Kegging, or 10g?

[keelanfish]

I upgraded to larger batch sizes about a year ago while still bottling. I brew 12 gallons and let me tell you, bottling that much beer, storing that much beer, dealing with all those empty bottles, etc. sucks. I'm now in the process of getting set up for kegging and hope to keg my first time on Labor day. If kegging is as painless as everyone describes, I figure I'll be able to brew about 50% more often due to the time saved. That for me is a real plus. I'd really suggest going to kegging first.

[sexpanther]

1. A fridge and temp controller!
2. A kegging setup.
3. A higher volume system.

With a spare fridge, you can pick up a temp-controller and a heating belt and you've also got a perfect fermentation setup. I found a place that was selling 2 fridges in new condition for $150 a piece, one for fermenting and one for dispensing. Best investment yet!

The way I looked at it, what equipment was going to make the best impact on the beer I was making. Temp controlled fermentation kicked up the quality of my beer 10 fold.

...just my 2 cents.

[Fierce Beard]

Definitely kegging. No kegerator? Pick up a cheap fridge off craiglist and use picnic taps until you can afford a nice kegerator.

Wayne

I also like to give beer to buddies - is bottling off of a picnic tap a pain, or can you still hook up a beer gun or counter-pressure filler?

[snowcapt]

I use my picnic faucet with a short length of hose connected to my bottling wand.

[Ozbrewer]

Im going to go against the social convention and say get a bigger system.

Ok il bend go for the keg, as a few have said once you start kegging you'll want a bigger system anyway, and if you get a bigger system you will get fed up with botteling, so you will want kegs, face the fact, your going to end up with both, but its easier to do a double batch in a small system than it is to bottle 10 gallons

[Beer Baron]

I just was considering the same choice, and decided to go with the 10 gallon system.

I have it down where I can bottle 5 gallons right quick, I just fill the bottom rack of the dishwasher with 1 liter swing tops to steam, and bottle once they are cool enough to touch. I think the reason that so many people complain about bottling is that they were using bottles that are too small.

Also, I just don't trust myself to keep beer lines and taps sanitary, or a CO2 cylinder filled.

And if you think I am crazy for that, you should see my new 10 Gallon system. It is a 2 tier gravity system that uses a chain hoist to lift the vessels. I don't trust pumps, either.