Kegging vs. Bottling: The Fork in the Road

Every homebrewer starts with bottles. It is a rite of passage. Scrubbing 50 bottles, sanitizing 50 caps, filling them one by one with a plastic wand, and waiting 2 weeks for carbonation. Then, one day, you visit a friend who has a tap handle on a freezer in his garage. He pulls a pint of perfectly carbonated IPA. You look at your pile of dirty bottles, and you know: It is time to switch.

1. Bottling: The Pros and Cons

Pros:

Cheap: You likely already have the equipment.
Portable: Easy to give a 6-pack to friends.
Aging: Heavy beers (Imperial Stouts) often age better in bottles.

Cons:

Labor: It takes hours to wash and fill.
Sediment: Every bottle has a layer of yeast at the bottom.
Inconsistent: One bottle might be flat, the next might explode (bottle bomb).
Oxidation: It is very hard to bottle hoppy beers (NEIPA) without introducing oxygen, which ruins the flavor.

2. Kegging: The Pros and Cons

Pros:

Fast: You can package 5 gallons in 10 minutes. Wash one keg, fill one keg. Done.
Control: You dial in the exact carbonation level (PSI) on your regulator. No guessing with priming sugar.
Oxygen Free: You can purge the keg with CO2 before filling, keeping your hops fresh and green.
The “Cool” Factor: Serving draft beer at home is the ultimate flex.

Cons:

Cost: You need a CO2 tank, regulator, kegs, hoses, and a fridge. It costs $500-$1000 to start.
Portability: It’s hard to bring a keg to a party (unless you buy a Beer Gun to fill bottles from the keg).

3. The Gear: Kegerator vs. Keezer

If you choose to keg, you need a cold box.

The Kegerator

A dedicated refrigerator designed to hold kegs.

Pros: Looks nice in a kitchen. Plug and play.
Cons: Expensive. Usually only holds 1 or 2 kegs.

The Keezer (Chest Freezer)

This is the DIY route. You buy a chest freezer and attach a temperature controller (like an Inkbird) to override the thermostat, keeping it at 4°C instead of -20°C.

Pros: Huge capacity (4-8 kegs). Very energy efficient.
Cons: You have to build a wooden “collar” to mount the taps. You have to lift heavy kegs over the wall of the freezer.

4. The Process: Force Carbonation

The best part of kegging is speed.

Set and Forget: Set the pressure to 12 PSI. Wait 1 week. Perfect beer.
Burst Carb: Crank the pressure to 30 PSI for 24 hours. Then drop to serving pressure. You can be drinking carbonated beer 24 hours after kegging!

Conclusion

Bottling is fine for beginners or for long-term aging of strong ales. But for 90% of homebrewers, moving to kegging is the moment the hobby becomes a lifestyle. The reduction in cleaning time alone makes it worth the investment.