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Poll

How much of  your homebrew do you bottle?

I only bottle my homebrew
20 (22.5%)
I bottle most of my homebrew, but occassionaly keg
2 (2.2%)
I split fairly evenly between bottling and kegging
9 (10.1%)
I almost exlusively keg and rarely bottle
34 (38.2%)
I only keg anymore
5 (5.6%)
I only keg, but I use a CPBF/Beer gun on occassion
19 (21.3%)

Total Members Voted: 88

Voting closed: December 12, 2009, 10:46:59 am

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Author Topic: Keg, bottle or both?  (Read 15714 times)

Offline Pawtucket Patriot

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Re: Keg, bottle or both?
« Reply #30 on: November 18, 2009, 10:01:07 am »
Thanks, Kai!  I'll give that process a shot.
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Offline a10t2

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Re: Keg, bottle or both?
« Reply #31 on: November 18, 2009, 10:29:32 am »
My process is pretty similar to Kai's. I use a stopper on the racking cane; that seals the top of the bottle, and then you can lock the picnic tap open and fill by squeezing the stopper to control the flow of beer. Like a two dollar counter-pressure filler.

I've also found that I have to deliberately over-carbonate the keg by about half a volume, to compensate for the pressure lost in bottling.
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Offline 1vertical

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Re: Keg, bottle or both?
« Reply #32 on: November 18, 2009, 10:34:07 am »
Quote from: a10t2 on November 18, 2009, 10:29:32 am
My process is pretty similar to Kai's. I use a stopper on the racking cane; that seals the top of the bottle, and then you can lock the picnic tap open and fill by squeezing the stopper to control the flow of beer. Like a two dollar counter-pressure filler.

I've also found that I have to deliberately over-carbonate the keg by about half a volume, to compensate for the pressure lost in bottling.

Those are the tricks that may get me there ....will be trying this soon a10t2
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Offline slimsparty

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Re: Keg, bottle or both?
« Reply #33 on: November 18, 2009, 02:23:50 pm »
Quote
Actually I don't have a kegging system (yet) but Santa may be good to me this year.  I'd expect I would only bottle after that if I had all my kegs in use and needed the keg.  I would then bottle to free up the keg.  And also bottle for competitions.

+1 for me.  Bottling is horrid. 

question-which probably has no definative answers:

How many Kegs does a newb kegger need.  I have a couple sources-the legit one is about $15 each picked up.  I am thinking I want 6-8 to start with.

question 2-when I rack from primary can I condition at my beer cellar temp? -So if I get more kegged than I'm drinking, can I build up a stockpile?

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Offline dirtyjerzey

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Re: Keg, bottle or both?
« Reply #34 on: November 19, 2009, 06:19:28 am »
Keg, keg, keg....and sometimes bottle....

I'll bottle certain specialty batches, or split a batch and put half in a 3gal keg and bottle the rest.....

Beer Gun when I find out a keg'd batch is really good and I want to gift some bottles....

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Offline majorvices

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Re: Keg, bottle or both?
« Reply #35 on: November 19, 2009, 07:28:19 am »
I used to keg and bottle, but I have gotten really lazy and mostly just keg. II have 4 or 5 kegs half full of barley wines and RIS that I really need to run off to bottles through my CPBF but ... I just never make the time. Need to set out a day to do that. Could use those kegs!
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Offline redbeerman

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Re: Keg, bottle or both?
« Reply #36 on: November 19, 2009, 07:51:13 am »
I keg almost exclusively, but I do use a CPBF to fill bottles for gifts and comps.  I also may bottle the dregs of a keg to make room for the next in line in the serving fridge.  I use growlers to transport small amounts around the neighborhood.
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Offline tygo

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Re: Keg, bottle or both?
« Reply #37 on: November 19, 2009, 08:04:21 am »
I only bottle as I'm a ways away from accumulating the equipment I'll need to keg but I plan on working my way towards that.  I just need to make sure I drink enough beer to get the bottles I need.
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Offline mtbrewer

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Re: Keg, bottle or both?
« Reply #38 on: November 19, 2009, 05:33:52 pm »
I made my first beer in 1994, I have always bottled. Call me a glutton for punishment! Maybe some day I will keg, maybe not. This last spring I bottled 40 gallons in one day, that was rough. :-\
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Offline tygo

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Re: Keg, bottle or both?
« Reply #39 on: November 19, 2009, 05:56:10 pm »
Quote from: mtbrewer on November 19, 2009, 05:33:52 pm
I made my first beer in 1994, I have always bottled. Call me a glutton for punishment! Maybe some day I will keg, maybe not. This last spring I bottled 40 gallons in one day, that was rough. :-\

That's almost 18 cases...I hope you were using something bigger than 12 oz
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Offline wilypig

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Re: Keg, bottle or both?
« Reply #40 on: November 20, 2009, 11:48:26 am »
I keg everything for conditioning. Once I have enough kegs full ( I own 15 and 14 are full) I will plan a bottling weekend. My next bottling weekend will be next weekend(the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving). The scope is as follows

Cyser
maple mead
agave mead
Maple cider
New England cider
Maple agave cyser - Yes the blended over run of the above
Bourbon Barrel Baltic Porter
Black Lambic - American amber wheat with Maple syrup - Wyeast lambic blend - 1 year on Royal Anne Cherries

I set up the bottling equiment (beer gun, Son, Daughter, CO2, Sanitizer basin, Corker, Bench Capper) and in 6 to 8 hours I am done. Then I am ready to start brewing again.

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Offline mtbrewer

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Re: Keg, bottle or both?
« Reply #41 on: November 20, 2009, 04:19:31 pm »
Quote from: tygo on November 19, 2009, 05:56:10 pm
Quote from: mtbrewer on November 19, 2009, 05:33:52 pm
I made my first beer in 1994, I have always bottled. Call me a glutton for punishment! Maybe some day I will keg, maybe not. This last spring I bottled 40 gallons in one day, that was rough. :-\

That's almost 18 cases...I hope you were using something bigger than 12 oz
I used 12, 16, and 22 oz. bottles. Scrubbed all of them the same day, it was a marathon session!
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Offline ted

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Re: Keg, bottle or both?
« Reply #42 on: November 22, 2009, 08:32:16 pm »
I don't remember the last time bottled!!  :)
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Offline cracklefish

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Re: Keg, bottle or both?
« Reply #43 on: November 23, 2009, 02:12:58 pm »
Wow. One of the two votes that bottle most but keg a little. I like to compete and have draft beer so I keg the beer that needs work and bottle the best. ;D
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Offline Dbbrewing

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Re: Keg, bottle or both?
« Reply #44 on: November 27, 2009, 04:09:34 pm »
Quote from: a10t2 on November 18, 2009, 10:29:32 am
My process is pretty similar to Kai's. I use a stopper on the racking cane; that seals the top of the bottle, and then you can lock the picnic tap open and fill by squeezing the stopper to control the flow of beer. Like a two dollar counter-pressure filler.

I've also found that I have to deliberately over-carbonate the keg by about half a volume, to compensate for the pressure lost in bottling.

This is how I bottle too, and only bottle to take to the Homebrew club meetings and competitions.
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