Pressure Barrels/Bottles v corny kegs

[mancer62]

Hi

Was wondering your thoughts on pressure barrels & Bottles v Corny Kegs.
I know most will say that Corny Kegs are better but logistically and cost wise sending empty refills having them sent back etc doesn't make it viable or cost effective for me.

Is there anyone out there who actually prefers normal pressure barrels/king kegs etc and indeed bottles?

For example what would be the best way to keep the beer inside your pressure barrel cold any ideas?
Also whats the suggested best length of time to leave a beer in a plastic or glass bottle to be at its best.?:drink:

 

[YoungJames]

I bottle almost exclusively, I like to be able to dip into a wide range of beers rather than just demolish 40 pints of the same one. Maybe at Christmas i would use a pressure barrel for the week or so.

 

[darrenwest1]

my father in law only uses bottles , the down side that i see is the sediment in the bottom of the bottle often ends up in the beer

the advantage to me is the sediment is at the bottom of the cornie and it all comes out in the first pint so the rest is all clear

 

[Fil]

its like comparing apples n oranges. kegging with cornies or sankey kegs is an investment as its a system requiring temp control and pressure control, taps and line above the cost of the containers.. tho when implemented correctly gives you total flexibility to serve up beers of any style consistantly form the first to last pint poured.

Bottles need a steady hand and an acceptance of not suping the full load leaving enough beer behind after a carefull pour to contain the sediment.
practice leads u to a clear pour

PB's are a bit of a knack to master as your dealing with a very dynamic system, every pint drawn alters the dynamics of pressure and temperature inside the vessel which will if given time will reach a new equilibrium, so no 2 pours are identicle and your always yo-yoing between slightly over pressureised and slightly under.

I use kegs, with the surplus volume if any either going into half a dozen bottles or into a minikeg.

as for shelf life, in a bottle or keg the beer will last as long as u want to leave it, after about 6-8 months lower to medium gravity beers may start to taste a slight bit thinner, but many higher gravity beers (7%+) will actually benefit from 12 months or more maturing.

plastic/glass little diference imho, but if the bottles are clear ensure u cover them up to keep light off em. and try to store em in a place where the temp isnt fluctuating.

if you like higher conditioned beers PB's and minikegs are not ideal as its harder to maintain high levels of condition without chilling the whole volume.

so generally for lower conditioned beers bitters/milds/ales go for PB's and minikegs, then bottles n hi pressure temp controlled kegs for the any style.
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