Ag Or Keg Setup

[muckey]

keg setup for me first

am currently fermenting my first AG batch
I found that starting with a kit and then experimenting with extra bits, kind of worked out my beer tastes and preferences and got my fermenting and sanitising regime sorted first

 

[bindi]

+1

My AG beer DOES taste better on average than my K & K brews. I Ag and still bottle (not that I don't want kegs, just no room or cash). I almost like the process of brewing as much as the drinking so AG over kegs was a no-brainer for me. But yeah bottling does suck.

On average :huh:

 

[randyrob]

there wasn't an option for "went both at the same time" which is what i did, life is short brew hard!

 

[brettprevans]

kegs first, AG 2nd

1. if your beers are good then theres no need to rush. slowly build the AG system you want. Its harder to change an AG setup than a keg setup.
2. you can always buy fresh wort kits or go full extract or mini mashes to improve beer.
3. bottling can put people off so movig to kegs is a good move.

Its horses for courses.
I make good extract and mini mashes so am in no hurry to move to AG so im building my rig slowly and buying exactly what I want. But because i brew and have 2 small kids a lot hundreds of bottles piss me off and take up too much time. So kegs makes sense for me.

A mate of mine is getting back into brewing. He will be brewing a lot less, so ive told him to go AG first then worry about kegs cause he doesnt go thorough the volume of beer to make kegs worthwhile.

Both are worthy pursuits. But then again kegs wont make your beer better where as AG you can become an artist!


EDIT: Gee my arse is sore from sitting on the fence!

 

[brendo]

I am struggling with this very dilemma currently - kegs vs AG. I am heavily leaning towards kegs for a number of reasons:

1. sick of washing bottles
2. very happy with the extract/hops/spec grain brews I have been doing
3. so are all my taste testers
4. happy to keep experimenting along the extract lines or mini mash for the time being
5. sick of washing bottles (hmmm think I mentioned this one already).

That said, I can see myself moving to AG pretty quickly next year - I really just need a suitable mash tun and burner to get going. Hmmm maybe i can do both at once ^_^

 

[jeremy]

Keg first!

I went keg first, and I reckon thats the way to go. You can only afford one, so why not go the one that requires the big-bang purchase? You can ease into AG one purchase at a time, and for the most part you can setup cheap, and replace the rubbish when you can afford it. The sooner you loose the bottles, the more time you will have to spend on your brewday, or doing a few extra hours at work to get some extra cash for the AG setup. You can also fget 10 cents each for your collection of bottles!

Cheers.

 

[Redneck Brewer]

I went Keg first, about 3 years ago,mainly for my Big Bar Build, for some reason it dose improve tast, could just have been the thort of not having to wash and fill all those bottles, after doing K&K for nearly 20 years I had fairly good brews, I went AG 2 years ago and have never looked back. Much better brews, much better taste.

 

[mckenry]

Here's my weird take on it I went kegs first - mostly because of the washing and the show-off factor and then because AG was a mysterious world of beer geeks that spoke another language....

But, and here's my weird bit - If I had to give up one NOW, it would be the kegs. I know thats not the poll. My answer is kegs first. They probably kept me brewing as I really hated washing bottles, measuring sugar, capping, cleaning up all the spillage during bottling etc. The pouring a beer from tap at home was the inspiration to keep brewing. I started kegging with a fridge with the tap in the door - but now have a beutiful 3 tap font on my timber bar, right here in the lounge room. Kegging got me to this point.

But once AG'ing you just cant go back. I do make a fair few Fresh Wort Kits - just for family & time reasons. It's been mentioned before and its my advice too - get kegs first (you'll love pouring tap beer), do FWK for quality, then gradually build your AG setup & your knowledge.

 

[Stuster]

My AG beer DOES taste better on average than my K & K brews. I Ag and still bottle (not that I don't want kegs, just no room or cash). I almost like the process of brewing as much as the drinking so AG over kegs was a no-brainer for me. But yeah bottling does suck.

I would agree but you can cheaply or with stuff around the house manage temp control (as I do) without fermenting fridge for most ales and in winter lagers with tubs of water, foam boxes old dead fridges and a couple of ice blocks. And yes a ferment fridge is on my list too.

Got to agree with everything you say there, monkeybusiness. I also am still bottling. One day I'll get round to kegs but I'm very happy to be making AG beers.

 

[monkeybusiness]

On average :huh:

Just trying to keep the K&K faction happy in saying that you can make some very nice extract brews. Not every beer is perfect (AG or otherwise) but I must say all of my AG's so far have been great (to my taste buds anyway).

 

[mynameisrodney]

Wow thanks for all the replies. To answer a few Q's raised, I already have a fridge + fridgemate so fermenting temps are sorted. Also I have a FWK sitting here which will be my next brew, but i can't see myself doing too many of them. I enjoy brewing/experimenting with recipes etc, and FWKs kind of feel like cheating to me. That said I haven't actually tasted one yet so I might be converted.

I hadn't really been considering BIAB but now thinking about it, it probably makes sense if i want to get into both soonish. So I'm now thinking

1. BIAB (with appropriate vessel to be later used as part of AG system.)
2. Kegging gear
3. AG

Wont be for a few months yet anyway but now I can keep my eyes peeled for bargains.

Cheers
Chris

 

[MarkBastard]

I'm only just starting, but I went for kegging first for the following reasons.

1 - The most important thing is motivation. Finding suitable bottles and maintaining them is a bit of a chore. Also pouring out of them just isn't the same as kegs.
2 - You can do partials with a $20 pot from Big W and by boiling up an old pare of stockings. You can also use fresh wort kits. Not having an all grain setup doesn't mean you have to use crappy kits!
3 - If your end goal is to have AG and kegs, if you go kegs first you haven't wasted anything. You haven't spent time finding bottles only to now have to get rid of them. Same with cappers and possibly bottle drying trees etc.
4 - It gives you a chance to ease your way into the part that takes skill, creating beer. You can start with a kit of you want and as you'll have low expectations there's less to be scared about. Then you can up the complexity by doing partials using liquid malt extract + a bit of grain + hops.

That's my 2c anyway. I'm only new to it so my opinion isn't worth much. I don't think I would have even got into home brew beer without the concept of kegging.

 

[Cocko]

I hadn't really been considering BIAB but now thinking about it, it probably makes sense if i want to get into both soonish. So I'm now thinking

BIAB is the best stepping stone to AG, even though it is AG , you can take. If you are doing partials than

BIAB is just that simple.....

So, one vessel.. I use a keggle as my HLT, Mash tun and Kettle - A KEGGLE - Cost=TAP $50

Boiled with a 4 ring $100!

Bag - not even worth mentioning.... And then you....

Anyway wrong thread and right site if you need to know more PM me!

OT: AG then KEG!

 

[wambesi]

I've chosen AG first as that's what I have done.

I like the fact that I am making the beer - from scratch. I control everything that goes into it and how it turns out.
BIAB has been awesome, cheap to get into and great tasting beers!
A lot of people are dead against bottles and fair enough each to their own, I personally don't see a big problem with them, certainly not heaps of washing how people have said.

Wash them quick and good after use then store properly so they wont get dirty again (upside down, cupboard etc) then it's just a matter of a quick shot of no rinse sanitiser before bottling - not too much trouble at all.

Mind you kegs are on the card for next year.....

 

[matti]

AG 1st then keg.
It was the cheaper option.
matti

 

[Pollux]

Wash them quick and good after use then store properly so they wont get dirty again (upside down, cupboard etc) then it's just a matter of a quick shot of no rinse sanitiser before bottling - not too much trouble at all.

I do the same, no issues here....Although, I would like a bench capper, getting VERY sick of manually capping 60 stubbies per batch......


I plan on getting into AG (albeit BIAB) after christmas, tossing up if I want to drill what will be my christmas present (either a 50 or 60L Al pot) or get a racking cane....

 

[Thirsty Boy]

I vote keg first then AG - assuming your kit beers are palatable.

Less for the reasons that other people have mentioned (lack of bottle cleaning and care, cool factor etc) than for beer quality reasons.

I think that by going with a keg system, you will be able to more easily get teh carbonation right for the style of beer you are brewing, and correct carbonation is massively important for beer flavour. I also think that in most circumstances, beer tastes and looks better if it is clear and free of suspended yeast. This is a hell of a lot easier to achieve in a keg than in bottles.

Bottle conditioning seems to be a bit of an arcane skill, and most of the times I have tasted bottle conditioned homebrew - the carbonation isn't right. The beers might have been really nice, but they would have been better with the right carbonation.

I went AG before I went keg.. but in retrospect, I think that I could have gotten a greater quality difference in my beer with kegs than I did with AG.

Like I said though - thats all only if you are happy with the quality of your kit beers/partials/extract brews

TB

 

[Stuster]

Interesting points there, TB. What problems have you noticed with carbonation in bottle conditioned beers, and in what styles?

 

[matt white]

Just trying to keep the K&K faction happy in saying that you can make some very nice extract brews. Not every beer is perfect (AG or otherwise) but I must say all of my AG's so far have been great (to my taste buds anyway).

I did extract brews for 15 years. My worst AG beer is still miles better than my best extract beer.

Sorry to present the truth, but thats definitely my experience.

 

[Tim F]

Definitely AG first imo. Would you rather drink beer out of a keg or GREAT beer out of a bottle?
I put together my AG gear really cheaply - under $200. Esky, pot from a camping/hardware store, couple of fittings and you're set. You can boil on your home stove in a pinch if it's not too big a batch.

I've had that for most of the year and only now putting together a keg setup. The kegs will be much more expensive - I'm looking at up to $350 for a basic setup with 2 kegs and picnic taps, and then you need a spare fridge!