Bottles or kegs or barrel

[Clwydianrange]

Hello again. Following on from the good advice I received a week ago I’m gathering a lot of equipment plus reading the book I was told to get-it really is very good. I’m also watching YouTube videos. I’m fairly confident now that I can undertake the brewing and mashing stages. The issue I’ve got now is what to put the beer in when finished. At first I thought bottles then a 9.5l cornie plus bottles. Now I’m thinking of a 19l cornie plus bottles. Using the kegs seems a little daunting but after watching a couple of videos I think I can do it, it’s just a matter of confidence I guess. The purchase of one, or even two, kegs is no problem but it’s the supply of CO2 that I’m unsure of. What’s the best place close to Wrexham to get supplies please. Are there any issues to consider that I’m not aware of. Or do I stick with bottles or even a plastic barrel.

keith

 

[Scrattajack]

Using the kegs seems a little daunting but after watching a couple of videos I think I can do it, it’s just a matter of confidence I guess

If I can do it, you can.

Anything that seems complicated can almost certainly be broken down into simpler steps. so yeah, do the youtube videos and get it all clear in your head. If there's anything you don't get, ask on here.

A lot quicker than bottles.

Can't help with the CO2 but I think @Clint is in your neck of the woods and would know...

 

[Metric Tun]

I'm certainly not the first person to say this, but: switching from bottling to corny kegs was the best decision I ever made in home brewing. I will never bottle again*. Bottling doesn't just suck because it's a chore - it also (in my experience) leads to much less good beer. Way more oxygenation, risk of infections, unreliable carbonation, less clear beer, longer timeframe from brew to mouth, etc.

Yes, cornies seem daunting at first, but as Scrattajack says - if I can do it, anyone can. I am not a practical person at all. In fact, I put off switching to cornies for ages because of the entirely reasonable fear that it'd all be too complicated. But thanks to the internet and the many helpful people on places like this, it's all totally manageable. And no more bottling! But most importantly, my beer has been much better since the switch.

RE CO2 - I've started my corny journey by just using Sodastream canisters with one of the sodastream-specific regulators that a variety of retailors offer. You can force-carbonate and serve two 19L cornies with a single canister (£12 per refill). Not exactly cheap but not the end of the world if you don't brew that often. And now that I've got the hang of things I'm starting to explore options to upgrade to a full tank (either with gas lines drilled into my keggerator or by refilling sodastream bottles myself).

(*Worth noting that you can easily bottle from corny kegs, so it's still possible to bottle beers for gifting, clubs, comps, etc.)

 

[chillipickle]

Using corny kegs is very straight forward, there are plenty of people on the forum that have vast experience that will help with any questions you have.

Adams gas is pretty good for co2, pay a deposit on the bottle then just pay for refills when needed.

Brewkegtap do full keg kits to make life easy.Again great customer service.

https://www.adamsgas.co.uk/stockists/?postcode=wrexam&filter_category=all&filter_product=
https://brewkegtap.co.uk/

 

[gavp1979]

I'm another one that would definitely recommend kegs if you have space for a dedicated fridge to put them in. I was also a bit wary of how complicated kegging could be but once I had all of the equipment in front of me it all seemed straight forward

 

[BeerMe]

I'm another one that would definitely recommend kegs if you have space for a dedicated fridge to put them in. I was also a bit wary of how complicated kegging could be but once I had all of the equipment in front of me it all seemed straight forward

Just to clarify as I'm going to purchase a couple of cornies...there's no point kegging my brew without a kegerator eh?

Just bottle this first brew until I can get a fridge set up for the kegs?

 

[Scrattajack]

Ah, yes. Definitely a disadvantage to kegs if you can't keep them cool in the summer months weekend. I could stretch to the cost of a kegerator but would have nowhere to put one...

My plan is to transfer some to a 5 L keg and fridge that.

 

[BeerMe]

Ah, yes. Definitely a disadvantage to kegs if you can't keep them cool in the summer months weekend. I could stretch to the cost of a kegerator but would have nowhere to put one...

My plan is to transfer some to a 5 L keg and fridge that.

So you can still keg it and carbonate it, then transfer to bottles, etc 2 weeks later for refrigeration?

 

[Leon103]

If you are thinking of kegs, just do it. I was kegging and bottling the left overs but increased brew size to 28l so have just bought another keg so it all goes in the kegs and I bottle what I need from that.

I found gas easy to get and I am in very remote mid wales. I asked the local pub who said they would give me a bottle. I asked who supplied them and it was the local coal man, who does calor gas etc.

 

[StJayJay]

I would vote for kegs. I’ve done bottles, briefly used pressure barrels before getting a keg system. Like others have said, it’s not as hard as it looks and just break everything down. It is a revelation but I think you need to bottle a few beers first to truly understand how much easier kegging is. Re barrels, they’re okay but can be tricksy things getting them to seal.

 

[Scrattajack]

So you can still keg it and carbonate it, then transfer to bottles, etc 2 weeks later for refrigeration?

Believe so, haven't done it yet. If you connect the liquid out disconnect on the Corny to the liquid out disconnect on a smaller keg and use CO2 to push it through then it should be fine. Google 'closed transfer'. Can't see why it wouldn't work. Look up 'beer guns' and 'counter pressure' bottle filling for this.

 

[Scrattajack]

You'll probably still need to bottle some of it, though. I mean, what happens if you have a couple of litres over the 19 L a Corny keg holds? Surely it's not heading for the drain?

 

[Clwydianrange]

Thanks for the helpful answers folks. I’ll have a look at a 19l cornie and need to invest in a cheap fridge. Having just done a quick google there appears to be an Adams dealer in Wrexham.

 

[The Baron]

you can manage without a fridge at the moment as the ambient temp in lets say most garages is 7/8 degrees C. or if you have a cold room like a unheated utility room. It also depends on what style of beer you are brewing as ales and bitters can be served anywhere between 8/13 degrees C. So a little planning until you do get a fridge it is possible but yes eventually you really do need a fridge but can buy some time until a cheap/free one comes on the market with specific styles of brew.

 

[Regfixit]

I've recently done my first brew from a kit and put it in a 19L corny and a 5L mini keg. The 5L is easy to fill from the 19l and fits in the fridge. So can basically top up the 5l and fridge it whilst keeping the corny at room temp. Only thing to be aware of is the CO2 pressure needed to maintain carbonation in the corny will be higher, but just google carbonation charts and it's fairly easy to set to the right pressure.
I'm now making wine - a 23litre Winexpert sauvignon blank kit, that I am thinking of kegging too and dispensing with 70/30 stout gas.
The other option to a fridge for your keg is to get an inline cooler. I think you can get a used one for around £100, of the Lindy Pygmy units are very handy.

 

[Galena]

I have recently bought 2 x 5 litre min i kegs ordered 2 x 19L cornies yesterday and just picked up some gas this morning. One question I do have though is what about maturation. I am aware of the alternatives for carbonation but everyone seems to be in a hurry to drink it, some beers benefit from several weeks to several months conditioning and when bottling I have had some beers that have been disappointing after a month but rather nice after 6 months. So what is the answer if kegging? I doubt many will leave beer in a corny for 6 months so do you only keg beers that are good drunk young and bottle beers that benefit from ageing?

 

[Clint]

I'm not sure on c02 supply in Wrexham. Check out Beer Gas Cymru,Rhostyllen,they do the 6 and 15kg bottles,you'd have to phone for a price. I've been told they're very cheap for propane for the BBQ!

 

[Clwydianrange]

Thanks for that Clint. I was on Adams gas website and they listed one company in Wrexham as a supplier. I’ll have a look at Rhostyllen

 

[Clint]

Did Adams list Wrexham Motoring Supplies?

 

[SteveH]

you can manage without a fridge at the moment as the ambient temp in lets say most garages is 7/8 degrees C. or if you have a cold room like a unheated utility room. It also depends on what style of beer you are brewing as ales and bitters can be served anywhere between 8/13 degrees C. So a little planning until you do get a fridge it is possible but yes eventually you really do need a fridge but can buy some time until a cheap/free one comes on the market with specific styles of brew.

+1 - I use 9.5l kegs and keep them outside at ambient temperature most of the year, in mid summer I negotiate some space in the food fridge, but for most of the year it's manageable (I would like a fridge though, and certainly it's a good idea if you have the space).