Messages

46

Kegging and Bottling / Re: Why do YOU keg?

« on: April 08, 2013, 05:54:55 AM »

I quit a short homebrewing endeavor in 93-94. When I started back up in 2007 it was straight to kegs. I knew already that it was easier and less messy than dealing with bottles so enjoyed my very first batch of SNPA clone on draft.

Also, I don't mind breaking a keg down to clean since it only takes a few minutes. I reach into the keg and feel around for any slime building up- which can happen. Then it needs a scrub with a sponge instead of just an oxyclean soak.

Bottles tend to build up on the counter by the sink. Don't like that... Even so, I tend to bottle hefeweizens but this year I'll be kegging them.

Hefes are a style where I like having that sediment at the bottom of the bottle. Perhaps the issue I've been having is slime/whatever building up in my dip tubes.  Since I've only recently bought a dip tube brush, I hope this issue goes away.

47

Kegging and Bottling / Re: Stuck Post

« on: April 06, 2013, 10:55:02 AM »

Every time I see the title of this thread I think somebody is having trouble replying.

Har har.

48

Kegging and Bottling / Re: Why do YOU keg?

« on: April 05, 2013, 06:39:40 AM »

Thanks for you input, guys! Always interesting to see what others think and why they do the things they do. I really agree with most reasons why people keg and they're the reasons I want to keep kegging. I like to have hefes in bottles though for the yeast. I don't do many higher gravity beers, none more than about 7%, so I don't bottle for that reason really.
I'm in the process of figuring out why all my IPA's are turning to butterscotch a week or so into the keg and I'm thinking it's from infection of some kind, because it gets worse over time. So I'm thinking a good thorough cleaning of kegs and replacing of tap lines is in order.

49

Kegging and Bottling / Re: Why do YOU keg?

« on: April 04, 2013, 08:26:53 AM »

I can lager 8 kegs in my chest freezer. One reason.

This here is one reason I'd stick with kegging. Don't want to mess with bottling lagers, adding yeast at bottling, etc.
But carbonation isn't much of an issue with bottling is you know what you're doing. Neither is sanitizing bottles if you clean them out properly after you pour a beer. I don't think kegging is cheaper. The upfront cost is way greater, you still have to pay to replace lines, moving parts once in a while, deal with possible CO2 leaks or even liquid post leaks. I'm not arguing that bottling is better, I just think it's simpler. Sure it's more work on bottling day, but that's it, it's a one time deal. Kegging requires ongoing maintenance, which isn't necessarily bad or inconvenient.
Thanks for you input. I really enjoy kegging also, but enjoy the experience of opening a bottle of beer. I guess that's why I still do both.

50

Kegging and Bottling / Why do YOU keg?

« on: April 04, 2013, 06:32:20 AM »

What are the reasons you keg? Personally, I've found that kegging doesn't save much time over bottling. Kegging involves a lot of cleaning: cleaning lines, kegs, dip tubes, posts/poppets, faucets, and more.  It takes me an hour and a half, roughly, to bottle a batch. It might take me half an hour to keg the same batch. BUT, that doesn't include all the cleaning and sanitizing after the keg kicks.  With bottling, I just have to triple rinse the bottle after I pour it and that's that. There's also more moving parts for contamination to hide with kegging.
I know and understand the benefits of kegging, as I've been kegging since the beginning of 2010.  I just want to know why you guys do it.

I like having the variety of bottles. I can have 5 or 6 kinds of beer in my beer fridge to choose from and I don't feel bad if I don't drink on a particular beer for a week. But with my kegerator, which is 2 taps, I feel like I have to drink those more regularly and I'm not always in the mood for the same beer night after night.

Anyway, I want to know what you guys think.

Cheers & beers.

51

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: What's Brewing This Weekend - 4/7 Edition

« on: April 03, 2013, 08:16:25 AM »

Don't know if I'll be brewing or not, I'd certainly like to.  I've currently got a batch of my black IPA fermenting in a keg and I want to see how that goes first before brewing anymore to see if I want to keep fermenting in kegs. I suppose I could just ferment in my carboys, but if I fermented in kegs, I'd have space in my chest freezer for 4 beers fermenting instead of 2 when I use my carboys. And I can transfer in a closed system with kegs.

52

Ingredients / Re: BLackprinz malt in Brun' Water

« on: March 27, 2013, 06:04:02 PM »

I calculate it for 500L.  Blackprinz Malt is my roasted malt of choice, it's a wonderful malt. Nice and smooth.

53

Kegging and Bottling / Re: Brand new keg from beveragefactory.com

« on: March 27, 2013, 12:49:00 PM »

I'm going to try and ferment in a corny this weekend, see what happens. If it clogs, then I'll siphon it out and think about how to fix it. Many seem to swear by doing this. The Joe Klinck video doesn't say anything about messing with the dip tube.  Perhaps taking care to keep hops out of the fermentor would be a good idea. Otherwise, why wouldn't yeast push out?

54

Kegging and Bottling / Re: Brand new keg from beveragefactory.com

« on: March 27, 2013, 11:03:27 AM »

Any insight on using these to ferment in? Would there be enough room at the bottom for the yeast cake in a 3 gallon batch? I've been thinking about moving to kegs to ferment in, but the ONLY thing holding me back is the possibility of clogging when I'm trying to push out the yeast to close-transfer the beer to the serving keg.

55

Kegging and Bottling / Re: What the?

« on: March 26, 2013, 11:03:15 AM »

Hmmm, grasping at air, but have you made sure the valve on the manifold is on? I've not left mine on before and realized it a day or so later.

56

All Grain Brewing / Re: Water Connundrum

« on: March 26, 2013, 10:57:46 AM »

The only good thing about that water is its Calcium content. Stick with RO dude!

57

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Can't clean fermenter

« on: March 26, 2013, 10:53:46 AM »

1 teaspoon per gallon? That isn't much. I'd have gone with at least 1 tablespoon per gallon with hot water. That should've gotten it all. I usually use a full scoop of the PBW mix I made. The scooper is what comes with the oxiclean tubs. But then again, I use glass carboys, not PET.

58

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Wyeast 2352 Munich Lager II

« on: March 26, 2013, 05:52:51 AM »

First I've heard of this yeast, perhaps I'll give it a try.  I don't brew too many lagers due to the fact that I only have one chest freezer and it ties up fermenter space for 6 weeks to do lagers as opposed to 2-3.

59

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Had to Dump Beer

« on: March 25, 2013, 01:14:59 PM »

Did you purge the kegs of O2 w/Co2? Did you primary ferment in a bucket?

If it makes you feel any better I have 15 bbls of Dubbel that I missed my OG with and can't figure out what to do with. It was my dumb fault for targeting 13 bbls on recipe and brewing it to 15. Tastes fine but boring and not to style and I don't have anything to call it so it's probably going to be dumped. Stuff happens.

That is a bit of a higher volume Keith.  I like the Monk's Table idea.  Hate for beer to go to waste! 

I think I may chalk it up to the fermentation.  After looking at my notes again, the Pils with 2278 stalled at 1.030 after a week so I raised it to 68F for 5 days.  That means after this one burned out it was raised to 57F for a week and then 68F for 5 days.  My bet is that was the cause of some Aceto growing in there and souring the beer.  The Pils came out just fine.  Live, brew and learn!

Dave

So, what are you taking away from this? Pitch more yeast? Aerate more? How else can you stop it from stalling and having to mess with the temperatures?

60

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Old yeast as yeast nutrient?

« on: March 25, 2013, 07:17:12 AM »

Your yeast might still be good if it's only 6 weeks old.