Bottles or kegs???

[doghouse gav]

I was wondering what the general feeling was regarding bottling your brew or kegging? I currently use both. I have around 200 bottles and 2 king kegs. I keep saying I'm going to get rid of the kegs and just bottle but never get round to it.
Will find it hard to Keep the kegged beer cool now it's getting hot ! Can't afford a corny yet so will prob just bottle all summer.

 

[cask is best]

I prefare to keg it as it's a lot less faffing about. But i have not got a small fridge to site my keg when the weather is warm. What i do is brew a dark ale or bitter in the winter and keg it then a lager in the spring/ summer and bottle it.

 

[doghouse gav]

That makes sense. I was thinking of bottles in summer and kegs in winter too. :)

 

[bob downe]

I keg all the time. With three King Kegs, you can keep a good backlog. Couldn't do with all the bottle cleaning etc.

I brew bitters and even in summer, a good refreshing bitter @ ~ 20C tastes just fine!

If things get really hot, I just pull off 2 or 3 litres into a jug and stick it in the fridge for half an hour. :

 

[cask is best]

Do you find it's still okay after half an hour. Does it go flat. If not i may get a keg of bitter going after ive bottled a Pilsner I'm starting

 

[bob downe]

Personally, I don't like too much fizz in a bitter. That said, I always keep my keg topped off with CO2.

In a jug in the fridge, the cold seems to prevent the available co2 from dissipating. It can look flat in the jug but when you pour it into a pint glass, you get a good head that lasts. If you find it does lose gas........ drink faster! :party:

I tend to move to citrus(ie) beers for the summer. I've just posted my first recipe in the recipes section. Strong ABV but has a summer feel. Called it 'Hopping Mad'. Lots of hops! :

 

[dennisking]

I like polypins, keep cool in summer by wrapping in wet towels and ice blocks.

 

[happyhoppytaff]

there is something very satisfying about opening a 500ml glass bottle full of your own beer. it is a job to clean them all but i think it is worth it.

i do bottle some of my brew in 2l pop bottles so i dont have to open too much glass when i have visitors.

ultimately it is up to you.

for me bottles are best.

 

[luckyeddie]

The temptation with kegging is to get stuck in and drink it. By definition, you have 20 litres or so, and once you start, you just carry on until it's gone.

I tend once a month to brew a 'sipping' beer, say 5% abv, and keg it. That keeps me ratted nicely. Then, every couple of weeks, I rattle something off under glass, and usually stick a few of them out of sight, 'leaving them for Ron' (later on), so to speak. The trouble now is that you can't move in our house for bottles of beer.

 

[doghouse gav]

Lukyeddie that's my problem. You hit the nail on the head. I drink kegged beer far quicker than bottled. But have bottles of beer all over the garage!! I just love the look of full bottles in the fridge and on shelves!

 

[degsie73]

there is something very satisfying about opening a 500ml glass bottle full of your own beer. it is a job to clean them all but i think it is worth it.

i do bottle some of my brew in 2l pop bottles so i dont have to open too much glass when i have visitors.

ultimately it is up to you.

for me bottles are best.

Agree completely - started with a king keg which to date has produced three compelety flat brews of lifeless sludge (and I have
followed all advice on checking o rings and lubricating correctly), as opposed to bottling - which hasn't let me down once.
Might take a punt on a cornie though as have heard much more favourable things about them!

 

[Titch]

after reading advice on here and being tempted to have something shiny for the summer

i have bought 2 cornies and have bottles

so i think a bit of both for me, after all girls like bottles so thats the cider sorted
bitter keg and bottle, then just a larger type to try next that will be a bit of both

bottles allow to "test" as they mature :)

 

[bob downe]

Agree completely - started with a king keg which to date has produced three compelety flat brews of lifeless sludge (and I have followed all advice on checking o rings and lubricating correctly), as opposed to bottling - which hasn't let me down once. Might take a punt on a cornie though as have heard much more favourable things about them!

Wierd, can't understand this. I've been using kegs for years. I get a great beer right until the end. Keep it topped with C02 and you can ring a keg dry!!

In my view, beer was made for kegging. It seems to like it as far as I can tell.

I must admit though that it took a few goes to get the King keg to seal properly. I made a 'tightening tool' from a bit of wood laminate flooring. Never looked back. They seal everytime!

In my view, a lot less hassle for a great result. No need to rush either. A keg will keep a beer for months!

 

[evanvine]

You don't get "FIZZY" draught beer in the pub!!!!
So why spoil a damn good Home Brew by making it "FIZZY"????

It's Kegs every time for me.

 

[46.philh]

I have two corny kegs and bottles and at the moment doing more bottles than kegs buts simply so I can take the bottle with me when I leave the house to work No I am not a piss head just for the odd sample with work friends etc. and take to friends houses.

 

[doghouse gav]

Yeah yeah that's what they all say!! Do you take them in brown paper bags? Lol :lol:

 

[graysalchemy]

I prefer bottles even if bottling 55l is a PITA. If I was to keg I would want a proper beer engine and a bar and then would be tempted to drink every night. I brew at work ( i work for myself) and leave all my beer in my office and at the weekend bring a few bottles back. As a secret brewer SWMBO doesn't know how much I brew :whistle: :whistle: .

 

[evanvine]

If I was to keg I would want a proper beer engine and a bar and then would be tempted to drink every night.

I thought "every night" was the norm!

 

[shearclass]

You don't get "FIZZY" draught beer in the pub!!!!
So why spoil a damn good Home Brew by making it "FIZZY"????

It's Kegs every time for me.

it's down to personal taste, surely? I am quite new to the real ale game and even newer to home brew (kits), and previously used to mostly drink lager or guiness. Therefore i'm quite used to drinks being fizzy (lager, not guiness) so am not bothered if my home brew is a little gassy.

 

[evanvine]

You are quite right SC, it is down to personal taste, which means there is no right or wrong way.
I also agree with BD about serving temperature, I keep my kegs on a kitchen worktop!