Kegging vs Bottling - Page 1

Posted: 3/7/2017 3:56:48 AM EDT

So I have my first ever batch of beer going (5 gal White House Honey Ale)

Been in the primary since Thursday night and I was planning on heading over to the brew shop to get bottling supplies this weekend but I have been thinking...

What are the advantages to jumping straight into kegging? What are the disadvantage to it? What would you do now if you could start over?

Posted: 3/7/2017 4:32:22 AM EDT

[#1]

I have a batch of cider coming with similar questions

Posted: 3/7/2017 11:03:49 AM EDT

[#2]

Bottling is a pain if you're adding adjunct sugar for carbonation. Hard to be consistant, in my experience. I went to ball lock corny kegs and Quoin Party Pigs.

Posted: 3/7/2017 2:36:14 PM EDT

[#3]

Its worth learning how to bottle.
I've had times when my kegs were full that I had to bottle, and some beers that I wanted to bottle condition.

I'd say bottle your first batch, then get into kegging.

Posted: 3/7/2017 5:14:15 PM EDT

[#4]

I bottle, but I have 7 or 8 different beers on hand, usually. That would be a very large kegerator or keezer.

Hmm, right now I have:

Robust porter
Roasted Hatch green chili stout
Mexican cervesa
Belgian saison
American wheat
A witbier
American light
A Kolsch

With a Weizenbock in secondary, and the cervesa and a cream ale in primary.

Edit for kolsch

Posted: 3/7/2017 5:37:44 PM EDT

[#5]

Quote History

Quoted:
Bottling is a pain if you're adding adjunct sugar for carbonation. Hard to be consistant, in my experience. I went to ball lock corny kegs and Quoin Party Pigs.

View Quote

Dissolve your priming sugar, pour into bottling bucket, add beer from fermenter. The action of the beer exiting the hose mixes the priming solution completely.

Posted: 3/7/2017 5:54:22 PM EDT

[#6]

Using a faucet attached bottle washer/rinser can hammer your pipes, considering how many bottles you may be cleaning.

There is no reason to not start kegging immediately. It really speeds up the operation and takes the hassle out of things. Keep in mind there are at least 3 and I think as many as 5 different Cornelius keg sizes out there.

Most of us started by bottling......

Posted: 3/11/2017 4:21:22 AM EDT

[#7]

I only bottled my first batch or two. Intermediate step was to use a Tap-a-draft system, which worked well enough and was inexpensive.
Current system is a converted chest freezer that can handle five cornies.
Kegging is definitely easier than bottling, but you do have the much higher cost and it;s not maintenance free, either.

Posted: 3/11/2017 4:07:02 PM EDT

[#8]

Quote History

Quoted:
Using a faucet attached bottle washer/rinser can hammer your pipes, considering how many bottles you may be cleaning.

There is no reason to not start kegging immediately. It really speeds up the operation and takes the hassle out of things. Keep in mind there are at least 3 and I think as many as 5 different Cornelius keg sizes out there.

Most of us started by bottling......

View Quote

I put bottles in the dishwasher night before, no soap, sanitize setting, heated dry. I rinse them initially after pouring beer.

Fill right out of the washer.

Posted: 3/12/2017 3:20:55 PM EDT

[#9]

The only disadvantage is cost. You need kegs, regulators, CO2, hoses, fittings, faucets (Perlick from the start!!!), and a fridge/freezer+temp controller.

Even if you want to bottle a batch, you can keg it and carbonate it to the exact pressure you want. Then bottle it straight from the tap.

Posted: 3/15/2017 8:24:19 PM EDT

[#10]

I went straight to the keg. Bought two ball lock kegs for $75 and installed a Perlic tap and shank($65) through the door of a fridge I purchased for $50 on craigslist. Regulator was another $50 and I bought a 20lbs CO2 tank because that is all that the Air Gas place had when I went in. So i'm in the whole thing for $200ish and I have a fridge I can keep canned beer in and a freezer as well. I do not get to brew enough to have more than 1 or 2 kegs of beer but I also brew at least 10 gallons.

Posted: 3/15/2017 9:42:24 PM EDT

[#11]

Bottling is a lot of work. I can not imagine brewing on a regular basis and bottle. The single best thing I ever did, brewing related, was get into kegging. I brew a lot and I think i would stop if I had to bottle.

Posted: 3/16/2017 6:04:05 AM EDT

[#12]

You should bottle for a while, just so you can see why most of the rest of us hate it.

Posted: 3/16/2017 10:55:24 AM EDT

[#13]

Quote History

Quoted:
Bottling is a lot of work. I can not imagine brewing on a regular basis and bottle. The single best thing I ever did, brewing related, was get into kegging. I brew a lot and I think i would stop if I had to bottle.

View Quote

I think I'm going to skip bottling and just get a keg.

Posted: 3/16/2017 10:37:55 PM EDT

[#14]

All keg supplies purchaced today. Thanks for the input eveyone.

Posted: 3/17/2017 9:41:05 AM EDT

[#15]

Quote History

Quoted:
All keg supplies purchaced today. Thanks for the input eveyone.

View Quote

You won't regret it in my opinion. Enjoy!

Posted: 3/30/2017 2:37:21 PM EDT

[#16]

In true arfcom fashion: get both!

Kegging is definitely the easy route, but there are some beers where bottles work the best. My kegerator only has room for one 5 gallon and one 2.5 gallon keg. Therefore I have to be selective on which beers I put on tap. Usually choosing session beers I consume faster...everything else gets bottled. Suppose I could swap out partial kegs, but usually if I put a keg in it stays until it's kicked. I wouldn't want to tie up a tapper with a barley wine or some fruit beer that I only drink once in a while.

Posted: 4/1/2017 10:51:19 AM EDT

[#17]

Quote History

Quoted:
Bottling is a pain if you're adding adjunct sugar for carbonation. Hard to be consistant, in my experience. I went to ball lock corny kegs and Quoin Party Pigs.

View Quote

I've never had a problem. So it's perhaps the process you followed? There are some bad ones out there where I could see it would be problematic.

Bottling is tedious, and a hassle. But it also gives good portability than a keg if you are going water skiing, fishing, etc.

Keggers tend to anchor people to their homes causing them to sit around and drink beer too much. It's better to go out and enjoy an activity, get some exercise, then drink a few beers. Just drive safely.

Posted: 4/3/2017 3:37:52 PM EDT

[#18]

I only have one keg, so I end up bottling most of the time. I'd keg if I thought ahead and had more on hand.

I can't keep up my drinking to match what I produce. Getting old I guess.

Posted: 5/17/2017 7:04:30 PM EDT

[#19]

I do both. They each have their advantages and disadvantages, and they each have a purpose. I also don'y buy that kegging saves any time at all over bottling.

When I drink a beer from a bottle I rinse it and put it on a drying rack. That little bit saves a ton of work later. They go into an enclosed 12 pack box after they are dry. When it's time to bottle I just give them a each a quick dip in Starsan before filling. Easy peasy. When they are left with beer residue in them and dry/mold/stink is when they need to really be cleaned, and it can be difficult and time consuming.

If I was limited to choosing only one way forever......I'd absolutely choose to bottle. They are portable, expendable, affordable, easy to clean, and fit in every fridge and cooler.

Posted: 5/23/2017 7:30:09 PM EDT

[#20]

Quote History

Quoted:
Bottling is a lot of work. I can not imagine brewing on a regular basis and bottle. The single best thing I ever did, brewing related, was get into kegging. I brew a lot and I think i would stop if I had to bottle.

View Quote

Bottling is better when you're using growlers. I've even used 2 liters with success, good if you're going to have company.