Move To Kegs Or Herms

[wobbly]

I currently have a basic gravity three tier system ( Urn for HLT, Eski for mash and boiler pot) I have been making all grain for about 18 months and currently bottle condition. I seem to have the mash sorted out usually get around 75% eff into the boiler, I temperature control the fermentation and make around 1.5lt starters using a stire plate (compliments of Phillips bulk buy)

My question is what will give me the next step improvement in my brewing or more to the point the beer I drink and why.

Spend the money on a kegging set up or purchase a pump and move to some sort of HERMS system

Cheers and thank in advance for any comments/advice

Wobbly

 

[reVoxAHB]

If it were me, I would go kegs over herms in a heartbeat. Herms won't make better beer. Nor will kegs, I suppose (unless you're having issues with priming and conditioning correctly, where force carbing will ammend). In a sense, it's a can of worms question. Having done both, and in the most simple terms, kegs gets my vote. Can't stand bottling anymore, but could stand step mashing, etc. by decoction, boiling additions, etc.

reVox

 

[argon]

Mate... keg those beers. I reckon won't necessarily make better beer. But your enjoyment will be tenfold.

 

[Bribie G]

The main reason we brew is to get the Ale in the Throat .. aye laddie..........

Now HERMS, RIMS, BIAB, 3 Vessel Gravity systems etc are just the first step in the process, i.e. producing wort and at the end of the day the wort will be fairly similar. Then you have to cool the wort which involves chillers or no-chill. Then the fermentation, what yeast at what temperature - to aerate or not aerate, ferment for how long? Then questions about whether to put into secondary or cold crash, what finings and clarifiers to use - whether to filter or not........

So the wort production is just one initial step on the ladder which will eventually put the ale in the throat. And not even the first step actually because you have to look initially at the recipe. I could select some really incompatable ingredients and run it through a HERMS system, choose a really weird yeast, ferment at the wrong temperature and serve you a glass of something really inferior whilst you could use your three vessel system to make a batch of nectar.

I'd go for the kegging setup, as that will last for your brewing career despite what method you use to produce the wort. :icon_cheers:

 

[Batz]

Kegs came before before Herms....a chicken could tell you that

Batz

 

[daemon]

Kegs!

I don't have a HERMS system yet (or even a complete brew stand yet!) but the move to kegs was great. Firstly, you only have one "bottle" to wash. Secondly, you can be drinking your beer a day or two after fermentation has finished and with my sporadic brewing patterns sometimes I'm running very low

 

[bradsbrew]

KEGS!!!!

 

[Uncle Fester]

Kegs came before before Herms....a chicken could tell you that

the egg votes for a keg as well.

Just put 10c away for every bottle you haven't washed steralised and primed, and you will have the HERMS as well!

/Fester Out.

 

[Sully]

+1 for KEGS

 

[pokolbinguy]

Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Herms Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs Kegs

Hmm I think you should get Herms kegs

 

[MattC]

so i guess HERMS it is then eh???

 

[QldKev]

Kegs came before before Herms....a chicken could tell you that

Batz

But then the kegs got Viagra 50mg..... I know where to get it, they send me emails everyday; friendly people.

OK, seriously kegs before herms anyday

QldKev

 

[RussTaylor]

I currently have a basic gravity three tier system ( Urn for HLT, Eski for mash and boiler pot) I have been making all grain for about 18 months and currently bottle condition. I seem to have the mash sorted out usually get around 75% eff into the boiler, I temperature control the fermentation and make around 1.5lt starters using a stire plate (compliments of Phillips bulk buy)

My question is what will give me the next step improvement in my brewing or more to the point the beer I drink and why.

Spend the money on a kegging set up or purchase a pump and move to some sort of HERMS system

Cheers and thank in advance for any comments/advice

Wobbly

Do both

 

[litre_o_cola]

KEGS!!!
Bottling is the least enjoyable part of this way of life IMHO

 

[raven19]

Kegs +100.

Life is too short to bottle every batch of brew you make!

 

[samhighley]

Kegs. No question.

 

[Pennywise]

+ a million for kegs. Bottling just gets me depressed

 

[Screwtop]

Kegs, Simple Really

 

[altstart]

Kegs will save you so much labour you will have more time to scheme to get your Herms.
Cheers Altstart

 

[fraser_john]

Nothing else to say, the mob has spoken