to keg.... or not to keg...

[remilard]

Or do you drink 8 cause you started drinking from the octoberfest glass and lost count. Then out came das boot (or the half yard) and you wake up in the garage under the work bench smelling of apfelwein samples.... This has never happened.

BTW apfelwein on tap, can be a wee scary... Although you can pour a proper wine glas full instead of 12 oz's at a time.

It's the nights of drinking with buddies that kegging can be run you amuck. Rar

If you are drinking out of a boat, seek help immediately.

 

[Yooper]

I bottled about 150 batches before I won the kegging setup in the HBT football pool a couple of years ago. I was intimidated by the looks of the tanks, regulator, etc, since I'm not a very handy person, compared to the men on HBT.

Let me say this- it's much easier than I imagined it could be! When I had some issues, like how to find a leak, I just looked online here and used google and found out how to take care of it.

I wouldn't get a commercial kegerator, though. They look nice, but only can store a keg or two. I have a 3/4 sized fridge that easily fits two kegs, and it's just not big enough! Sure, it's enough to dispense two taps, but I sometimes want to cold condition a keg, or store some yeast. So, I took off the door shelves, and now have room for three. I also now have three taps.

I used picnic taps for well over a year before drilling the fridge, and that worked out fine. So, I'd suggest a regular (or small) fridge, and just use picnic taps until you can add your faucets. You can also use a chest freezer with just a few modifications that even I can do. Those come up on Craigslist all the time.

 

[kornkob]

That varies...I use a commercially produced kegerator that I've slapped a 2 head tower on. The kegerator will hold 3 kegs and the 5# tank. I've been really happy with everything but the original casters that came with it. I replaced the tiny plastic things with a set of larger ball bearing casters for those instances when I want to roll the kegerator over to a neighbor's or take it to a party.

 

[SOB]

But what if you want exactly half a glass of beer after a really long day? Do you waste half a bottle or fill the glass half full from a tap?

Why would you only want HALF a glass of beer after a long day? Fill 'er up!

I did find that I tend to drink more out of the keg because I cant count the number of bottles as the night goes on! The only downfall to kegging is if you want to take beer some where else, or share beer with friends at work you can only try to fill a flip top or something. Then it never seems to be as carbbed as right out of the keg.

Still...kegging is the way to go.

 

[XXguy]

There ARE things that could be considered downsides-- and I say this as someone who currently kegs and will not go back to bottling willingly-- and it is only fair to point them out.

I agree with your points, and I'd also add in that "portability" is not quite as good with a keg setup.

If I'm heading over to someone's party & get a request to bring over some samples, it's much easier to crate up a 12 pack of 4 different varieties than to try to take 4 kegs and a tap setup along.

 

[kornkob]

It's also a lot easier to get a 'stock level' with bottles. A keg inside a kegerator is hard to get a good 'measure' of how many beers are left, whereas with bottles you can pretty easily look at them to get a feel for how much homebrew you have left.

 

[fratermus]

A counterpoint to the keg boosterism:

I am agnostic about the all-singing, all-dancing wonders of kegging. Bottling never bothered me, but I bought some cornies to use for primary. Figured, what the heck, pick up the CO2 gear, too. At this point I am about $300 into my kegging gear and am not yet impressed. About the only wins from my point of view is:

1. I can fit two cornies into my ferm chamber instead of 1 carboy
2. cornies are easier to carry than 2 cases of bottles.
3. it is easy to rack sanitizer from cornie to cornie under pressure

Is that worth the money and all the carb calculation, spare refrigerators, Sisyphusian gas leak hunts, and line-balancing shenanigans? Not so far. I hope my opinion changes, or you may find a 20# bottle and a nice dual-bodied regulator in the classifieds forum in a few more months. I am willing to keep an open mind and see how my relationship with kegging develops.

At this point I would not recommend the substantial outlay for a kegging rig to anyone who can tolerate bottling without choking cats or other small animals.

 

[SOB]

A few things to the post above...

1)It's just as easy to rack sanitizer without pressure and you dont waste the gas. Not sure what the benefit is of doing it under pressure...transfers faster? Maybe I'm misunderstanding...

2)Never had to do any carb calculations or line balancing. yes, I've had too many leaks but that's due to my own stupidity\lack of caring at first.

I really got tired of all the label cleaning, bottle sanitizing, 50+ bottles to fill and cap. SWMBO would help me every time and it was such a drag! I hated it so much that I would typically leave my beer in the secondary a week or two longer until I could get myself around to bottling. It would also take about an hour from start to finish to bottle. With kegging all you have to do is sanitize and transfer. I mean, what's the quickest and easiest part of brewing? To me it's transferring to secondary. You sanitize the next vessel and tubing, transfer, and clean to primary. DONE! That's basically all kegging is.

Sure, there's more to it at first, setting up the kegerator, checking for leaks, etc. But in the end it's much less a headache.

 

[Mad_Milo]

One thing I haven't seen mentioned is the clearer pour out of a keg - you simply don't have the dregs (yeast, sediment, etc.) that muck up the flavor of your well-crafted beer.

I hated seeing my bottle-conditioned Kolsch get poured too far by friends and neighbors, and suddenly it's looking like a wheat beer, and tasting a bit bready. They didn't understand when to stop pouring, or to watch the neck of the bottle.

 

[Spunkmeyer]

One thing I haven't seen mentioned is the clearer pour out of a keg - you simply don't have the dregs (yeast, sediment, etc.) that muck up the flavor of your well-crafted beer.

I hated seeing my bottle-conditioned Kolsch get poured too far by friends and neighbors, and suddenly it's looking like a wheat beer, and tasting a bit bready. They didn't understand when to stop pouring, or to watch the neck of the bottle.

This is one of the main reasons I'm starting to keg. I'm sure everybody I give beer to is tired of me acting like a parent dropping their kid off with a babysitter for the first time and giving them the instruction sheet...

 

[fratermus]

1)It's just as easy to rack sanitizer without pressure and you dont waste the gas. Not sure what the benefit is of doing it under pressure...transfers faster? Maybe I'm misunderstanding...

I mean I have a gallon of sanitizer in one cornie, and push it out the beer out post by gas pressure. The benefits, to my mind, are:

* the dip tube and out post is hit with sanitizer again on the way out; and
* one is left with a sealed, sanitized cornie

I use air from my air compressor to do things like pressure check or seal empty kegs and move non-beer liquids around.


I guess my intention was to make a bookend to Revvy's blog post that reminded us that AG is not a magic bullet and not a the optimum solution for everyone. Likewise, I do not think that kegging is a foregone conclusion, the next predetermined stop on the brewtrain to nirvana.

A cynic might wonder aloud if what's really happening is that folks get a half-grand into a kegging setup and then really need to convince themselves it was the most positive choice in their brewing lives. Luckily, I am not a cynic.

 

[Homercidal]

I built a kegerator and it's nice, but it wasn't the big WOW that I thought it was going to be. Honestly, getting a system of bottling down helps a lot and the biggest chore is taking off labels (if you choose to do that).

But, kegging is faster and easier, and if you host parties, your guests will envy you!

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

Number 1 tip to prevent leaking lines. Use Yellow Gas tape NOT white teflon.

 

[Dogslovebeer]

For me kegging is the only way to go. Bottling is such a b!tch system or no system, its easy to get an infection or too much oxygen and all those bottles need to be cleaned and stored. It took the fun out of brewing (well not totally) but kegging, come on now I start the siphon and walk away come back in 5min seal it up hit it with gas and done, the next day I'm drinking. People get really crazy with kegging and spend tons of money thats cool if you got it. I have a two tap kegerator I had to buy the fridge that brought the price up to about $500 for the whole set up, if you can find a fridge then its a no-brainer, do it. Long story short the $500 bucks the system cost me has paid me back in time frustration, cleaner, sanitizer, and water. I'll never go back

 

[Rhoobarb]

Number 1 tip to prevent leaking lines. Use Yellow Gas tape NOT white teflon.

Do tell!!

What is this yellow gas tape you speak of? (Okay, I'm guessing it is yellow and it is tape but...) What's the big diff.?

And, isn't it true that if you are using flared fittings (which I am from my secondary regulators and my QDs), then there should be no need to use anything on the threads? That the actual seal is between the flare and the bell end of the fitting?

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

Do tell!!

What is this yellow gas tape you speak of? (Okay, I'm guessing it is yellow and it is tape but...) What's the big diff.?

And, isn't it true that if you are using flared fittings (which I am from my secondary regulators and my QDs), then there should be no need to use anything on the threads? That the actual seal is between the flare and the bell end of the fitting?

Yes. Any flared or compression fitting should not have tape. NPT does. Gas tape is a rated tape for natural gas, water and steam. You need less, and it works a million times better than white teflon. Available at homedepot etc.

Ideally suited for all threaded connections involving gas line installations for natural gas, propane, butane, and/or water, oil, and chemicals. Withstands up to 10,000 P.S.I. and temperatures of -450 F. to +550 F. Full 1.6 density. .0035 thickness plus .0005". Meets MIL T-27730A specification. 1 spool per header card bag.

 

[Donthoseme]

I did 3 extract batches then went to all grain. I bottled 4 batches then went to keg. I guess i'm a fast mover but man is it worth it. you must monitor Craigslist like some wall street big shots watch their stock prices. Be prepaired to jump at an offer an you could end up like me. I bought my 12 tap brass tower for $150. There was a stainless 10 tap for $100 that i regret not getting just for the resale value. oh well. CRAIGSLIST

 

[chefmike]

I think Fratermus' has some good points that do bookend Revvy and, in my opinion, should be stickied in a pros and cons. I agree that kegging might be best considered as an alternative to bottling and not a solution. If you are having problems bottling, solutions should be sought (Revvy has a great thread that has been well contributed to). If you have problems bottling and switch to kegging, you will likely be equally frustrated when you have problems kegging. Both have quirks and technical issues.

But what do I know? I just shelled out to for a 4 tap system! :rockin:

The decision for me was based around several factors: I LOVE draft beer... I like that mouth feel, I like to tinker and it has hoses and gauges and tanks, I drink mostly at home, and BierMunchers Bottle filler. So for me, I was ready. Cash and space kept me out for a long time... I have been brewing for 7 years now and life has changed alot in that time!

 

[Woody]

thanks for all the info guys.

i will be saving my hard earned pennies for my new investment.

Cheers!