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To Bottle or Keg - that is the question?

BeerSmith

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Here's my dilemma...

I have a beautiful Sierra ale sitting in the carboy, but I'm out of kegs...but two of the kegs in the fridge are running low...

Goal is to get the delicious ale ready for drinking

Options:
 1. Bottle what's left in the kegs using the counter pressure filler, then keg the Ale
 2. Bottle the ale.
 3. Bring some friends over to kick the two kegs, then keg the ale.
 4. Buy another keg.

Option 1 and 2 are a lot of work - lots of cleaning, sterilizing, capping bottles, etc...

Option 3 is easy, but does not preserve my existing stock and variety of beer.

Option 4 is good, but I have no readily available source for kegs other than to pay LHBS prices.

What would you do?

Brad
 
Check on ebay for kegs, try this one (it has a buy it now for 12.00)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2564213286&category=11875

That way you will get a keg for cheap and fast.  I have bought 5 kegs off of ebay, only one required some "elbow grease."  The only one to steer away from seems to be listed from wyomingtreasurehunter (great product, but higher than normal shipping.)  Draft beer store, better beverage and beverage factory have been exceptional to work with.

Dan
 
Thanks - but what would I expect to pay for shipping?  They list $12 for the keg plus $5 handling plus actual shipping...

Last time I mail ordered kegs I recall that the shipping was quite expensive.

Brad
 
For the current problem I would CP the remaining beer in your kegs and then keg the new one.

And in the meantime, order another couple rebuilt kegs from Sabco (kegs.com). They cost more but are worth it, in my opinion.
 
CJ
 I tried kegs.com but no joy - the page would not display.

Brad
 
Hmmm...
 Usually www.kegs.com and kegs.com are equivalent, but I guess it depends on your web registrar.

 www.kegs.com did work - not too bad for refurbished kegs.

Thanks,
Brad
 
I don't understand where the dilemma is :(

Just put the hard yards into draining one of the kegs ina single sitting :)

Trev
 
Brad, glad you could get in -- sorry about the lack of a link, I was just being lazy. Next time you go to Sabco, check out the fermenters. I have one of the small ones and it's fantastic -- I fall deeper in love with it every time I use it!
 
Well?  I'm dying of suspense here!  What did you end up doing, and if you bought kegs, where and how much.  I'm running into a similar problem.  While I still have bottles since I'm new to kegging, I hate to have to go backwards.
 
 I'm embarrased to say I have not drained either keg yet.  I cleaned my counter pressure filler Sunday but something came up and I have not had time to finish it yet.

 My little "weight" experiment tells me I only have a couple of pints in one keg however, so I'm draining that one into my glass this week (enjoying one now).  The other keg I will likely bottle now that I've gone through the trouble to clean and wire up the CP filler.

 I'm still looking into purchasing one more keg in the near future - after all it is the brewing season!

Brad

 
Well,
 I finally drank my way through one keg and freed up another one by bottling it.

 The Sierra ale is in one keg and I have another one empty...any suggestions for a next brew?

Brad
 
Don't know what your inclination toward brew flavors is, but give either the oatmeal stout or the amber recipe I sent you a shot. They're both mini-mash, but could easily be converted to AG. The oatmeal stout is drinkable now, and man, is it tasty. Cask condition it, and it's fantastic. The amber was just brewed this weekend, but preliminary tastings indicate that it's going to be pretty good.
 
I don't currently own a kegging system.  But I am placing an order for kegs tomorrow.  The cheapest price for kegs that I have found is from http://www.rackers.org.

The shipping quote was VERY reasonable.




 
You're gonna LOVE it!  ;D  Without adding the priming sugar and artificially carbonating, the beer comes out of the keg soooooo pretty and it just seems to keep coming and coming.  There's not a downside I've seen, yet anyway, he says after kegging 3 whole batches.
 
I know this is an older thread but, here is another site to get kegs. http://www.homebrewheaven.com .  The more you buy the cheaper they are.  They start at $20 for 1-3, $17.49 for 4-7 and $14 for 8+.  An O-ring kit is included with each keg.  I have ordered supplies through them and they are very fast.  They are located in Everett, WA.
 
Thanks!
 That sounds like a great deal!

Brad
 
I haven't ordered kegs from Homebrew Heaven, but I have ordered lots of other stuff -- great shop with great service.
 
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