Where to go next in the world of serving... advice please.

[lukehgriffiths]

Having just lost a fresh barrel of black awesomeness to a split barrel seam I am trying to decide where to go next with serving HB.

I have been using 5gal pressure barrels and have a couple left but am trying to decide whether to replace the pressure barrel or start with posher corny type kegs due to the longer lifespan etc. I have also purchased a bench capper and started bottling which is great for easy storage but time consuming.

To give some ideas I brew on occasions due to being a teacher. For example I hope to get a couple of brews on this week while I am off but will be unable to make much else until Christmas hols. So I am not a heavy drinker nor a small scale micro brewery like many a good homebrewer.

The corny keg systems seem 1 expensive, 2 complicated and 3 fiddly. Since you need to buy not only kegs but a CO2 regulator, gas lines, beer lines, taps etc. Also that they seem to change the whole process so you have to clear the beer in a keg and re-keg rather than just aging it in a barrel. Also I read about force carbonation allowing you to turn out beer in a fraction of the time (I reckon 9 weeks minimum for 4% ish beer at the mo) but how do you mature the flavour in such a case?

Is it worth my while doing this for my brews (approx 50gal a year) or should I just buy pressure barrels and some quality serving taps?

 

[Fil]

if you consider cornys, i would look at getting brand new ss crusader kegs, you can buy one for less than a new corny and close to what a 2nd hand one costs. and a 30l keg will take a full 23-25l brew unlike a corny which holds only 19l.

it is a system you buy into and temp control is one of the easily overlooked expenses, and without it the system can be a sod to tune.. the kegs are just the storage aspect of the system, the co2 is a one off cost and then your gas is as cheap as chips a single refill should last years,if only serving from 1 or 2 kegs,

while you can condition in a short period of time maturity still takes its time however beer seems to mature quicker when in larger volumes, so you may be supping in 5-6weeks rather than 8-9.. but thats all down to your taste.

im glad i went kegs, but its best to do so with your eyes open,

1 keg to clean sanitise and fill is a lot less hassle than 36-40 bottles..


once you keg thats it no 2nd keg. you can if u want decant into a 2ndary fermentor prior to kegging i do on occasio0n, but not always

 

[PD]

Not enough time....a teacher..................

Corny's are expensive, fiddly...but so much fun.

Stick to bottles for a cheap easy life. Forget PB and King Kegs etc