Bottle or Keg?

[darylt]

I have now made 3 kits, 2 Woodfordes Wherry, both were drinkable but were very different (one was much darker) and 1 Woodfordes Nog, again, very drinkable!

I have brewed them all to the instructions (although extended all of the timings) and have finished in a keg.

Something that I have noticed is that the first few pints (each session) have been better, however after the pressure has dropped the top needs opening to pour more.

Is this normal?

Should I get a CO2 cap for my barrel?

Would I be better to bottle condition rather than keg?

Any other kit top tips?

I am about to start a Woodfordes Headcracker and then a Muntons Winter Warmer......

 

[Baz Chaz]

Down to personal preference I would think

I personally prefer bottling, despite the fiddling about with bottles I still prefer using them :thumb:

... bottles can be brought up from 'the den brewery' into the house half a dozen a time

... can take a bottle or three to folk to try

... can slip one or two into the fishing bag

... got a ready supply of bottles FOC

... can set some aside for long term storage ( yeah right )

... possibly less to go wrong with bottling

 

[Hawks]

I think it is personal...

I can't be bothered to bottle, so I keg most and then bottle a few odd ones at the end, for the same reasons, just I do less of them.

I think you would definitely want CO2 into the keg, once you let the air in you are shortening the life of your beer. I use cornies so always have CO2 on them, with a plastic keg I think you'd still want to top up ( unless of course you plan to drink the whole keg in 1 go :thumb: )

 

[darylt]

Thanks guys

Need to by a few more bottles before I have a go at bottleing a whole kit! :shock:

So if I was to top up with C02 in my plastic keg, how often do you add gas and how much?

I assume that it depends on how much you drink at a time, but is there a rule of thumb? ie 1 C02 8g bulb for every three pints drunk?

 

[cask is best]

I use to bottle all the time years ago. although i hated all the prep to get them clean and the mess. However now starting up again i have a keg. As you say bottles are better for all the reasons you point out but a keg is less messy.

As for co2 i have been told it's obvious when to ad gas and that is when the barrel starts gurgling. But what do i know I'm sure someone will put me right :thumb: Ill be using the small sparklets when i keg my beer. Never used them before but the old man did so it will be new to me too

 

[Red Devil]

I had a keg for my first 2 brews, the beer took ages to clear..and there was some leaking!! since then I have been bottling and for me bottling is way better, I use 2 litre coke/lemonade bottles (always use new ones for each brew) and they are perfect, no everyones choice but alot cheaper and as long as you keep them in the dark the beer will be perfect :