# POLL: Do you keg?



## megabyte (23/8/16)

Hey guys, I'm having a go at creating a poll coz I'd like to know how popular kegging is amongst us Australian home brewers for a mock speech/presentation I'm making about home brewing this week.

Usually at my brew club meet ups kegs, kegerators and keezers are commonplace but I wonder if this is a fair approximation of the wider brewing community?

I'd love to hear if you keg your beers or you're happy to stick with bottling. Thanks!


----------



## mtb (23/8/16)

I reckon you'll get a solid following on an "I keg and then bottle what's left over" option (differing slightly from #3 which implies that an entire batch is either kegged or bottled.. at least that's how I read it)


----------



## Moad (23/8/16)

yeah i bottle maybe 1 in 25-30 batches, I bottle some RIS and belgians every year and everything else gets kegged.

I think I'll bottle hefes this year to get the yeast back into suspension


----------



## A.B. (23/8/16)

Keg mostly, but bottled an oatmeal stout recently


----------



## Drick (23/8/16)

I bottle everything. I know kegging is easier but I enjoy taking a bottle from the fridge, pouring and drinking. 
I think the cost of kegging equipment would break me.


----------



## Ducatiboy stu (23/8/16)

750ml bottles are just small kegs


----------



## Grainer (23/8/16)

Keg everything except beers that need to be aged or put aside for comps.. bad explosion experience converted me to pretty much strictly kegs.


----------



## wildburkey (23/8/16)

I've only got 3 kegs and decided to dedicate them to lagering for the moment. I never did have much luck balancing my system (I think I need a longer length of beer line is all) and don't drink them quick enough so would prefer to have bottles altho bottling is PITA. Bottles also work out better for travelling/ visiting friends etc.
Good luck with the presentation!


----------



## Danscraftbeer (23/8/16)

Keg mostly. To prove my beer. Then if its good enough to bottle then it rarely gets draughted in a bottle but sometimes does to share or mobilize.


----------



## Benn (23/8/16)

Always Keg, but I am partial to the odd pint straight from the fermenter.


----------



## Bribie G (23/8/16)

Absolutely none of anybody's business.


----------



## wildburkey (23/8/16)

Benn said:


> Always Keg, but I am partial to the odd pint straight from the fermenter.


That's dedication!


----------



## Blind Dog (23/8/16)

I pretty much keg every brew, unless I run out of empty kegs, which happens every now and again as I only have 11 that hold pressure.


----------



## bjbear77 (23/8/16)

I used to bottle only, for 10 years + (375ml)

Switched to kegs and I now hate bottling with a passion. 

Bottles 750ml only used for case swaps these days.


----------



## mtb (23/8/16)

Blind Dog said:


> I pretty much keg every brew, unless I run out of empty kegs, which happens every now and again as I only have 11 that hold pressure.


mate if having 11 pressure-holding kegs warrants being predicated with "only" I have to ask, how many kegs do you have in total?!


----------



## Lyrebird_Cycles (23/8/16)

I only bottle, I don't drink enough to bother with kegging.


----------



## hairydog (24/8/16)

I usually keg most of the time and only bottle when doing a big stout or Belgian ale,allows you to age and concentrate on next brew.

Bottles are handy when I am going to a friends place or the caravan for a week


----------



## Nullnvoid (24/8/16)

I bottle currently but ask again in 6-12 months.


----------



## Rocker1986 (24/8/16)

Benn said:


> Always Keg, but I am partial to the odd pint straight from the fermenter.


I could have done this with an ESB I kegged last week easily except I had to go back to work a little while later and gotta be zero BAC... Oh well, will have to wait for it to be on tap.

Anyway as for the poll question, every batch gets kegged here, but depending on batch size sometimes I bottle the surplus. 21L batches are keg only, but 25L batches give me a couple of six packs from the excess.


----------



## Yob (24/8/16)

Big kegs, mini kegs... Kegs, kegs, kegs...

And an army of growlers...


----------



## droid (24/8/16)

I bottle from the keg so keg all the way


----------



## Lethaldog (24/8/16)

Kegs for me!


----------



## nic0 (24/8/16)

I used to bottle but that was a pain and my dogs figured out how to operate my easy bottling attachment. I would go for a break and two labradors would be busy guzzling my beer. Went to kegs and it was the best thing i ever did!!!!!!


----------



## skb (24/8/16)

Keg and bottle left overs


----------



## Black Devil Dog (24/8/16)

Same as a few others, mostly keg, but bottle the remains. Still love having a supply of swingtops to take camping.


----------



## DU99 (24/8/16)

i use kegs..over washing bottles


----------



## tj2204 (24/8/16)

I make 22L batches and I keg. Each batch I'll generally get a 19L keg and 2 3/4 filled 1.25l bottles which I quick carb for instant gratification, the keg just slow carbs at serving pressure.

Have got rid of all my glass bottles, just buy a few plastic longies if I need to share with friends or take some out with me. I really should give away my capper and bottle tree to a new brewer.


----------



## Mardoo (24/8/16)

Keg, bottle from the keg for friends. Best change I ever made in brewing.


----------



## malt junkie (24/8/16)

I only keg when I brew, or when a mate brews. Bottle the left overs.


----------



## paulyman (24/8/16)

Keg. Bottle from the keg now that I have one of the Keg King counter pressure bottle fillers, which is awesome. For some case swaps, sours or aged beers I'll bottle. Even then most of my sours get bottled from the keg using separate keg King carb caps.


----------



## Grott (24/8/16)

Yob said:


> Big kegs, mini kegs... Kegs, kegs, kegs...
> 
> And an army of growlers...


And big barrels Yob!


I keg everything, sets of 9.5 & 12 litre kegs for the 23 litre batches, only bottle stouts. Could also ask who would like to keg but can't due to cost. (that's what restricted me for years)


----------



## Mikeyr (24/8/16)

Michael,
Voted Keg, which is true for 90% of the time, and more accurate than "horses for courses". 
Oh and loving my forge!
Mike


----------



## warra48 (24/8/16)

I'm retired. Time isn't really an issue for me.
Haven't bothered to get the finance to keg.
I don't mind bottling, as I drink no more than one longneck each day.


----------



## TheWiggman (24/8/16)

Keg exclusively except for big beers needing age. I also brew 23l lots (excluding lagers) and bottle the leftovers, often handing them out or to leave on the shelf to forget when months later I have a longing for something I don't have in kegs at the time.


----------



## megabyte (24/8/16)

Thanks for all the votes and detailed feedback guys!

So far it looks like over 90% of AHBers keg! I doubt this is representative of the greater home brewing market (including beginners and K&K brewers) but it sounds plausible for those of us that are serious enough about brewing to hang out on AHB  I'll use these figures in my speech and say that it represents our "addressable market". It's going to be a mock presentation to pretend investors so the numbers only need to be indicative, I'm just amazed that it's more like 90% than (say) 50%!

For the record I also keg most of the time, except for big Belgians, RIS and Barleywines that need ageing.


----------



## Dave70 (24/8/16)

I tend to binge drink when I keg.


Keg.


----------



## Lord Raja Goomba I (24/8/16)

Doesn't have an option of "I used to keg, but due to circumstances I am currently bottling but I will return to kegging as soon as I can".

I was tempted to edit the poll based on the


----------



## Reman (24/8/16)

I've converted to all keg, bottle from the keg if required. I even have a RIS aging in bulk in a keg! Will have to see what happens if I run out of kegs to age in.


----------



## Killer Brew (24/8/16)

Answered only bottle but have recently kegged off my first beer. Not sure it is for me yet but will put another beer in once the Kolsch runs out. Might be more into it in summer when I'm more up for walking out to the shed to get a beer.


----------



## shacked (24/8/16)

Anything under about 7.5% ABV goes into a keg. Anything over is usually in a bottle. 

Having said that, I usually get a couple of tallies in addition to a keg fill each brew.


----------



## JDW81 (24/8/16)

Just about to start kegging, but will keep bottling small volumes as well, as I usually make 25L batches.

JD


----------



## Crakkers (24/8/16)

19 litre kegs, 18l kegs, growlers, Darwin stubbies, 750ml longnecks, 500ml swing tops, stubbies - if it can be refilled, it gets refilled around here.
Most batches go into a keg and a range of bottles, apart from RIS which only get bottled - far too dangerous to have that available on tap.


----------



## Grott (24/8/16)

Dave70 said:


> I tend to binge drink when I keg.
> 
> 
> Keg.


I knew there was a reason, and a good one at that.


----------



## bevan (24/8/16)

Keg and left over goes into a couple of long necks. As well as being over cleaning bottles, I find the flavour is so much better out of a keg!


----------



## blotto (24/8/16)

Just kegs for me. But occasionally I fill a growler or a large 1.5L grolsch bottle with the leftovers.


----------



## Schooner_downunder (25/8/16)

Kegs mostly with a few growlers for extra


----------



## Dave70 (25/8/16)

I'd also be interested to learn how many keggers pay close attention to the CO2 volume of the beer. Not me. 300kpa for 24 hours no matter what. Maby I should. 
There surely must be some implications here for a traditionally bitter beverage like beer. 

*For instance, researchers have found that the carbon dioxide bubbles in Champagne transport volatile organic chemicals into the nose, stimulating all the olfactory sensations that are associated with a fine sparkling wine.*

http://www.nbcnews.com/science/biology-behind-beers-bite-youre-tasting-carbonic-acid-6c10962819


----------



## Lyrebird_Cycles (25/8/16)

I don't know what the effect of CO2 on bitterness is, except that beers traditionally made with high levels of CO2 like wiezen also have low levels of bitterness.

It's not necessarily straightforward: it is usual to look for high levels of acid in sparkling wine base, they become flabby and coarse otherwise. Champagne is usually around 12 g/l CO2 (_moussant_). That's why it comes in heavy bottles with a punt. There's also a lower CO2 version, around 8 g/l CO2_(cremant_).


----------



## Bribie G (25/8/16)

Well that wraps up the thread.


----------



## Rocker1986 (25/8/16)

Dave70 said:


> I'd also be interested to learn how many keggers pay close attention to the CO2 volume of the beer. Not me. 300kpa for 24 hours no matter what. Maby I should.
> There surely must be some implications here for a traditionally bitter beverage like beer.


I don't pay attention to it, they usually get 45PSI for about 20-22 hours then after being left for a 6 or so hours, they're burped and hooked up at my usual 14/15PSI for serving. I find the carbonation level is fine, not too little and not too much.

I noticed in my big stout brew that its carbonation level is lower than the lager and red ale that were also in there at the same time, and they all were sitting on the same pressure.


----------



## Yob (25/8/16)

Reman said:


> I've converted to all keg, bottle from the keg if required. I even have a RIS aging in bulk in a keg! Will have to see what happens if I run out of kegs to age in.


get more kegs...


----------



## peteru (25/8/16)

Yob said:


> get more kegs...


Want to organise a bulk buy? 

It should be possible to get brand new Keg King ball-lock kegs for about $100 delivered if bought in bulk.

I'd be interested in at least 3, maybe as many as 5.


----------



## ianh (26/8/16)

I brew 23 litres so keg and and remainder goes in two 1.5 litre bottles.


----------



## mckenry (26/8/16)

If I bottle, what will I do with this?


----------



## skb (26/8/16)

mckenry said:


> If I bottle, what will I do with this?
> 
> 
> 
> gallery_3054_1149_748309.jpg


 wow is that your actual home set up .... Looks commercial


----------



## _Mick_ (26/8/16)

Keg


----------



## hellbent (26/8/16)

bottle.... but not brewing much these days


----------



## mckenry (26/8/16)

skb said:


> wow is that your actual home set up .... Looks commercial


Yes mate, one of them....


----------



## Mardoo (26/8/16)

mckenry said:


> If I bottle, what will I do with this?
> 
> 
> 
> gallery_3054_1149_748309.jpg


Maybe you'll stop being such a ****. 

Doesn't get much sweeter than that. Well done,sir.


----------



## homebrewkid (30/8/16)

Well as of about 2 hours ago i keg, i also got 6 bottles (longnecks) from what was left in the fermenter


----------



## Wolfman1 (2/9/16)

I've just started kegging. Porters and stouts will still get bottled to age, but everything else will be kegged. So far I've realised that 3 is nowhere near enough kegs


----------



## Kingy (2/9/16)

Wolfman1 said:


> I've just started kegging. So far I've realised that 3 is nowhere near enough kegs


Lol I started with 2, then got 2 more, then got 2 more.
I keep telling myself that if I get 2 more(total 8) that's all I need. But who am I kidding. The more kegs you've got, the more taps you can have, the more your beers age before they get on tap. Trouble is I need to build a collar on my chesty before I get another 2 kegs. It's a vicious cycle


----------



## DUANNE (2/9/16)

i keg everything these days. every so often i will try to convince my self to do a couple of bottles if i brew something a bit special or out of the ordinary then think about cleaning and sanitising the bottles and change my mind quickly.


----------



## BKBrews (2/9/16)

I've only bottled so far, but I have one of the 5L mini kegs on the way from the group buy and then I plan on buying one of the 9.5L keg King kegs and just swap the regulator between them. So I'll have 14.5L kegged and 8.5L bottled from each 23L batch.

There's something romantic about kegging.....


----------



## Mardoo (3/9/16)

Like havin' more time to get busy with the lady?


----------



## rude (3/9/16)

Bribie G said:


> Well that wraps up the thread.


NICE TRY


----------



## Dan Pratt (3/9/16)

I'm kegging 100%. I used to make a few tallies as well but with cold crashing absorbing co2 the bulk prime or coopers pellets would over carbonate. 

Kegs are set at 140kpa for 36hrs which achieves a great carbonation. I used to do 300kpa for 24hrs but I'm not I a hurry anymore. Usually after the 36hrs at 140kpa, I just turn off the reg and see how much it absorbs over the next few days.


----------



## good4whatAlesU (4/9/16)

Keg but just bought a counter pressure filler to be able to share a few bottles.


----------



## Mozz (4/9/16)

Keg everything to 19L kegs. 
Run from keg to growlers if I need to take it fishing or to a mates.
Sometimes the keg comes fishing.
Kegs are the reason I'm brewing. Do not like bottling.


----------



## lost at sea (4/9/16)

i "own" kegs......yet to use them in anger.


----------



## Weizguy (11/9/16)

Yob said:


> Big kegs, mini kegs... Kegs, kegs, kegs...
> 
> And an army of growlers...


That makes me think of a skinhead growler army.



Killer Brew said:


> Answered only bottle but have recently kegged off my first beer. Not sure it is for me yet but will put another beer in once the Kolsch runs out. Might be more into it in summer when I'm more up for walking out to the shed to get a beer.


I find the same lack of motivation some evenings, as all the beer is downstairs in the "rooms" under the house.



mckenry said:


> If I bottle, what will I do with this?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Just post photos of your glory days, or 6 taps of soda water, soft drink and tonic water.

As for me, 3 x 30 litre kegs, 8 x 10.4 litre Junior Plus kegs, a racetrack 9 litre keg and 16 x 19 litre ball-locks and 2 X 18 (or 19) litre pin locks. Do I keg, or what?


----------



## Digga (14/9/16)

Kegging was the only reason that I started home brewing! I couldn't and still hate thinking of cleaning and sanitizing bottles... I've only ever bottled 2 full batches. 1 and RIS and a WRDA clone that all the mates just love so was to give away. Started with 3 kegs now at 10x 19L, 2x 9.5L, 2x 5L, 5x 2L growlers and have built a stockpile of bottles (mainly swing tops) for the remainer. 

Keg keg keg!!


----------



## Lecterfan (14/9/16)

TLR - keg. You can go backwards but not forwards.


----------



## Frothy1 (14/9/16)

Endless hours of bottle washing... Done with it, so done.

Since I started Kegging, I've always been disappointed with the results from bottling, malt flavor and hop forward beers.

The early years bottling kit beers probably benefited from months of conditioning in the bottle.


----------



## Weizguy (25/9/16)

Les the Weizguy said:


> <snip>
> As for me, 3 x 30 litre kegs, 8 x 10.4 litre Junior Plus kegs, a racetrack 9 litre keg and 17 x 19 litre ball-locks and 2 X 18 (or 19) litre pin locks. Do I keg, or what? (edited for number of ball lock kegs)
> </snip>


never happened unless you see the pics...


----------



## LAGERFRENZY (25/9/16)

best family portrait I've ever seen Les, you must be so proud


----------



## Grott (25/9/16)

Showed that pic to to the boss Les and she said " no, don't even think about it, you have too many as it is ". 
Bum


----------



## Randai (26/9/16)

"See hun, others have more, its okay, let me just get a few more...."


----------



## BKBrews (26/9/16)

I'm still trying to get my head around this kegging stuff.... Do kegged beers actually benefit from conditioning as you would with bottles or are you best to get them in the fridge as soon as they're filled and purged?


----------



## Randai (26/9/16)

From my limited experience you can condition (with priming sugar and all) them in the keg much like a bottle in fact its what I am doing right now.

But others heavily advocate putting them straight into the fridge and hooking them up to gas.

Having done both starting off with straight onto the Co2, I can't say I've noticed much difference except I do like a bit more age on my beers before I tap them.


----------



## peteru (26/9/16)

You can age your beers at fridge temperature if you are not expecting them to carbonate using fermentation. If you have the means to force carbonate and spare taps, you might as well hook it all up and then you can "monitor" the flavour development. After a while, you will get a feel for how long between kegging and optimal drinking window.


----------



## Beamer (26/9/16)

Personally switching to kegs was the best move I made, I like the fact I can keg two 22L batches in a morning before I have to work where as with bottles it would be the morning of the day off bottling.


----------



## BKBrews (26/9/16)

So beers still age in kegs at room temp? Why is it recommended to put bottled beer in a cupboard to age then? Or is that purely to get carbonation?


----------



## Rocker1986 (26/9/16)

It's only recommended to leave bottled beer in a cupboard or wherever at warm temps for about 2-3 weeks for the carbonation phase. After that's done they can be refrigerated for as long as you like.

I wish I had a spare fridge. At the moment I keg my beers and then give them a short hit of gas to purge and fill the headspace, then they just sit around in the brewery area untl the time comes to put them on tap. I'd rather be able to keep them stored cold, but it's still better than bottling entire batches. They do seem to be better once on tap after this short period of sitting around, than they were when they just went straight on tap after being filled though.


----------



## BKBrews (26/9/16)

Cool - that answers it - thanks. My plan is to have two tapped with one conditioning in the fridge. When one of the two blows, I'll tap the 3rd and do a brew day. Not a massive drinker (more of a weekend hobby!).


----------



## Rocker1986 (26/9/16)

I was gonna do something similar to that, but it never worked out very well. Now I just throw three full kegs in at the same time and then brew and fill three more while those ones are on tap. Usually I have the next three ready before the last of the previous three are emptied. When one empties I just chuck in some soda water to use with cordials until the next three beer kegs are ready to go in.


----------



## Grott (27/9/16)

As you don't have a spare fridge I assume you force carb once the replacement keg has cooled down? I'm lucky in having a mini fridge which holds 2 kegs (remember I brew to 9.5l & 12l keg "sets"), once chilled I force carb so they are ready when needed to be transferred to main fridge and taps.
cheers


----------



## Rocker1986 (27/9/16)

I keg them cold straight out of being cold crashed in the FV, and then let them sit on gas on the spare line for an hour or two just to get a little in there, then they sit next to the brew fridge until space is available. When it's time, the three full kegs go into the kegerator and are left on gas at about 45 PSI for around 20-22 hours. After this, the gas disconnects are removed and the kegs left to sit for another day before being burped and hooked up at normal serving pressure, at which point the beer lines are hooked up as well.

I know it's probably not the best practice to let them warm up then chill them down again but I don't have much alternative at the moment unfortunately. One day I'll get a small spare fridge to use as a keg storage fridge.


----------



## Denobrew (27/9/16)

I keg, mainly dispense from 50 liter commercial kegs. I lost too many bottles of CO2 from dodgy ball lock posts. I still have a few cornys that I use for lagering and single batches. I bottle from the keg and give a lot of beer away.


----------



## LAGERFRENZY (27/9/16)

Popping the keg cherry this weekend with just a couple of cornies with Pluto guns and hoping to have those joined by 2x5 litre Minikegs that are sailing over. Pretty sure the slippery slope will not just end there though.

Anyone in Brisbane who needs some PET bottles just PM me from time to time as I will be giving them away as they get emptied. They will be well rinsed but NEVER EVER cleaned or sanitised again.


----------



## Nullnvoid (27/9/16)

LAGERFRENZY said:


> They will be well rinsed but NEVER EVER cleaned or sanitised again.


Is that a stipulation of people taking them . They must never be cleaned or sanitised? Hahaha


----------



## LAGERFRENZY (27/9/16)

Peeps can do whatever they like with them after they leave my abode. I have taken the oath never to wield a bottle brush ever again so long as I draw breath...


----------



## pajs (27/9/16)

Only bottles for me. Find it easier for handling the large number of tiny batch beers I make, and keeping the drinking sensible. Don't mind bottling really. Almost as meditative as cleaning.


----------



## Rocker1986 (27/9/16)

I find it interesting that so many people think that having kegs means you drink more beer. While that may be the case initially due to the novelty factor and the desire to keep "making sure it's pouring properly", once that wears off, for me at least I just went back to normal. I certainly don't drink any more than I did when I was bottling everything.


----------



## BKBrews (27/9/16)

Rocker1986 said:


> I find it interesting that so many people think that having kegs means you drink more beer. While that may be the case initially due to the novelty factor and the desire to keep "making sure it's pouring properly", once that wears off, for me at least I just went back to normal. I certainly don't drink anyway more than I did when I was bottling everything.


I'm sure that will be part of it once I'm up and running - I'll be wanting to just pour a beer constantly. But when I go back to normal, it will take me a while to get through a keg. Probably drink less than a 6 pack per week (normally all on the weekend) unless I am at a party or something. So let's say 1.5L per week on average - that's 12 weeks or 3 months per keg. I'm more looking forward to sharing it I think and the brewing side of things.


----------



## LAGERFRENZY (27/9/16)

I quite often felt obligated to finish the last of a PET bottle just so that I could give it a good rinse out and have it tidied up for the next brew day. Remembered the same sensation in the bad old days when I was a smoker - sometimes I would just light another one to help fill up the last couple of minutes of a smoko break. We are indeed all strange creatures with our habits.


----------

