Bottle, or Keg then Bottle?

[John Sand]

I plan to make a small batch to set aside until December, maybe even the following year. I don't want to tie up a keg, or put it on tap for any length of time, it's going in bottles. I have a Tapcooler bottle filler. Would you keg carb then bottle, or just bottle with priming sugar? Why? Thanks.

[Beer-lord]

I honestly don't know but would think that bigger and darker beers would benefit from true bottle conditioning while lighter beers would not. But I'm sure either should work well.
What kind of beer are you storing?

[bpgreen]

Since you've got a bottle filler, I vote for kegging it, drawing a few beers to make sure it's carbed the way you want it and it's pouring clear, then bottle.

I think you'll end up with less bottle trub that way, although as long as you're going to condition it, if you bottle prime, it'll settle and compact enough that you won't get any when you pour.

[berryman]

John, what are you making that you want to store it that long? A barley wine or something that needs a lot of aging? And are looking for the clarity you will get from kegging. vrs bottle trub? I would be lean towards bottling with some good oxi-caps, with out not really knowing what you got planned.

[John Sand]

Thanks guys. It's Christmas Beer. I used to make and keg it every year, but never finished it. The leftovers were bottled from the keg. I still have a few bottles of 2020 in the basement, 7% abv, dark, sweet and spiced. It held up well. Usually I brew it in the summer, but I expect to have time over the winter for a two gallon batch, which will probably hold me through the next two years. My current recipe is from Gordon Strong's Modern Homebrew Recipes.

[Kealia]

Honestly, I don't think it's going to matter. As others have mentioned the only variable that I would consider is clarity/bottle trub.

Clearly since you've bottled before and stored them, oxidation is not a concern.

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[mashani]

If I had kegs, I'd only keg things I wanted to start drinking right away.