Keg VS Bottling Homebrew Beer

Home brewers like you and me have understood for century’s exposure to light, and oxygen in the air, will adversely affect taste, and quality of craft beers. After all, I believe we will all agree no one would enjoy the unpleasant experience of popping a top on a skunk bottle of brew. That is of course, unless you are a skunk, in that case to each his / her own.

For the rest of us home brewed beer drinkers, we rather enjoy a tall glass of our favorite beer without unpleasantness. Subsequently, the first thing home brewers learn to ensure good bottled beer. Cleanliness is next to godliness, and we all want the beer gods to be happy, yes?

Let’s face it, recycling used bottles from our local pubs, country club and eateries, is both a good and bad thing. Not to put too fine a point on it, there simply is no telling, what manor of things settle to the bottom of empty beer bottles? One can expect beer residue, possibly a few peanuts, cigarette butts, and some good ole redneck boy or girl using a bottle as a spittoon. That is just the way it goes when cleaning up after happy hour and the party.

Cleaning inside a dirty beer bottle is a bit different than cleaning your average baby bottle. The narrow long neck makes it difficult to use your typical bottlebrush and dishwasher. The easiest and most effective way to clean and rinse inside a beer bottle, is using a jet Carboy and bottle washer and rinse away all the nastiness. Then run the bottles through the sanitize cycle in your dishwasher or clean by hand. Just remember to remove labels before dishwashing.

Nastiness cleaned away; inspect the rim of the bottle for nicks or cracks before bottling your beer. Nicks will keep the cap from sealing, letting air in, and carbonation from second fermentation out, can you say skunk beer?

The Cornelius keg holds five gallons, making the one-sixth barrel a perfect size for one 5-gallon batch of homebrew.

Additional benefits include,

1. Airtight seals and stainless steel construction keeps light and air from degrading our favorite adult beverage.
2. Kegging homebrew cuts down on the cost of corn sugar used in second fermentation step
3. Saves time spent waiting on second fermentations carbonation step.
4. Makes it easier to adjust carbonation levels
5. Eliminates the need to clean, sterilize, fill, and cap dozens of bottles
6. Kegs take up less storage space and are easier to move
7. Ball lock style Cornelius kegs work great in a Kegerator, refrigerated beer cooler.

FYI, Pepsi bottling company uses ball lock kegs for their soft drink syrups.

Take your Homebrewing to the next level, keg and tap your next batch of craft beers. You will be glad you did. Cheers.