything but the 1st paragraph into a giant hot link. The edit window doesn’t show where the hidden link tags are. Shrug.

Edit. The more I play with it, the weirder it looks. This is kind of fun.

 

[applescrap]

I never even made it that far. I started with 2 liters and went straight to kegging.

damn, one bottling session....i went straight to kegging....just one lid to close, and a bigger bottle...

 

[kevink]

I'm with you. Bottling is the way to go. I love cleaning over 50 bottles, sanitizing them, then one by one filling them up. Even better is collecting all those empty bottles from friends, rinsing them out after each use, finding a place to store them between fillings, delabeling commercial bottles to replace the lost ones. Then there's always the inevitable multicolored cap batch because you thought you had enough of this one color, but you didn't.

You forgot one of the main advantages of bottling- oxidizing your finished beer.

 

[verboten]

Bottling is the PITA

 

[bleme]

I'd like kegging a lot more if my CO2 would stop leaking.

 

[balrog]

Leaky CO2 is something to keep an eye on.
Sharing easily with friends is not terribly difficult but tricky, when filling bottle/growler from kegs.
It is more expensive.
If you don't have something to chill a keg (I use the stairwell/hatch off my basement in winter and can hold quite a bit. In summer I have one of those 5cuft chest freezers, no collar/mod, to hold two kegs with picnic taps).

 

[BruceH]

@balrog Those kegs on the stairs make me think of dominoes.

 

[balrog]

@balrog Those kegs on the stairs make me think of dominoes.

Getting in or out takes poise and determination.

Do not attempt after drinking. Ask me how I know.

 

[LittleRiver]

There's still cleaning and other work involved with kegging, but overall there is a lot less of it. I find that kegs are quite easy to clean. Cleaning and using one keg is a LOT easier than cleaning and using a batch of bottles.

This video series is a good introduction to the hardware, terminology, etc.

 

[GnenieGone]

Bottling is pretty easy if one sets up for it properly. Installing a spigot for a bottling wand with a plastic fermeneter makes it easy to bottle after cold crashing. Washing out your bottles after drinking ensures they're clean up front. Use a spray bottle for sanitation. I use those sugar drops so no need to boil up corn sugar/water and add to bucket.

I mostly keg tho. Then after carbonated, 2-3 weeks, use a Beer Gun to fill bottles sometimes. After a keg is empty it's already sanitized so one can just refill especially if it's the same/similar style. There are ways of safely making the process easy for sure.

 

[Cavpilot2000]

My entire kegging process, including sanitizing and cleaning the tap lines, is roughly 45min. I hate bottling so much I wouldn't brew half as much as I do if I had to bottle everything.

I'm with you. No way I would brew 20 batches a year if I had to bottle all the F***ers!

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Hey let’s not forget those beer lines need to get cleaned often and replace sometimes... a skinny brush for the dip tube and a wallpaper tray or window box tray to soak it in. Keg lube, need some of that on hand too.

 

[balrog]

Hey let’s not forget those beer lines need to get cleaned often and replace sometimes... a skinny brush for the dip tube and a wallpaper tray or window box tray to soak it in. Keg lube, need some of that on hand too.

and taps and homemade tap handles!

 

[OnePlate]

Just to throw a child-sized wrench in the discussion, I'm resisting the urge to keg for two reasons: I have a small adorable child who I parent full-time and go to the gym regularly. This has made me a light-weight drinker who limits himself to one bottle of beer a day. Add on my fragile self-control with carbs, a tap would destroy my diet. I know i'm not representing a large portion of homebrewers, but for those who need to control their beer drinking, bottling makes sense.

 

[balrog]

self control can be an issue, fer sure.

 

[bracconiere]

If you have a co2 leak, it can get frustrating.

that's why i started keeping my co2 tank on a scale.....

$25+, which IMO a rip off.

it's $27 for a 20lb swap here, lasts me a year...

Forty bucks to swap out

$40 sounds high for a swap?

 

[grampamark]

and taps and homemade tap handles!

And lots of signs, banners, stickers, etc to cover the kegerator with!

 

[bracconiere]

Add on my fragile self-control with carbs, a tap would destroy my diet.

if you don't like carbs, there's always gluco!

 

[grampamark]

that's why i started keeping my co2 tank on a scale.....



it's $27 for a 20lb swap here, lasts me a year...



$40 sounds high for a swap?

Forty might be high but, I live in the middle of nowhere, and the gas distributor delivers to the welding shop just a few miles from my farm. I’d spend the difference driving somewhere else.

 

[bracconiere]

Forty might be high but, I live in the middle of nowhere, and the gas distributor delivers to the welding shop just a few miles from my farm. I’d spend the difference driving somewhere else.

makes sense, and what's that last you, two years?

 

[Kharnynb]

I don't keg, simply because I live in a quite small place(we have a good sized shed and cellar, but the "living space" is limited, and I would want a minimum of 3-4 kegs on tap if I switch over.

I make a lot of different beers and like to switch things up, so bottling is easier, just park them in the cellar and take 6-8 bottles up to the fridge when needed.

 

[Jayjay1976]

Kegging requires cleaning, preparation and maintenance of just one big bottle vs. 50-60 tiny ones. It's the opposite of a PITA. Kegging also opens the door to making changes to a beer after it is done. Keg hopping. Back-sweetening. Adding flavorings, spices, oak, etc.

I was a die-hard bottler for a long time, and I still bottle from time to time but kegs are just so much more practical not to mention professional.

Plus you get to feel like a beer god pulling draft beers for friends and family. Trust me, your beer geek cred will skyrocket.

 

[grampamark]

makes sense, and what's that last you, two years?

I get over a year out of 20 lbs. I probably use as much cleaning as I do serving.

 

[BruceH]

I bottled (and still do from time to time) for over two years. I thought kegging would be some big complicated thing.

One day I was picking up some free bomber bottles from someone local and he showed me how easy everything about kegging was. That was just about a year ago. I think I've bottled twice since then and I'm wondering what to do with all the 22oz bottles taking up space.

Kegging allowed for an improvement to my beer via spunding. Very little chance of oxidation this way and it's natural carbonation, the co2 tank is only used to push the beer out. I don't think I've used even half of a 10lb. tank in 6 months. The gauge hasn't moved much but it's in the fridge so it reads lower than normal anyway.