Force carb vs Keg conditioned

[morticaixavier]

@ynotbrusum

FWIW, I have had wonderful results bottling from the keg with the beer gun.  I just had feedback from a few guys that enter comps a lot and they say that there has been a perceptible bias toward bottle conditioning in competitions, so they bottle condition for almost all competition beers they plan to enter.  Maybe they are wrong, but they say the same beer (recipe) in a bottle conditioned entry scored higher than when they entered it bottled from the keg with a beer gun.  The next question (unasked) would be if they entered both ways in a competition and they were from the same batch - that would be the true way to see if there is a bias toward bottle conditioned beers in competitions.

and was it the same competition? the same judges? too many variables to pin it on the keg vs bottle conditioning.

[hopfenundmalz]

@ynotbrusum

FWIW, I have had wonderful results bottling from the keg with the beer gun.  I just had feedback from a few guys that enter comps a lot and they say that there has been a perceptible bias toward bottle conditioning in competitions, so they bottle condition for almost all competition beers they plan to enter.  Maybe they are wrong, but they say the same beer (recipe) in a bottle conditioned entry scored higher than when they entered it bottled from the keg with a beer gun.  The next question (unasked) would be if they entered both ways in a competition and they were from the same batch - that would be the true way to see if there is a bias toward bottle conditioned beers in competitions.

you can only enter once per subcategory in any competition I have entered.

For some beers I have been contemplating bottle conditioning, as some judges do have that bias.

[ynotbrusum]

Agreed on the variables - same comp, different year, so yeah - different judges.  These  are some seasoned competition guys - one of whom won a gold at NHC.  One says any time he feels he wants to get a true read on a beer, he bottle conditions the entry - he just suspects that an obviously clear bottom will be treated differently - just like a higher, over-filled neck, for example.  It gets noticed and draws a comment, even if not overtly dinged; he just wants the presentation to be the best it can be and avoid some potential bias.

I see his point.

As to two entries - easily solved if two guys are involved in the brewing and one kegs and the other bottles their respective entries.  There are still plenty of other variables, such as fermentation differences, etc…but you could close the gap on those to see if the bias exists…

[hopfenundmalz]

@ynotbrusum

Agreed on the variables - same comp, different year, so yeah - different judges.  These  are some seasoned competition guys - one of whom won a gold at NHC.  One says any time he feels he wants to get a true read on a beer, he bottle conditions the entry - he just suspects that an obviously clear bottom will be treated differently - just like a higher, over-filled neck, for example.  It gets noticed and draws a comment, even if not overtly dinged; he just wants the presentation to be the best it can be and avoid some potential bias.

I see his point.

As to two entries - easily solved if two guys are involved in the brewing and one kegs and the other bottles their respective entries.  There are still plenty of other variables, such as fermentation differences, etc…but you could close the gap on those to see if the bias exists…

You just gave me an idea. Mrs. R is my co-brewer.

[BrewBama (Dwain)]

I can appreciate all views presented here. I have tried force carb in a keg. I just am not satisfied. It just seems flatter.  So, as an experiment, I just legged 5 gal of Kölsch and used a cpl oz of corn sugar to see if I get that beautiful effervescence that I enjoy.  Those who say that it make no difference may very well be correct. I’ll see in a cpl weeks. I look forward to it.

[BrewBama (Dwain)]

I am sill not getting the carbonation I would expect.  I definitely have some issues here.  LOL  I must have a leak or three somewhere but I’ll be %$^&* if I can find it.  I have a cpl sets of O-rings so I am going to replace them all in the kegs.

Interestingly, I had mold in one gas line when I went to put my latest creation - Bourbon Barrel Porter - on the gas today.  I cleaned it in PBW using a line brush and sanitized it with StarSan.

[skatz (Stevie)]

Be sure to apply some keg lube to all rings including the diptube rings.

[jonhughey_att.net (HoosierBrew)]

And the o-ring on the end of the dip tube. I had a leak there once after forgetting to change it - got an o-ring kit once without the diptube o-ring so it was ‘out of sight, out of mind’ until I couldn’t keep a beer carbed.

EDIT- Just saw you referenced it Steve. D’oh !

[BrewBama (Dwain)]

Hopefully that was it. Both gas tube o-rings were dried out and deformed. I replaced them along with all the others and hooked back up to the gas. Time will tell.

Incidentally, on one of my kegs, the gas side poppet fell out of the housing. I reinstalled it but plan to replace the assy.

[morticaixavier]

@BrewBama

Hopefully that was it. Both gas tube o-rings were dried out and deformed. I replaced them along with all the others and hooked back up to the gas. Time will tell.

Incidentally, on one of my kegs, the gas side poppet fell out of the housing. I reinstalled it but plan to replace the assy.

I think the poppets are supposed to come out. sometimes they will get gunk in there and you have to take them out to properly clean them up.

[jrdunne (Joe Sr.)]

@morticaixavier

@BrewBama

Hopefully that was it. Both gas tube o-rings were dried out and deformed. I replaced them along with all the others and hooked back up to the gas. Time will tell.

Incidentally, on one of my kegs, the gas side poppet fell out of the housing. I reinstalled it but plan to replace the assy.

I think the poppets are supposed to come out. sometimes they will get gunk in there and you have to take them out to properly clean them up.

Except on new kegs, where the poppets do NOT come out.  Which is weird.

[skatz (Stevie)]

Except on new kegs, where the poppets do NOT come out.  Which is weird.

That would make me mad.

[jonhughey_att.net (HoosierBrew)]

I haven’t had a new keg in so long I forgot that. I’ve had a bunch for years and the poppets just fall out. I will say they’re in way better shape than most of the used/reconditioned ones I’ve seen lately.

[BrewBama (Dwain)]

I haven’t had a new keg in so long I forgot that. I’ve had a bunch for years and the poppets just fall out. I will say they’re in way better shape than most of the used/reconditioned ones I’ve seen lately.

Unfortunately, I have the used “reconditioned” type.  One gas poppet popped out on one keg. The product side did not. Nor did either of the other poppets on my other keg.