Unlabelled Kegs

Are a pain.  I need to get the darn brewer to be more organized.  I have 4 kegs sitting here full of beer that isn’t labelled.  So, here I am tasting them and wondering what style it fits.  Geez what a mess…

Maybe its a good thing, I can call it what it tastes like and not worry about what it was meant to be.  Oh well, just a rant for today.  I know that one is a solera sour that was aged, and its pretty good.  One I am pretty sure is my Swiller Lite, as it has very little body, fizzy and yellow.

The other two are red.  I make lots of variations of red beers, so thats an issue.

Just rename them.  How’bout, “Hazy Recollection Red” and “What’s This Red?” ?

None of friends care how they are made so I change names all the time.

Paul

I just peel off the masking tape I use to label my carboys and stick it on the keg.

Style, date brewed, OG, date kegged, FG.  All the info you care to know but nobody else cares about.

Wow! i guess I don’t brew enough. I also only own 3 kegs but I don’t think I have ever marked a carboy or keg. hmm… wonder if I am doing it wrong?

I do that^^^ even when I know what it is.

I do the same, or make new keg tags with the same info.

But yeah, unless you plan to enter it in a competition call it whatever you want.

I do the same, except I use small (3 by 5 inch) hanging tags. I slip them into the carboy harness, then tie them to the keg handle. I add %ABV so I can update my “now serving” menu w/o having to go back to Beersmith.

I’m with Mort.  I’m afraid I don’t mark anything but starters (and I started doing that after making 3 starters once and forgetting which was which).  For some reason, I know exactly what is fermenting downstairs and I know what’s in the cooler and storage.  But, like everyone else has said, it doesn’t really matter unless you want to enter a competition.

Mix all your unknown kegs together and I bet you’ll have the best beer ever since you won’t be able to repeat it!

I’ve got four carboys fermenting right now (of course, I had a three month hiatus so I need to catch up).  Two are a split batch with different yeast, so the labels are important for that.

I typically add ABV as well.  Especially important at parties, where I’ve found that the 10% tripels get drained while the wits and ambers barely get touched.

I have a box of 500 of these: http://www.staples.com/Avery-Marking-Tags-Retail-Tags/product_SS951324

Hang them around the neck of the starter jug, move to the fermenter and put them on the keg lid bracket and write all you want.  They go on easy and are easy to remove.

Paul

I use soap crayons, the kind made for kids to use in the bathtub.  They write on metal, glass, and plastic.  They wipe off easily with a wet washcloth.  The only disadvantage is they may wipe off too easily when condensation or spills happen.  I use them to label kegs, starter jugs, and bottles.

same here,
but I keep telling myself, “I can remember this.” unfortunately, I am not able to remember often enough. I have started with the painters blue masking tape. it goes on easy and comes off - so far.

I use white electrical tape.  Easy to write on, easy to read.

but don’t you get shocked all the time?  ::slight_smile:

I use a Sharpie on the side of the keg. It won’t come off with condensation, and you can clean it off with isopropyl alcohol.

Life is a shock every day…

Actually I say everyday is Halloween! :o

Anyway I use white tape and write all the pertinent info on it; though the sharpie trick is very adoptable at Brauerei Euge.

I usually just write on business cards and stick that into the lid handle, but I must have gotten busy and figured I would “remember” what I was up to.
I’m pretty sure it is laziness of the brewer that caused the case of the unknown kegs.