5 L kegs ?

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WheaYaAt

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hello, has anyone tried to use those heineken 5L KEGS to keep some beer in the fridge? Can u re carbinate them? I just though about it. I would like to use something small since I don't have much room in the house.
 
Do you mean to reuse them for homebrew?

I'm not sure of the specifics of the kegs in question but if you can clean them, fill them and reseal them then yes. I think it would be easier to use 3l soda bottles though.

Do some reading on cask conditioned ales and mini kegs and all will become clear.
 
Homebrewer99 uses them as I understand it. They do not have limitless uses, though. They are plastic lined, stell kegs and after the lining wears out the steel will leach into your beer. They certainly seem like a novel idea, but there are better alternatives out there--such as Orfy's suggestion.
 
I love the things and use them all the time. Handier than a 5-gallon Cornelius keg, just as easy to fill. They're becoming harder and harder to find, though. I'm told that Heineken kegs have a built-in CO2 widget that you simply can't get out of the keg, so that might rule that particular brand out. There are many different brands packaged in 5L mini-kegs, though, so you're bound to glom on to some kegs for reuse.

Bob
 
Warning: Thread Stealer (mostly)

yup, I'll confirm the plastic lining, and the impossibility of getting the CO2 can out. I have managed to get the bung out though.

I use lawn/garden chemical sprayer for my "party keg". It's 1.5 gallons, made from super thick HDPE (which is usually ok for food), and has a very convenient pump and nozzle, seals well, and works remarkable well for mini-kegging. I found mine at Lowe's for $12.00, cheaper than the Hene's Keg.

warning: I sanitize it like hell before kegging my beer to it; I use an overnight soak of Easy Clean, and another night of Idophore, with its pump primed full of the same. If you use the pump to repressurize the keg it pumps air straight into the bottom of the beer, and it will stale your beer within a day or to. I'm sure you can somehow hook a CO2 system to it though. Overall it works great for parties and weekends.
 
I have over 15 of these kegs that I brought back from Germany when I lived there. Yes, I still use them after all these years.

I checked the lead for Midwestsupplies.com:

Mini-Keg :: Midwest Supplies Homebrewing and Winemaking Supplies from your double post. (I shop there also).

Those are NOT the kegs you want.

Look for the type that has the "built in gravity tap" on the bottom like the Kapuziner Weissbier pictured here:

5 Liter Kegs

The difference is with the built in tap you DO NOT need to buy a tapper. The way you operate it is there's a bung on top (usually black rubber) that has a red plastic "key" that you turn to allow air into the keg. You pull out the tap on the bottom and turn it 1/4 turn to allow the beer to flow.

If you buy the ones without the built in tap you WILL NEED to buy a CO2 cartridge tapper. Also the bung on top is different. It's usually broan rubber with a tan stopper that the tube on the tapper pushes out as you insert the tapper.

I have used them dozens of times.

You prime them with only 1 TBS (that's TABLEspoon, not tsp teaspoon), If you over prime and they get warm in the summer they will expand and could split at the seam.
 
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