whats with the bottle hype?

[waldoar15]

I still bottle a percentage of my beer for portability. I'll also bottle a beer that I may only want a bottle of once in a while and not want to tie up a keg and a tap with.

I don't like dealing with bottles and the process any more than the next person though.

 

[msa8967]

I started brewing with doing just bottles until I found I enjoyed the hobby enough to warrant the cost a kegging. Now I do both so I can have friends over to enjoy one of six beers on tap from my keezer and also be able to send a sample six pack of bottles home with them. As a new parent it is nice to have access to both kegged and bottled beer so I can ask my friends to babysit once in a while and pay them with beer.

Although I like kegging more than bottling I still prefer to bottle my extra beer over doing yard work and mowing the lawn.

 

[SarahMatt]

^^+1 (except the new parent part)!!

In our house, we keg and bottle depending on what we have going on. Usually I can convince HWMO to bottle 12 or 24 and keg the rest. He prefers being able to pull a beer from a keg, I like a bottle every now and then.

 

[Jayman931]

I bottle because it fits what I want to do with my beer. I have a large number of friends that brew. We all get together and share beers. Most of my beer will probably be consumed away from my house. Bottles are ideal for that. I also am planning on brewing alot...more than I can drink actually. So I like the option of keeping 12 bottles from each brew in storage where keepeing a quarter full keg of each beer I brew isn't fesible. I also enjoy making labels and Home Brew Competitions.

With all of that being said....eventually I will get a keg set up. I see the advantages. But I will alwasy bottle even when I do get a Keg set up for the above reasons...

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

I don't mind bottling a few each batch. I just don't get why people don't see the value in reusing mini kegs?

Is it just because the label suggests a BMC drinker? I don't get it, seems like a no brainer to me. Hell, you could pour out the beer and still make out in the end. I don't know how many batches I've done with these mini kegs, but all I've needed to do is reinsert the valves that pop the cartridges a few times with pliers. Always great beer in the end.

I'm pretty useless mechanically so I'd probably figure out a way to screw it up and end up with beer all over in my fridge. That and I don't have room for it. If I had the room, I would use my party pig since I already own it.

Otherwise, I think it's a great idea. I know with the party pig it holds pressure for a limited time before the beer starts to oxidize and goes a little flat. I don't know if there is a time limit on those kegs and how long they hold pressure before they start to either oxidize or go flat. I haven't looked into it too much. If they will go flat that quickly then that's probably a reason to use regular kegs instead.

 

[dooman333]

Well I'm glad I asked. Thanks for all the input guys. I can definitely see the novelty in labeling and have more of a variety around! Finding some sort of a used fridge/freezer off of craigslist, reconditioned corny/CO2 tank and a couple shanks just seemed more appealing to me. Maybe it's because I love using tools and the idea of "set it and forget it" or maybe I'm just a little lazy and filling bottles sounds really annoying. I think I'll try it though. It seems like it would be really hard to adjust carb levels in bottles. I would be super disappointed if I brewed something really mean and screwed it all up with the bottle carbing. And I know a lot of you guys said you don't have space to keg but I don't have the space for hundreds of empties either. Any taste difference from bottle or keg?

 

[Golddiggie]

I was also concerned about taste differences between bottles and kegged brew... So far, I'm finding that kegged, because you CAN adjust the carbonation level, is better. When you get the bottle carbonation level right, it's beautiful, but it's not that easy to get it the same across an entire batch. Even using the different calculation tools and such, it's not that easy. If you figure out the amount you'll be bottling (guessing in many cases) before you rack to the bottling bucket, you could be carbonating more (or less) than you intended.

Try bottling for some batches. OR, get a small/starter kegging setup and split the batches so you can decide for yourself which you like better. If you find you don't like to keg the brew, you should be able to sell the hardware without too much trouble.

 

[unionrdr]

I don't find carbing to style very hard at all. It's easy with the tasty brew calculator & a digital scale. Rack onto 2C priming solution,stir gently 12 times or so,& bottle. My bottling video in my profile shows this. I can sit down with everything in easy reach. I've gotten it down to 1.5 hours set up to clean up. It's all part of the joy of home brewing. I rather enjoy it.
Not to mention,single serving sizes. Bottle styles from all over the world. Using o2 barrier caps makes the beer improve over a longer time with no oxidation. And if the bottles are properly cared for,they won't need to be replaced. I can't see why anyone would think that.
I think a good,bottle conditioned beer is not only classical,it's very clear & natural tasting. Imo,kegging is a quick work around to get to the home brew faster. In that light,it is not better,since less aging takes place. That's one thing I get tired of repeating nearly everyday. you're not just carbonating the beer. You're aging it as well. Never loose sight of that just to get to the beer faster. As I said in my video,this is home made craft beer. It isn't hooch...we don't hurry.
This sermon is ended,go in peace...

 

[birvine]

I started with bottling and went to kegs, but after about a year or two with a kegerator, I find I am bottling more and more. Maybe it's the idea of archiving a few extra as well as carting a few here and there... But I am actually thinking of getting rid of the kegerator (sacrilege) and returning to bottles-only.

B

 

[Cosper123]

I agree it might not be $400 completely, but consider you need that kit plus a chest freezer, plus some DIY expenditures, plus the cost of refrigerating the entire 5 gallons for months

Good points.

 

[Cosper123]

I think a good,bottle conditioned beer is not only classical,it's very clear & natural tasting. Imo,kegging is a quick work around to get to the home brew faster. In that light,it is not better,since less aging takes place. That's one thing I get tired of repeating nearly everyday. you're not just carbonating the beer. You're aging it as well. Never loose sight of that just to get to the beer faster. As I said in my video,this is home made craft beer. It isn't hooch...we don't hurry.
This sermon is ended,go in peace...

And yet it still comes down to preference. While you believe it tastes best one way, not everyone will. You can age in a keg just fine. And many of us perfer the taste of kegged beer in any state. Also some beers are better fresh regardless of bottled or kegged. not to mention other methods of aging in both primary and secondary that don't really matter past that point.

Sooooo many ways to do it. And what works for one person doesn't always work for another. That's why both methods are viable, both have positives and negatives, and complete opposition to either method is either silly or arrogant.

 

[Airborneguy]

I don't drink too many high alcohol beers, but sometimes, I make certain styles that are high alcohol by nature. I like to bottle those so that they don't back up my "pipeline" when I only drink 1-2 a week. I'll also bottle if I know a lot of the batch is going to be brought to a party or event. I don't like bringing kegs out of the house. I did it once and I wasn't happy with how it was shaken up and took fiddling to get the pours correct.

 

[Weizenwerks]

Of course the initial cost and setup can be limiting.

I don't know of homebrewer that amortizes their equipment cost into the cost of their beer. It's ingredients only. For kegging, the equipment is another expenditure much like brew kettles and such, but once you have it, it's cheaper.

When I started kegging in Corny kegs, I bought the CO2 tank, regulator, tower and faucet for $30 used. I found a 4.5 cubic foot mini fridge in the paper for $50 from a restaurant that was going out of business.

If someone is going out and buying new kegging equipment for the major components, they're missing the point. Plenty of used equipment around for great prices.

 

[Tall_Yotie]

Haven't read through all of the 5 pages of replies, but it comes down to preference. I bottle, and probably won't ever actually keg.

Cost is an issue; I need a keg for every batch, and as I have Belgian ales aging and the like it would be a lot of kegs. I have no space for a fridge dedicated entirely for kegs.

I also like to be able to share and spread my beers, and having a keg makes that difficult. If there is only 4 bottles left in a keg then I still am using an entire keg's worth of space.

Bottling is cheap for me, I re-use bottles, so I don't have to really buy new bottles. And bottling is quick, as I have the process down, and is therapeutic. I brew with friends, so at the end of the day I can give a 6 pack to my buddy, a 6 pack to my dad, etc. Hard to divvy up a keg!

Long story short; Bottling works great for me and others. Kegging for other folks. It all has to do with the way you plan to enjoy and share your beer, as well as the space and equipment you have.

 

[govain]

I keg most of my stuff.

1. Lot easier to keg then mess around with cleaning out the bottles, and less space consuming. (SWMBO appreciates the lack of dirty bottles too)

2. Good friend of mine gave me most of the high cost items (co2 tank w/ regulator, tap w/ handle, and sankey coupler) for the cost of buying him a pint.

3. Found a local bar where the owner will give me a corney keg whenever I come in and buy a couple pints (which I would probably drink anyway) if he has them available.

That just leaves me with trying to find a chest freezer in my area that I can convert for taps and fermenting lagers. As it is now I have to store it in my basement and then put it in my food chest freezer for a little bit before I pour.

 

[unionrdr]

And yet it still comes down to preference. While you believe it tastes best one way, not everyone will. You can age in a keg just fine. And many of us perfer the taste of kegged beer in any state. Also some beers are better fresh regardless of bottled or kegged. not to mention other methods of aging in both primary and secondary that don't really matter past that point.

Sooooo many ways to do it. And what works for one person doesn't always work for another. That's why both methods are viable, both have positives and negatives, and complete opposition to either method is either silly or arrogant.

It's neither sill nor arrogant in any way from me. It's rather the opposite. Bottles take up about the same space as kegging equipment when you take into account all the extra kegs one needs for ones own pipeline. Kegged beer also doesn't develop as fine a head,being force carbed,than bottle conditioning. Aging in bottles would be easier & cheaper,as no co2 pressure has to be kept on a bottle to keep it sealed away from air. There are many reasons for bottling discussed here,so I won't bother to re-iterate. If you like having a tap to pour your beer,fine. It's too much outlay for the return to me. More of a novelty,imo. That's opinion not arrogance.

 

[Brew_4iT]

I'm pretty useless mechanically so I'd probably figure out a way to screw it up and end up with beer all over in my fridge. That and I don't have room for it. If I had the room, I would use my party pig since I already own it.

Otherwise, I think it's a great idea. I know with the party pig it holds pressure for a limited time before the beer starts to oxidize and goes a little flat. I don't know if there is a time limit on those kegs and how long they hold pressure before they start to either oxidize or go flat. I haven't looked into it too much. If they will go flat that quickly then that's probably a reason to use regular kegs instead.

The only carbonation issues I found with the tap a draft mini kegs is when you first tap a conditioned mini and don't use a cartridge, has enough pressure for about half the volume but after that if you don't plan on drinking it within the next day it will loose freshness and carbonation. Also, when I was anxious to tap a mini that hadn't been primed long enough. I thought that the cartridges would be enough for it to be palatable. I used two cartridges in a cold conditioned mini, it had good pressure the first day and decent beer, but because I think the majority of the co2 was absorbed into the beer I had a carbonated beer, but not good pressure and didn't last as long. If I were to force carb with the cartridges it would probably take 3 or 4 but I would rather prime with sugar and let condition for carbonation, then just use the cartridge for pressure reasons and freshness.

If anyone has any questions about reusing tap a draft mini kegs just ask me, I've been using these for awhile now.

 

[Golddiggie]

IMO, both are options... I'll probably end up bottling BIG brews that will benefit more from it, or that I want to stock away for later. Not to say that I'll carbonate with sugars there though. I like the control I get with carbonating via gas.

BTW, you CAN have the best of both worlds, carbonating batches in kegs, then bottling from those kegs and keeping them around for the long term. Once you have the desired carbonation level (so much easier to fine tune in keg) you just bottle it up (Bowie Bottler and wand is one easy option) and set them aside. You now don't need to worry about uneven carbonation, or bottle bombs developing.

As for the head from kegged brew, you can get the same as from bottles, IF you chose to. Use a faucet like the Perlic 575 'Creamer' and you'll get the head you wish in glass. Get the stainless version and it's something you can pass down to your children. You can also put brews on beer gas, getting the infamous cascade effect and rich, thick, head (like you get from a properly poured Guinness).

IF you don't rush your brews through the process before bottling/kegging, then they'll be identical in bottle/keg. Since I go with the long primary method, my brews are ready for drinking as soon as they are carbonated (the ones that don't NEED extended aging). I'm more of a mind to let a brew age in batch form and then bottle it when it's actually ready. IMO, that's better than bottling earlier and having to wait for them to bottle condition/age before they're really good/great. I have enough vessels to ferment/age in that it's not an issue for me.

Also, it's been documented that brews age better at lower temperatures (more stable). So having a keg in the keezer/kegorator/brew fridge for aging (IMO) makes a lot of sense. I intend to do that with the next big brews I make (over 10%). I'll purge them of air, with CO2, and then leave them disconnected from the gas system. I won't be looking to carbonate the brews at that time. Later, once it's ready for consuming, I'll carbonate to the level I desire and put it on tap. OR bottle it up. OR both...

Personally, I like having the flexibility to do either/both methods. I'm NOT pushing my brews from grain to glass, accelerating the time frame by rapid force carbonating. IMO, when done RIGHT, both are valid choices across the board. Neither is 100% the best method. If YOU chose to use just one, good for you, just don't diss people that choose to use both, or the other.

In the end, serve out of whatever you wish. If you only aspire to bottle your brews, forever, then go for it. I'm sure you'll be happy with that. I've seen enough posts where people are whining about bottling a couple of 10 gallon batches in a day/weekend. If you wish to use kegs, just remember that SOME brews will be better in bottle. Or easier to gift that way. Having a way to do both is of value. Just pick the containment method that fits the brew.

 

[AZBrewDude]

I would love to try kegging, but I just can't justify the cost at this time. I can't say I love the process of bottling beer, but there is something rewarding about producing 50+ bottles of beer that you can share with friends.

I didn't know about bottling from a keg. That does sound like it gives you the best of both worlds. I used to think I would keg half of a batch and bottle the other half, but bottling as needed would be the way to go.

I like building things, so if and when I give kegging a try, I will most likely build a kegerator from a fridge of some sort. I'll have to search this forum. I'm sure there are many threads on the subject.

 

[Cosper123]

It's neither sill nor arrogant in any way from me. It's rather the opposite. Bottles take up about the same space as kegging equipment when you take into account all the extra kegs one needs for ones own pipeline. Kegged beer also doesn't develop as fine a head,being force carbed,than bottle conditioning. Aging in bottles would be easier & cheaper,as no co2 pressure has to be kept on a bottle to keep it sealed away from air. There are many reasons for bottling discussed here,so I won't bother to re-iterate. If you like having a tap to pour your beer,fine. It's too much outlay for the return to me. More of a novelty,imo. That's opinion not arrogance.

Yeah like I said, different strokes for different folks. Positives and negatives both ways...Doesn't work for you but it works for others, and that is ok.

And also like already said, the complete opposition to either method is silly or arrogant. This is due to the positives and negatives both ways. It's not a personal attack on your ego, and having an opinion and being arrogant are not mutually exclusive. Fact is really, for at least the third time now, there are pluses and minuses for both. If bottling exclusively works for you that is great, but it doesn't magically negate all the positives I find in kegging. That's why I both keg and bottle, and I'm ok with it

 

[sacrifice]

I have 5 brews to bottle in the next few weeks. I have four batches bottle conditioning, and another 4 or 5 batches that I am drinking. That is a lot of bottles, but when I want a beer, I go down stairs and put one in the fridge for a day (actually, I have a bunch in the fridge already). When someone asks for a few beers to take home, I simply give then a few beers to take home.

In order to keg, I would need something like 14 - 15 kegs, and then a few coolers for all my beer, plus all the equipment - and on and on. It is just easier to bottle, and I find bottling somewhat relaxing.

 

[dwarven_stout]

I keg most of my beer, and I always run off at least a dozen bottles from the keg using my $2 counterpressure bottling wand. It's the best of both worlds, really.

As far as cost, I got into kegging for the $50 cost of 2 corny kegs and some hose. I got a fridge for free, so I only have to pay electricity there, and I found 3 20# CO2 tanks on Craigslist for $75. I sold two, which made me enough to buy a couple fills for the (free) tank I had left over. The first fill lasted me a year, even with using CO2 for other things.

Win-win.

 

[emjay]

I find it interesting that several people have said that kegging takes up too much space. IMO, it takes up less space than bottling.

Between all the equipment necessary for bottling (especially if you brew sours!) and hundreds of bottles, kegging is pretty damn space-efficient. 5 gallons of beer takes up a lot more space in bottles than in a single keg, and if you fill a keezer with kegs, the extra space used up by it isn't really all that significant.

Kegging also has a ton of other benefits, many of which have been mentioned here.

I don't even keg yet - getting the discretionary income for both a kegging AND a HERMS setup takes a bit of time, and I prefer to spring for high quality the first time around. But I know many people that do, and I'm currently in the process of obtaining what I need. But the bottling process feels like a total chore to me. It has NOTHING to do with "getting my beer faster"... that's a ridiculous and even somewhat condescending supposition.

All that being said, I presently cap AND cork bottles, and I plan to keep doing so for some beers. And the corking will probably even become more frequent than capping once I start kegging, because in addition to bottling from the keg for beers I want to take somewhere, give away, or enter into competition, there are some styles which benefit quite a bit from bottle conditioning - such as Belgians and sours. And then there's the fact that natural cork "character" is pretty much considered crucial to an authentic Bière de Garde, and other farmhouse styles.

So some styles I don't plan to ever stick in a keg. But most styles will be pretty much served exclusively from a keg. Heck, kegging will even give me the ability to filter the beers that I want to filter - which is actually ESPECIALLY useful if you bottle, for the times you know that you or someone else will really just want to drink straight from the bottle.

Bottom line is that both methods have their own unique advantages, and some situations or even entire styles will benefit a lot more from one or the other. The only thing a person accomplishes by playing favorites is restricting themselves... there's nothing to gain from it. I can respect that some people simply can't reasonably spend the money for a suitable kegging setup, but beyond that, there really isn't a good reason (or should I say excuse) to limit oneself like that.

 

[unionrdr]

I don't consider bottling to be limiting myself. Too much money for me,being retired. But I have read on here,one member in particular,that said "I wanna get to my beers" in regard to kegging vs bottling.
That just sounded like It was just hooch or something. If you like kegging for whatever reason,that's fine. I just got to where bottling is easy & a relaxing part of brewing. I demonstrate that in my videos in my profile. I guess it does come down to "to each his own" here. No sense making enemies or slurring others over it. We just get a little too passionate about our beliefs sometimes.
This subject is one of them.

 

[Airborneguy]

I think the thread title itself is encouraging some of the posts. It's worded as if bottling is some new fad that all the hipsters are using.

 

[unionrdr]

Yeah,it did kinda sound that way. Just pushes people's buttons.

 

[Tall_Yotie]

I think the thread title itself is encouraging some of the posts. It's worded as if bottling is some new fad that all the hipsters are using.

Agreed!

 

[Mpavlik22]

All I can say is it takes me 10 minutes to rack into a keg and put it on pressure. I let it "age" for about a month that way.

I started out bottling and I would also argue there is nothing wrong with bottling. However my opinion did change once I started kegging.

Having a wife and son, time is more important than the cost of the kegging supplies. I do realize cost is one of the largest factors with getting into kegging.

But I personally can say kegging tastes way better than bottle priming. THIS IS JUsT MY OPINION. Plus I can Fill about a case from the keg in 10 minutes for mobility.

I mean I used to spend 1.5 hours bottling a 5 gallon batch. Now I can bottle a 5 gallon batch from a keg in under a half hour if I wanted.

 

[kh54s10]

400-500 bucks? Here's one for 159:

http://morebeer.com/view_product/12015/102298/Basic_Homebrew_Draft_System_-_Pin_Lock

Now that IS before tax but the shipping is free. Also have to consider there is a price involved with fillng up the Co2 container....comparable to the priming sugar and extra time cleaning a bunch of bottles, maybe? In any case a far cry from 400-500 bucks.

That is ONE keg. no fridge, then you want the multiple tap kegerator with temperature control, more kegs for conditioning larger beers = 400-500 bucks.

I'm waiting to hit the Powerball then I'll get that, until then it is bottling for me.

 

[dooman333]

Apologies if my title was misleading. I asked not because of its "new, hipster" feel, but because I am new to brewing. I was legitimately looking for some insight. I dig the idea of being able to pull an older HB bottle off a shelf and reminisce about its greatness , and also the idea of bottling from keg. Thanks! (clink!)