Vital Facts On Bottling And Kegging

By Brenda Clark


With origins tracing back to the fifth millennium, beer has over time gained a sophistication to both its flavors and its brewing procedures. Such can be pointed to good technology, continuously changing beer tastes and the need for sanitary beer brewing systems. Most home owners choose to brew their own beers at home in order to conveniently enjoy the health benefits that moderate beer consumption bestows which then requires them to seek info regarding bottling and kegging of these drinks.

The process usually is composed of many stages all of which perform specific functions. Such would include, milling, crushing, lautering, boiling, fermentation, conditioning and packaging. The conditioning phase, being an important flavor inducing phase, has often harbored varied views with regards to the equipment to be employed. Conditioning usually eliminates undesirable flavors with the aid of yeast thereby only leaving the needed flavors.

The use of bottles for beer conditioning can be said to be a predecessor to keg brewing. Bottle setups often require priming after the conditioning phase, which can be an unpleasant undertaking. This due to the yeast that ends up settling at the bottom of these bottles after doing away with all the unwanted flavors and consequently becoming inactive.

Keg barrels on the other hand are most preferable given that their beer holding capacity surpasses bottles by far. Kegs normally require the use of a kegeroter, which ensures the barrels contents are within optimum temperature ranges. Better still, the hectic cleaning of bottles is eliminated by the use of keg barrels.

Seasoned brewers have in most cases however noted little or no differences between the two systems with regards to these beers richness and flavor. For those wishing to enjoy less brewing complexities, the use of bottles would serve just that. This given the fact that keg setups require more space compared to bottle set ups and demand detailed equipment as carbon dioxide regulators, keg tubbing, connectors, carbon dioxide tanks and clamps. Most of which are not required for a bottle set up.

It often is noted that good carbonation creates the perfect beer. Keg set ups deliver just that by ensuring the beers carbon dioxide levels are regulated through a direct feed from the carbon dioxide tank. Bottle set on the other hand do not quite regulate that beers carbonation process, and only rely on yeast to create the needed carbonation.

Additionally, keg barrels provide sufficient protection of the beer from both sunlight and unnecessary movements. Such movements usually result into unclear beer which is undesirable to most brewers. However, for the competitive brewers, bottles would be the only beer conditioning option as most brewing competitions lock out keg brewers from participating.

The efficiency and suitability of each set up usually is left for the brewer to decide on. As it is with all art, this art similarly allows the brewer to freely express his or her preference which is tasted from their product.




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