Bottles or Keg?

[user 3815]

I'm in a bit of a dilemma over the 40 pints on Nelson's revenge I currently have fermenting. Bottles or keg?

I like my beer keg, because it's easy to clean and strilise and I can drink the beer early, with it's top syphon. However, I also like bottles because the beer stays fresher for longer and it's easier to share with likeminded brewers.

I've tried "half & half" in the past with a view to keeping the bottles but the beer in the keg seems to go stale, even though the keg keeps pressure.

Thoughts? Views? Advice? All appreciated - Thanks

 

[RobWalker]

In the summer, bottles if possible - it's hard to keep a keg cool, bottles you just chuck them in the fridge.

I often bottle a gallon and keg the rest. You need to purge the keg of oxygen to prevent it going stale. :)

 

[jonnymorris]

In the summer, bottles if possible - it's hard to keep a keg cool, bottles you just chuck them in the fridge.

+1. My main motivation for bottling.

 

[johnnyboy1965]

This is probably the best question we, as homebrewers have to face. Now I like to think myself as a seasoned HBer (30+ AG brews and numerous kits). Ive tried kegging, bottling and splitting a brew 50/50. Here are my opinions:-
Kegging...Convient(sp) you only have to sterilize one container, but hard to keep at the correct temp during the summer.
Bottling...PITA, but overall a better drink (MHO)
Splitting 50/50...Ok but your wasting 50% of your keg space.

What Ive done for the last few brews is, do the same recipe twice ...one for bottles and one for the keg. In a side by side "taste off" bottles win every time, but can I be arsed with bottling every brew? No, its just too easy to keg a brew.

Both methods have their advantages and dis-advantages. If your willing to put in the extra time then I recommend bottling.

On a side note...talking to my boss (ex Pro Brewer) he recommends that as soon as bottles have "dropped" clear then they are ready to drink. He doesnt see the reason why you should let them "mature". These are his exact words "Once its been bottled, and dropped clear, the beer is not going to get any better, it cant, there is nothing inside that bottle that "aging" will make it a better beer.

 

[jonnymorris]

Once its been bottled, and dropped clear, the beer is not going to get any better, it cant, there is nothing inside that bottle that "aging" will make it a better beer.

I would have thought this statement might rouse a few home brewers to respond. I'm not qualified to do so but have always been lead to believe beer will mature with age (to a point).

Anyone prepared to challenge the statement above?

 

[cask is best]

You know i agree with johhnyboy1965. I just cracked a bottle of Coopers lager last night it had two weeks in the bottle and one day in the fridge and it was very nice. I don't know how long the un written rule is were you have to leave it to mature but mine is always been supped after two weeks.
Cider on the other hand [Our lasses] We find it tastes better after around at least a month or two. But as for my brew lager bitter summer and bitter stouts porter mild winter months two weeks keg or bottles is all i give

 

[andyh]

Bottles every time for me.

More work yes but I like the idea of just chucking them in the fridge when needed.

 

[RobWalker]

Once its been bottled, and dropped clear, the beer is not going to get any better, it cant, there is nothing inside that bottle that "aging" will make it a better beer.

I would have thought this statement might rouse a few home brewers to respond. I'm not qualified to do so but have always been lead to believe beer will mature with age (to a point).

Anyone prepared to challenge the statement above?

Yeah, your boss hasn't tried my Christmas ale after 8 months

Besides, we are bottle conditioning. It's pretty rare to find a bottle conditioned beer on the shelves, bottles without sediment are dead products but ours are still very much alive.

 

[Muddydisco]

Really depends on the ales. Pales will not taste as good as they did young. But for things like Russian Imperials and winter beers will get better with age. I have 3 corny in the conditioner that are full of RIS and are now coming up to 3 yrs old

 

[user 3815]

Great stuff - Thanks all. Agree that it's difficult to keep a keg at the right temperature, particularly in the summer, but I must say it still appeals for simplicity. I have a shady corner on the floor next to a north facing wall - usually tastes fine, but still never as good as bottles.

I hadn't thought about oxidation, I guess this has a much bigger impact if I only part fill the keg? For the sake of arguement, if I were to keg 30 pints into a 40 pint keg how much purging do you think I'd require? I use syphon bulbs for presurising at the moment.

What's the view on the best way to purge a keg? I'm assuming, with CO2 being heavier than air, that overpressurising will drive the air out of the safety valve?

Many Thanks

 

[RobWalker]

That's what I do. If I don't mind it taking a while to clear out, ill prime with sugar and that usually gets the valve going. 30 pints is fine to keg, you just need to get the oxygen out :)

 

[jonnymorris]

What's the view on the best way to purge a keg?

Give it a squirt of CO2, let it settle then crack the lid open to let the O2 out, re-seal then give it another squirt to re-pressurise.