I’ve been kegging most of my homebrew for about four years now. But deep down, I’m still kind of partial to bottle-conditioned beer. It’s often said that carbon dioxide is carbon dioxide, whether created by yeast in a bottle or delivered from a tank of high-pressure gas. But I still insist on bottle conditioning certain beers, such as barleywines, that I want to age, as well as a handful of styles that I think really do benefit from being in the bottle (if for no other reason than personal preference), such as Weißbier.
And yet, most of what I brew ends up in a keg. In choosing one vessel over another, I consider a variety of factors. Here is my completely subjective list of considerations in the great kegs versus bottles showdown.
Clarity >> Point: Kegs
It’s rare that you move a keg once it’s in the fridge, so there’s little opportunity to disturb the yeast sediment after it has settled. After the first pint or two, kegs almost always deliver clearer beer—until the very last pint, which is once again full of yeast, accompanied by that depressing hiss that lets you know you’ve kicked the keg.