Taste--Bottled-Vs-Kegged

[number40fan]

When I first started brewing my own beer, I immediately jumped into kegging. My first two extracts had a sweet taste to them, but because I didn't take a FG reading, I attributed it to not allowing it to finish out. Then I read about the dreaded 1.020 and made sure on the next few batches to take a reading and figure out what needed to be done.

While these two were still in the keg, I decided to brew an Oktoberfest to give away. Made sure OG and FG were spot on and bottled.

Brewed a Pumpkin Ale. Again, everything was spot on and was bottled.

I did brew a Tripel and an Irish Red that were stuck at the 1.020, but fixed them both with some beano and bottled them.

I have since brewed another Oktoberfest, numbers the same as the first and kegged. Brewed the same first batch that I had ever made and checked the FG this time and had a 1.010 beer and kegged.

All of my bottled beers that have been conditioned long enough, tasted great. That is the Oktoberfest, Pumpkin, and Irish Red. Still waiting on the Belgian due to the higher ABV, but this weekend will be the test for it.

As for my two new brews in the kegs, sweet again!

First two kegs were shaken to carb. These two were given the "set and forget" for two weeks in the keezer at 12 psi. The bottled Oktoberfest had a nice malt taste to it. Not even a hint of it in the keg because of the sweetness.

Ideas anyone? I think I might try another kit, but naturally carb before sticking it in the keezer and hooking up to CO2 to see if that makes a difference. Maybe put a sixer in bottles while I am at it.

 

[number40fan]

To cover a few things that I am sure are going to be asked.

Keg cleaning consists of a DIY keg cleaner. I use Oxi to clean and Star-san to sanitize with a hot water rinse in between. Both ran through lines connecting to the poppets as well as a wand protruding into the keg.

Bottles get the same treatment, just a little different. Soaked in Oxi to help remove labels and then rinsed. Into the dishwasher for sterilization. Left there until bottling time where they are once again rinsed in Star-san just before being filled.

 

[kaconga]

Are you getting the same carb level from both keg and bottle. Higher carbonation will lessen perceived sweetness.

 

[pricelessbrewing]

How long ago were the bottles bottled? How long ago was it kegged? Keg might still be green even though it's carbed.

 

[number40fan]

The first sweet kegs were in the keezer for two months and when I finally decided to toss them, they still tasted sweet. I gave all of the bottled beer 2-3 weeks, except for the tripel which will be 4 weeks this weekend. The two kegs that are in the keezer now have been in there for 2 weeks. 37° @ 12 psi.

Crank up the pressure?

 

[pricelessbrewing]

Sounds fair, definitely not an effect of freshness then.

 

[acidrain]

This is not a controlled experiment. You would need to brew a batch, bottle 1/2 and keg the other 1/2 then do a triangle taste test.