New to kegging...please help

[BrianTheBrewer]

Hey guys so ive been looking into kegging but dont know to much about it.
Some say they like it better then bottling, some dont. Ive looked at a few systems on homebrewing.org I dont really know what to get. We brew mostly 5 gallon batches. How long will homebrew last in a keg compaired to bottles? Is it easier then bottling or better for the beer? I have many questions I guess. Any information will help.

Thanks

 

[popeiam]

Holy crap, that’s a big request. I like to keg because I find it easier to clean a couple of kegs verse a couple dozen bottles. But the expense is way more kegging. As for does it last longer? I’d have to say it last just as long. You are pushing the beer with co2 and its closed looped so as long as you don’t oxygenate the beer or contaminate it, it should last as long. I don’t like kegging because I can’t take beer to friends houses as easily as I would like to. This is just my opinion. My advise is you need to do ALOT of research. Best of luck.

 

[Cpt_Kirks]

You are on the right site.

I went from knowing nothing about kegging, to putting two batches in the kegs in six weeks, mostly from what I learned here.

There were NO surprises to do with the kegging. I picked up enough tips that it went flawlessly. Well, I found out the hard way that you don't punch out poppet valves while holding the post, I have a nice deep little circular cut in my palm.

I am sipping on a nice cherry wheat I drew off the keg right now.

 

[The Pol]

Kegging beer is easy, dump it in, close it up, turn on the CO2... no tedious santizing of hundreds of bottles! It is FAST, EASY and the beer lasts a lot longer than it will ever last in the keg. It is not as easy to carry to a party, but it is nice to pour a draft in your own home! You also have precise control over your CO2 volumes in your beer.

Go to kegconnection.com, they have full kegerator kits, kegs, taps... I bought a full kegerator kit from Midwest Supplies for like $200... included (2) kegs too! That is the EASIEST way to go, they sell you the whole kit, just put some beer in it and fill the CO2 tank. I LOVE KEGGING!

 

[Yooper]

I love kegging. It's quick, easy, and I have several varieties of fresh beer whenever I want. To go to friends' houses, I just pull out a couple of growlers. For beer swaps, I sanitize a few bottles and bottle from the keg. No sediment in any bottles at all. I love it.

I have no mechanical ability, so I was concerned about messing with regulators, check valves, etc. I should have not worried- I just changed a keg about 15 minutes ago- it took no tools and less than five minutes. I should have started kegging WAY before I did!

 

[Cpt_Kirks]

... I bought a full kegerator kit from Midwest Supplies for like $200... included (2) kegs too! That is the EASIEST way to go, they sell you the whole kit, just put some beer in it and fill the CO2 tank. I LOVE KEGGING!

Yeah, that's the one I bought. I love the dual regulator setup. The knobs are big and easy to adjust and I can have one keg under 30 psi carbing and have the other at 5 serving.

There is really no comparison between bottling and kegging. I kegged two batches Saturday morning in an hour or so. And, it was my first time doing it.

 

[Donner]

A disclaimer, i haven't kegged anything... yet. BUT, I suspect kegging is something that isn't truly appreciated until you've been slumped over a bucket of water while you attempt to remove the same stubborn label for the second or third time and realize you have another 48 bottles to de-label, clean, check for mold, clean again, sanitize, fill and then finally cap.

But again, i'm just guessing

 

[Parva]

A disclaimer, i haven't kegged anything... yet. BUT, I suspect kegging is something that isn't truly appreciated until you've been slumped over a bucket of water while you attempt to remove the same stubborn label for the second or third time and realize you have another 48 bottles to de-label, clean, check for mold, clean again, sanitize, fill and then finally cap.

But again, i'm just guessing

Very good analogy. A cornie keg is basically like one big bottle. The beer inside cannot be tainted by light for one. Furthermore, no need to prime, it holds sufficient pressure to carbonate via CO2. The kegging route is much more expensive initially but it repays itself the more full kegs you have conditioning.

Bottles do have a place and I'm not suggesting everyone goes and buys kegs but if you get through a fair amount of beer either yourself or as a party host then you really do need to look at the mass storage that is kegging.

 

[BrianTheBrewer]

Wow thanks for all the info. Im going to start looking into a good system.

 

[shecky]

I've been considering kegging, too. This may be a silly question, but what does it do to a utility bill? Having a kegerator going 24/7 can't be cheap, and I am.

 

[Shonuff]

Hover on Craigslist or ebay (local pickup is usually the only way to find a deal) for a little while before you buy anything. I scored two kegs, 20 lb tank, regulator (mount up, ha), two carboys, bottling tree, SS brew pot, 4 cases of 22 oz bottles, and various other crap for $35.00.

 

[BrianTheBrewer]

Ya im 100% going to look around before I go out and buy anything

 

[Donner]

I've been considering kegging, too. This may be a silly question, but what does it do to a utility bill? Having a kegerator going 24/7 can't be cheap, and I am.

I'm cheap too, which is one reason i haven't made the move. I'd have to imagine, though, that the impact on the utility bill is directly related to the type/age of your fridge/chest freezer.

From what i understand of the process, generally you are dedicating an additional cooling unit to the cause. If it's an old fridge then it might have to run more often to stay at the temp you want it at, thus costing you more money. If it's a newer unit then it will likely be a more energy efficient unit and not have to run as often.

What you have to decide is can you find a fridge or freezer for cheap enough used to negate the energy you'd save with a new unit. Several threads are out there dealing with this topic. I priced new units the other day and most were in the $140-$210 range for mid-sized fridges and chest freezers. Most had energy ratings in the ~$30 range per year.

Also keep in mind most people run their units off of some type of controller, which in theory would mean the unit wouldn't have to run as often since you'd be keeping it in the higher (~40°) range of a chest freezer.

Lots of variables, but it basically breaks down to how efficient your unit is at staying cool, the same with any fridge you have.

 

[BrianTheBrewer]

I found a few good deals on Craigslist im going to look into.

Thanks for all the info guys

 

[Parva]

I've been considering kegging, too. This may be a silly question, but what does it do to a utility bill? Having a kegerator going 24/7 can't be cheap, and I am.

Alternatively, keep the beer at room temperature and buy yourself a flash chiller. That's what I use in my set up as I didn't have room for a 2nd fridge in the house. I simply turn it on 30 minutes before a drinking session and get lovely, cold beer and the chiller itself is only the size of a small - medium sized box, takes very little room up. Do a search on Ebay for 'flash chiller'.