Beer Forum

Does anyone that has been brewing for more than, lets say 3 years, still bottle their beer rather than keg it for any reasons other than $$ or logistics (space for kegs, etc...) I still bottle. I have resisted going to kegging for several reasons...$$, sharing beer, inconsistent results and the fact that we usually have a commercial IPA at my house in a half barrel. But now that Im actually repeating recipes with consistent results, and not making as many of the same elementary mistakes as before, Im rethiking this choice. I think Im ready to do a 10 gallon batch and have two 5 gallon kegs of my own brew on tap. Feedback? Bottling 10 gallons seems like a chore, but I want to do bigger batches period. Thx.

While my main reasons for still being a bottler after 6.5 years of brewing are to do with space/$$, the main reasons I would see to continue as such would be style and presentation.

I have one keg, the whole setup was a birthday present. The majority of my beer is still bottled. I usually only keg something that is for a party or is going to be drank by me within 2 weeks give or take. All of my stouts, saisons and IPA is usually bottled. I have been brewing for just under 1.5 years. I'd say if you are getting good repeatability and have the $$ go get yourself a coulple kegs and the set up equipment.
-Pork

Oh crap, I have to buy the kegs...never mind...
But seriously, I like the idea of doing both. Maybe big batches of house beer (IPA for us) on tap, and the Belgians for me in the bottle. Thanks for feedback.

Kegging has other benefits too. You can dry-hop, oak, add gelatin to clarify, adjust the carbonation. I prolly wouldn't still be brewing if I had to bottle.

I love bottle conditioned beers, but I'll be damned if I do it for anything more than sours as of late. All of it goes into the keg and with gelatin or biofine, bright beer with any level of carbing I want is ready in days.

I just started kegging after 5.5 yrs of bottling. I was given 7kegs and 2/20lb CO2 tanks years ago but never had the $$ to get the rest of the stuff to do it. I had to lay out a bit of cash to get these kegs up and going with tubing, disconnects, O-rings etc and it felt like they were going to nickel and dime me to death--was starting to regret it.

A few months later and I'm very happy kegging. I'm serving from 6 kegs with picnic taps. I brew 7 gallon batches so I bottle the 1 to
1.5 gallons post fermentation that won't fit in the keg to share. I just add 2 grams of sucrose per 12oz bottle for conditioning at ~ 2.2 vols/CO2. 3.5G for 22oz bombers.

My kegged beer tastes fresher and brighter than the bottle conditioned stuff. I brew mostly lagers and it really shows in side to side tasting.

Steve Urquell wrote:I just started kegging after 5.5 yrs of bottling. I was given 7kegs and 2/20lb CO2 tanks years ago but never had the $$ to get the rest of the stuff to do it. I had to lay out a bit of cash to get these kegs up and going with tubing, disconnects, O-rings etc and it felt like they were going to nickel and dime me to death--was starting to regret it.

A few months later and I'm very happy kegging. I'm serving from 6 kegs with picnic taps. I brew 7 gallon batches so I bottle the 1 to
1.5 gallons post fermentation that won't fit in the keg to share. I just add 2 grams of sucrose per 12oz bottle for conditioning at ~ 2.2 vols/CO2. 3.5G for 22oz bombers.

My kegged beer tastes fresher and brighter than the bottle conditioned stuff. I brew mostly lagers and it really shows in side to side tasting.

Thanks Steve, very insightful.