Homebrewing Beer - To Keg or Not To keg?

by Gregory McLaw

That is the question most home brewers eventually ask soon after getting hooked on brewing their own beer. Most home brew enthusiasts see it as a natural progression from novice to expert, much like going from extract to all-grain. However, even with all the positives of kegging your home made beer there are a few things you need to understand. First off, and probably the most important for many is the cost of kegging equipment.

For some it might be a hard sell to the wife or significant other on the merits of spending a few hundred to upwards of six hundred dollars on C02 tanks, canisters, towers, and maybe even a kegerator. Wasn’t one of the reasons given for the need to brew your own beer the money that would be saved? For those lucky few whom money is not an issue or those, like me, with a wife that loves beer, you will have to consider the space needed for a keg system.

Not only will you have to have space to store everything required you will have to have a place to dispense from. If you also appreciate food in addition to appreciating beer this usually means that you will need a spare refrigerator or even better—a kegerator, an appliance whose sole purpose and function is to serve beer. Can there be a higher calling for an appliance? I think not.

Kegging does free the homebrewer from the mundane and tedious tasks of cleaning and sanitizing bottles, storing the empties (always seems there are more empties than fullies), and waiting weeks for beer to carbonate in the bottle. It also gives you control by easily adjusting carbonation levels to your liking for a given style or batch. A kegging system also opens the door to other possibilities, like closed beer transfer for sanitation and filtering for crystal clear beer.

Even with all the cleaning, and all the liberating freedoms of kegging your beer, bottling your homemade beer still has its place. For instance, seasonal or specialty beers that you don’t want to drink everyday would do better in a bottle. Especially, when you are giving some away for gifts or to take to a small get-together where a keg would be inappropriate. Bottles also let you add a custom label that personifies your beer or adds that personal touch and flare to the beer.

If you have the cash and space you can easily relieve yourself of the tedium of priming and bottling and enjoy the convenience and flexibility of a complete kegging setup. However, bottles will always have their place in the grand scheme of homebrewing.

Gregory McLaw is a regular contributor to www.makebeerathome.info and enjoys brewing and drinking his own beer.

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Kegerator is the ultimate product for bear lovers!

by Natasha Patnaik

Kegerator arouses excitement in beer enthusiasts. It allows them enjoying draft beer at home. A good quality kegerator can transform simple beer into a beer haven. It keeps beer cool, and tasty. This kegerator comes as a perfect choice for gathering, parties, and any such place where beer is needed in large quantities. There are different styles of kegerators available in market such as multiple tap, single tap, under counter, outdoor, freestanding, built-in unit. Each of them is unique in its design, and enhances the beauty of your place. Such sleekly designed kegerator can store beer for a stretchable period of time, without losing its original taste. Go for any of these kegerators. Now, arranging party in your back-yard is no more troublesome! Be the envy of your friends for providing draft bear in huge quantity.

Varying models of freestanding kegerators are Summit freestanding kegerator SBC490, Danby DKC645BLS Keg Cooler, Summit freestanding kegerator SBC490NK and many more. Danby DKC645BLS Keg Cooler comes in black with stainless steel color. This unit has 5.8 Cu. Ft. storing capacity. This freestanding kegerator comes with an automatic defrosting system and a front mounted electronic temperature control with blue LED display. The DKC645BLS model comes with unique work top, beer tower dispenser, chrome guard rail, drip tray, and CO2 tank. Option swivel Castor is also available with this unit for its easy mobility. This keg cooler can accommodate full size or 60 liters of kegs. It is even capable of converting it into refrigerator of 164.2 liter capacity.

Built-In Kegerator section comes with different models such as Summit built-in kegerator SBC490BI, Summit built-in kegerator SBC490BI-7, Summit built-in kegerator SBC490BIFR-7 and many more. Summit built-in kegerator SBC490BI is one of the best preference for any home, and it even meets with the commercial standards. This model comes with rugged 18 gauge stainless steel top. The SBC490BI model comes in black color.

From the vast range of Outdoor Kegerators you can order for any of these items such as Summit SBC490-OS outdoor kegerator, Summit SBC490-OSSSTBTW outdoor kegerator, Summit SBC490OSTWIN portable kegerator and many more. Summit Outdoor SBC490OSTWIN kegerator is a full size unit that can accommodate any size of keg. This model comes with complete tap system. It has a storing capacity of 2 mini kegs. It comes with automatic defrosting system, body color wrapped stainless steel, and door wrapped stainless steel. Order any of these Kegerators and enjoy chilled draft beer anytime!

Built-In Kegerator, Outdoor Kegerators, Kegerators

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