Kegging Suggestions?

[c0nsumer]

After getting some great advice here about how to brew my second batch of beer, I'm starting to think that I should seriously look at kegging the beer as opposed to bottling it. Bottling is kind of a pain, and the time involved is a hassle.

I am thinking that if I just use a simple 5lb or 10lb CO2 tank

My questions are regarding the purchasing of some of the supplies. It seems that one can find Cornelius-type kegs on eBay with ball lock valves for around US$25/ea shipped. However, Sabco offers fully reconditioned kegs (http://www.kegs.com/balllocks.html) (all seals, polish on the tank, etc) for US$30, with US$14.25 shipping.

Is the extra cost worth the work that Sabco puts into the tanks, or is buying an eBay tank + a set of replacement seals generally good enough? I'd be worried that the eBay tanks would be rather hard to clean...

Second, where do you buy your gas/liquid hardware at? As part of the keg auctions on eBay, one can get various taps and fittings for US$4/ea, which seems to be about 20% less than what I'm finding elsewhere. Is this hardware typically available at resturant supply shops? Gas suppliers, etc? Also, do you find that tanks + regulators are cheapest online (and if so, from where?) or at local gas shops, or....?

I'm trying to find the cheapest way to do this, but without buying bottom of the barrel hardware. I had originally planned on just bottling everything, but I think that with keeping the small kegs in a fridge, with regular lines and vampire/party taps on the end, I can avoid modifying a fridge, store the beer well, and save money in the end. (Somewhere down the line, when I finish my basement, I'll likely put in a tap or three...) I think the small dorm-room-sized fridge I have should hold a single Cornelius-type keg + CO2 as it is... This will be established tonight.

After all, if I want to take some beer to a friend's place for a party I can either fill a growler or simply take the whole keg.

So... Does it sound like I'm going down the right path here?

Thanks. :)

-Steve

[sallad]

http://www.rackers.org/ used to have a good deal on used kegs, but i don't see a link there anymore.

kegs and co2 tanks are heavy, so what you save by buying online is usually offset by shipping costs. so, for me, i'd go local just to keep the local guys in business. that way, they're there if you need them!

i got a co2 tank for $40 (its last inspection was 1 year prior to the purchase), 5 kegs for about $80, plus maybe like $10-20 or so to replace all the 0-rings. add taps, disconnects, hoses, and a regulator... my whole setup for 5 kegs was just over $200.

[I'mRocketMan]

My buddy BeerNazi is a member of the Rackers. I was trying to find at least 5 kegs and the response from the "Head Racker" is that they are OUT OF KEGS!

Still looking for a good deal on 5 or 10...

Cheers! Rocket

[c0nsumer]

Originally posted by I'mRocketMan
My buddy BeerNazi is a member of the Rackers. I was trying to find at least 5 kegs and the response from the "Head Racker" is that they are OUT OF KEGS!

Still looking for a good deal on 5 or 10...

Cheers! Rocket

There seem to be some good deals on ebay... Just search for "cornelius keg" and you can find them for about US$22/ea.

I think I am going to consult the local shop first, and at least price them for kegs. I'll also grab prices on regulators, CO2 tanks, and line. While they are most likely the best price for the kegs, I could very well get the CO2 and fittings from a welding shop. If the prices are close, I'll go to the LHBS, but if not, the welding shop will get my business.

-Steve

[kevin]

Shelby Township is that over near Detroit? Because by GR there is a Shelby also. I contacted a local supplier and bought the 20lb tank, pay the replacment cost so everytime I need to replace the tank it only $11 full. I bought my kegs for $26 at midwest supplies they say they are fully recondition and guaranteed. So far so good..

[c0nsumer]

Originally posted by kevin
Shelby Township is that over near Detroit? Because by GR there is a Shelby also. I contacted a local supplier and bought the 20lb tank, pay the replacment cost so everytime I need to replace the tank it only $11 full. I bought my kegs for $26 at midwest supplies they say they are fully recondition and guaranteed. So far so good..

Good to know about the prices... And yeah, Shelby Township is a bit northeast of Detroit, while Shelby is over there. It always confuses people from the west side of the state... hehe.

-Steve

[MrMethane]

Originally posted by c0nsumer

Is the extra cost worth the work that Sabco puts into the tanks, or is buying an eBay tank + a set of replacement seals generally good enough? I'd be worried that the eBay tanks would be rather hard to clean...

Second, where do you buy your gas/liquid hardware at? As part of the keg auctions on eBay, one can get various taps and fittings for US$4/ea, which seems to be about 20% less than what I'm finding elsewhere. Is this hardware typically available at resturant supply shops? Gas suppliers, etc? Also, do you find that tanks + regulators are cheapest online (and if so, from where?) or at local gas shops, or....?

A good reconditioned keg is nice. Someitimes buying the cheap untested kegs ends up costing an extra $10 to replace bad seals and valves so it ends up costing the same as a reconditioned keg, but you have to do all the cleaning yourself. Be wary though, I have bought kegs claimed to be cleaned an pressure tested and when they arrived the won't hold pressure and still have a tiny bit of Pepsi in them.


On to Kegging, I bought most of my stuff from BeverageFactory it seemed like a decent deal to me as everything was packaged together rather than order parts from 8 different websites and paying shipping out the ahole. Comparing the package to individual parts I've seen on most sites it seemed to be about the same cost.

Check this (http://www.beveragefactory.com/draftbeer/kits/ehpk.shtml) out. It should be everything you need. Keep in mind the price is without C02 tank. The C02 tank is optional with these kits so if you need one I'd add it on. You can get a 5lbs tank for like $55. The kit is $47 for everything else you need. That gets you alll you gas and dispensing equpiment for around $110.

This kit doesn't come with a keg, but you can get cornies for $20 all over the internet or on ebay as you've seen. So you should be able to get set up for under $150.

[c0nsumer]

Originally posted by MrMethane
A good reconditioned keg is nice. Someitimes buying the cheap untested kegs ends up costing an extra $10 to replace bad seals and valves so it ends up costing the same as a reconditioned keg, but you have to do all the cleaning yourself. Be wary though, I have bought kegs claimed to be cleaned an pressure tested and when they arrived the won't hold pressure and still have a tiny bit of Pepsi in them.


On to Kegging, I bought most of my stuff from BeverageFactory it seemed like a decent deal to me as everything was packaged together rather than order parts from 8 different websites and paying shipping out the ahole. Comparing the package to individual parts I've seen on most sites it seemed to be about the same cost.

Check this (http://www.beveragefactory.com/draftbeer/kits/ehpk.shtml) out. It should be everything you need. Keep in mind the price is without C02 tank. The C02 tank is optional with these kits so if you need one I'd add it on. You can get a 5lbs tank for like $55. The kit is $47 for everything else you need. That gets you alll you gas and dispensing equpiment for around $110.

This kit doesn't come with a keg, but you can get cornies for $20 all over the internet or on ebay as you've seen. So you should be able to get set up for under $150.

Oh, great. Thanks for the info... I think that I'm going to visit the local homebrew store today and check prices. While I like to give local companies business, if the price is too far out of line, I'll mail order it.

I think I'll have to get rolling on this purchase fairly soon, though. As long as the LHBS has 6.5 gallon carboys in stock, I'm going to start my second brew tonight. About three weeks later it'll be time to keg + carbonate everything...

Actually, I think I'll go work up a BeverageFactory price now, maybe one from another store or three, then visit the LHBS.

Thanks again. :)

-Steve

[c0nsumer]

Well, it turns out that my LHBS, Cap N Cork, has some of the cheapest prices I've seen on kegging equipment. $16 for kegs, 10lb tanks filled for around $60, high quality regulators for about $60. They've also got a full supply of tubes and such.

So, I think I'm going to be able to get everything locally, at a good price, without shipping, etc. Very nice!

That means that my second batch of beer ever will be kegged. It just seems so much better this way...

-Steve

[MrMethane]

Originally posted by c0nsumer
Well, it turns out that my LHBS, Cap N Cork, has some of the cheapest prices I've seen on kegging equipment. $16 for kegs, 10lb tanks filled for around $60, high quality regulators for about $60. They've also got a full supply of tubes and such.

So, I think I'm going to be able to get everything locally, at a good price, without shipping, etc. Very nice!

That means that my second batch of beer ever will be kegged. It just seems so much better this way...

-Steve Excellent, sounds like really good prices. Do they have a website? If so post it, I'd like to check them out.

Congrats on converting to kegging so quickly, you won't be dissapointed. I only bottled about 3 batches of beer before moving to kegs. It got to the point where I didn't want to brew much because I dreaded bottleing day. It used to take me half a day to clean, sanitize, fill and cap all the bottles. Now it takes like 20 minutes plus you don't have to deal with priming sugar and waiting 2 weeks for carbonation. Though you should give it a little extra time in secondary to mature since you won't be bottle conditioning anymore.

Good luck. You won't be dissapointed, its money very well spent. Any kegger will tell you how much better life is after converting.

[YamahaXS]

i just kegged up 10 gallons of Kolsch last night. it took all of 30 minutes, instead of the 2-3 hours i would of spent bottling.

[c0nsumer]

Originally posted by MrMethane
Excellent, sounds like really good prices. Do they have a website? If so post it, I'd like to check them out.

Congrats on converting to kegging so quickly, you won't be dissapointed. I only bottled about 3 batches of beer before moving to kegs. It got to the point where I didn't want to brew much because I dreaded bottleing day. It used to take me half a day to clean, sanitize, fill and cap all the bottles. Now it takes like 20 minutes plus you don't have to deal with priming sugar and waiting 2 weeks for carbonation. Though you should give it a little extra time in secondary to mature since you won't be bottle conditioning anymore.

Good luck. You won't be dissapointed, its money very well spent. Any kegger will tell you how much better life is after converting.

Thank you. Actually, they have a site (found here (http://www.geocities.com/capandcork/)), but it's rather sparse. They don't offer online sales... Their store seems to be pretty thorough, though, selling most everything I've had an interest in picking up.

I really think the kegging thing is a good idea, too. There is a bit more cost up front, but it should make brewing all the easier. My initial concern was how I would transport smaller quantities of beer to friends' houses, but since they are all fairly local, I think I'll just end up using growlers. Or, for larger party situations, I'll just bring the whole keg + tank.

My last (and first) batch that I bottled took me about three hours as well, and I was starting out by rinsing / sanitizing new bottles. It was just really a bit of a pain... I also have concernes about bottle conditioning and whether things are going to ferment correctly. I'm probably just being paranoid, as the beer has only been bottled for 1.5 weeks, and is rather lacking for carbination still.

So, I guess the next step is going all grain. I'd imagine that it should be pretty easy, as the partial mash I did last night didn't take much effort, and definitely has a better taste than the grain tea + extract I made the first time. So, here it comes... Third batch should be a Belgain-style tripple, hopefully somewhere around 10%, and nice and fruity. :)

-Steve

[MrMethane]

I usually take my beer to friends houses in growlers. You can actually build or buy a counter pressure bottle filler which will allow you to fill bottles from the keg. It works by balancing the pressure in the bottle with the keg so when you fill the bottle you don't lose carbonation. I have been planning on building one for a while now, but I haven't had the time. From what I hear they are kind of pain to use by yourself too. You need 3 hands to hold the bottle and turn all the valves.

I have filled bottles right from the tap with some success, they do get a little flat and its hard to fill them up good because they usually form a head, but it is possible. Putting the bottles in the freezer first helps keep the head down a bit, but I did suffer many overflows.

Don't fear the all-grain its really not much harder than extract brewing except it takes up a little more space and little more time. The benefits of it can not be overstated. I just made my first AG a few months ago, up until then I had made some decent beer but nothing to write home about. Upon trying my first all grain beer I was just amazed at how good it was. There is nothing like a fresh all grain beer. I doubt I'll ever go back to extract brewing.

[c0nsumer]

Originally posted by MrMethane
Don't fear the all-grain its really not much harder than extract brewing except it takes up a little more space and little more time. The benefits of it can not be overstated. I just made my first AG a few months ago, up until then I had made some decent beer but nothing to write home about. Upon trying my first all grain beer I was just amazed at how good it was. There is nothing like a fresh all grain beer. I doubt I'll ever go back to extract brewing.

The space is my only concern right now, I think. Also, I'm still new to homebrewing (only did my first batch ~4 weeks ago), so I'm hesitant to get into purchasing too much gear yet. As I've got 10 gallons waiting to finish (half in bottles aged a week and a half, and the other half had it's yeast pitched 18 hours ago), it'll probably be a month or so before I brew again. This should give some time to acquire a turkey fryer and build a mashing/lautering tun. (Probably going the cooler w/ manifold + ball valve route...)

I keep hearing time and time again that all-grain is what is needed for something to truely taste great, and judging by the samples I've had of the extract+grain tea vs. partial mash wort from my kitchen, I think I'd have to agree.

After all, a great beer like Chimay, La Fin Du Mond, or whatever else sure isn't going to be coming from a can.

-Steve

[Fly Creek]

I have to stop checking this site - my apparent obsessive/compulsive disorder is really cutting into my work productivity.

Anyhoo, after a year of scrounging e-Bay and and fiddling with various plumbing parts, I finally have all the gear to go AG! After having read the previous posts I think I'm more excited about brewing this weekend than my 3-year old is about Santa's upcoming visit. This probably isn't healthy...

[c0nsumer]

Originally posted by Fly Creek
Anyhoo, after a year of scrounging e-Bay and and fiddling with various plumbing parts, I finally have all the gear to go AG! After having read the previous posts I think I'm more excited about brewing this weekend than my 3-year old is about Santa's upcoming visit. This probably isn't healthy...

Something makes me think that I'm one of the few single guys here... Single, no kids, good sized place to myself, etc.

That said, I think that within a month or two I'll start making up the manifold for draining the grain... It should be pretty easy, but I need to decide if I want to go with the SS Mesh or copper pipe method.

-Steve

[MrMethane]

Originally posted by c0nsumer
Something makes me think that I'm one of the few single guys here... Single, no kids, good sized place to myself, etc. I believe we are the minority around here, but being single allows us to buy as many toys as we want without fear of the wife's dissapporval. Plus we don't have to worry about hiding away our unsightly brewing equipment.

In fact I have a whole room dedicated to it. When my roomate got a new place I converted the extra room in my apartment into a storage room for all my wine making and brewing crap. I have buckets, carboys, kegs, corker, capper, grain mill, empty bottles, ect. I also have half the room filled with bottles of homeade wine. I know this wouldn't fly if I was married or lived with my girlfriend. It really is a big mess and I have been meaning to organize it.

No woman would allow for a room in her home to look this way. My girlfriend loves beer, and loves my hombrew. She is the biggest supportter of it and often reminds me I should make another batch. But I can guarentee if she lived with me that room would be converted from my brewery to a guest room. This is why I live alone.

[BluesHarp]

Your spare room sounds like paradise!

[mchitiea]

You may also try the following for kegs and parts:

www.brewersdiscount.com

or on ebay

5 gal kegs:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=67137&item=3862599720&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

3 gal kegs:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=118&item=6141051444&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

[clown_puncher]

After washing hundreds of...make that thousands of bottles I went "all Keg" about 5 years ago. Every now and then I bottle a special batch or two, but unless you have lots of exra time on your hands, kegging is the way to go. And my beer lasts longer because I dont give it away!!!

[axis714]

It should be pretty easy, but I need to decide if I want to go with the SS Mesh or copper pipe method.


I can guarantee you 1 thing. If you do decide on slotting a copper manifold...make sure to find a metal blade for a band saw or dremel disk or something, I beg you -dont be an idiot like me and spend 3 days with a hack saw in hand. I finished with a very nice manifold,works like a champ,but my wrist is still laughing at me 2 weeks later..lol I think if I ever build another 1 I will use a cutting disk on a rotary tool if I can find 1 thin enough for a slot.

[Grog]

The copper pipe method can be made managable by using a two foot chunk of 2" x 4" and three or four insulated wire clamps. This method insures the dumb piece of pipe doesn't move all over the place, and it makes the cutting of the tubing pretty fast and painless.

Dremel abrasive cutoff wheels are good, but the very thin ones (Dremel 409) break very easily and the thicker, fiber reinforced ones (Dremel 426) make some pretty wide cuts if you don't have a steady hand or a flexible shaft attachment. The wheels are only 1" diameter so you have to come in at an angle, thus the need for a steady hand. But I digress.

-G-

Recovering idiot