Bottle's VS Keg

[Hogarth]

I wonder if the more rounded flavour you get in kegged beer is precisely because a little bit of oxydization has occurred: just enough to bring out the maltiness but not enough to wipe out the hops. The problem is, that moment comes and goes. A couple of weeks later the beer has generally become less interesting, even if it's not technically stale.

[Bryggmester]

I am not sure what a " better bottle" is Dr. Dextrin, but you mentioning that they are sort of like a 5 gallon glass bottle, only made out of a special plastic, struck a chord. Very many years ago, before the age of plastic barrels, my brother did some extract brews. He decided he wanted draught beer and used a 5 gallon glass carboy. He did this by drilling two holes in a rubber bung the size of the carboy neck. Through one of these was a copper tube which reached almost to the bottom of the carboy, and through the other hole a copper tube led from a small CO2 cylinder into the top of the carboy. It is so long ago I can't remember what sort of taps were used for the beer and CO2 dispensing but the idea was to put a small squirt of CO2 in which would be sufficient to force beer up the tube without blowing out the bung. I seem to remember the beer kept well and that the system worked fine. Sorry I can't recall in more detail but it sounds a bit like what you had in mind. He was a lot more practical than I am

[Dr. Dextrin]

I am not sure what a " better bottle" is Dr. Dextrin, but you mentioning that they are sort of like a 5 gallon glass bottle, only made out of a special plastic, struck a chord. Very many years ago, before the age of plastic barrels, my brother did some extract brews. He decided he wanted draught beer and used a 5 gallon glass carboy. He did this by drilling two holes in a rubber bung the size of the carboy neck. Through one of these was a copper tube which reached almost to the bottom of the carboy, and through the other hole a copper tube led from a small CO2 cylinder into the top of the carboy. It is so long ago I can't remember what sort of taps were used for the beer and CO2 dispensing but the idea was to put a small squirt of CO2 in which would be sufficient to force beer up the tube without blowing out the bung. I seem to remember the beer kept well and that the system worked fine. Sorry I can't recall in more detail but it sounds a bit like what you had in mind. He was a lot more practical than I am

You can read more than you really want to know about Better Bottles here:

http://www.better-bottle.com/

They're available from a few suppliers in the UK - I paid £13 for a 5 gall one, plus you need a bung. They're actually quite cheap for the volume they hold - so long as you avoid the "official" fittings for them as these are pricey.

What you describe is pretty much what I had in mind (although I'd avoid using copper in contact with finished beer). I think that with a decent pressure relief valve you could use it very much like a plastic keg. The pressure you need is actually very small. I'm dispensing beer at only 3 psi from a plastic keg at the moment and it's really still a bit too lively.

[flything]

Interesting thread!

I have until now used a king-keg and used bottles, I've now bought two Cornies and intend to reduce the amount I bottle and sell on the King Keg. At the moment I'll do a brew, keg it, do another, bottle it, start drinking the keg, do another brew, bottle it, etc until I have no bottles left (about 200) or the keg is free again.

The King Keg has always worked well for me though and the beer has always improved over a period of sometimes 4 months, however, it does change over time but always for the better, I've never had a barrel go off on me or the taste degrade, beer seems to keep for months in it and the last couple of pints are always the best!

[Dr. Dextrin]

The King Keg has always worked well for me though and the beer has always improved over a period of sometimes 4 months, however, it does change over time but always for the better, I've never had a barrel go off on me or the taste degrade, beer seems to keep for months in it and the last couple of pints are always the best!

Hmm. I wish I could get that sort of performance out of my keg. Thinking about it, maybe the only difference is that yours is a better quality keg than mine. Is it a recent top-of-the-range job or a budget one?

[yashicamat]

The King Keg has always worked well for me though and the beer has always improved over a period of sometimes 4 months, however, it does change over time but always for the better, I've never had a barrel go off on me or the taste degrade, beer seems to keep for months in it and the last couple of pints are always the best!

Hmm. I wish I could get that sort of performance out of my keg. Thinking about it, maybe the only difference is that yours is a better quality keg than mine. Is it a recent top-of-the-range job or a budget one?

Also, does flything use any CO2 during dispense either, as this will help preserve the beer too?

[GARYSMIFF]

I would like to add some comment here but have been drinking my beer from a KK,Cornie and a Bottle.

and too P1ssed to provide any constructive answer other than " yea!"

[Capped]

I would like to add some comment here but have been drinking my beer from a KK,Cornie and a Bottle.

and too P1ssed to provide any constructive answer other than " yea!"

Excellent,keep up the good work! I'm just about to have a sample ....

[GARYSMIFF]

Serious I mean "YEA!".

If I had to choose at this point in time, oops missed it, this point in time, oops missed that, ok in 40 or 50 seconds time i'd go for the Corny 1st then KK 2nd and then Bottles.


you can always use the KK as a 2ndary FV or a 3rdanry FV prior to Bottoling or Cornying.


OH my WIG-SMIFF is very Nice. viewtopic.php?f=24&t=27595&p=299736&hilit=smiff

[flything]

It's a King Keg top cap, about 3 years old, the plastic is pretty thick, I give the keg a blast of CO2 before filling with beer and then purge the air a couple of hours after kegging, I do have to add gas to get it out once the conditioning CO2 is used up.

[MrEnthusiasm]

All of my AG brews so far have been bottled and I'm starting to accumulate an awful lot of bottles. SWMBO is starting to complain about the space being taken up in the garage.

Short of nicking some (which I don't want to do, ((I'd be the one that got caught))) from the back of the local Co-op, does anyone know of a legal source of milk crates that I can buy

[farmhousekeg]

All of my AG brews so far have been bottled and I'm starting to accumulate an awful lot of bottles. SWMBO is starting to complain about the space being taken up in the garage.

Short of nicking some (which I don't want to do, ((I'd be the one that got caught))) from the back of the local Co-op, does anyone know of a legal source of milk crates that I can buy

Try FleaBay, I've bought several on there from a couple of different sellers. Tend to be a bit expensive but they'll last forever so they're value for money in the end. Search for "beer crates" and you will probably find something.

[micmacmoc]

Ask at your local independant cafe, I have a coffeeshop, our milk is delivered in crates and they never remember to collect them, to my advantage!

I am doing a brew for my kingkegtoptap next, i have had nothing but trouble with kegs but as its quite new I feel I must try to get some use. I have bought some VWP as cleaner and some bicarb. I intend a thorough cleaning and take it ALL apart, put it back together, re-do the vaseline etc etc.....any other recommendations? Now I'm 'all grain' I cannot stand the idea of losing a whole brew, it takes so long and theres so little time i get to brew.
Is'nt there a problem with some cleaners and the brass fitting on the CO2 mechanism?

My bottling has been 99% ok, I wish I could afford one of those 'stand-up' bottlers, not least because the wychwood bottles would'nt be wasted. Seems a shame!

micmacmoc

[OldSpeckledBadger]

Is'nt there a problem with some cleaners and the brass fitting on the CO2 mechanism?

Metabisulphite will tarnish brass giving a black powdery deposit. VWP and the like are fine. Just remember to rinse thoroughly.