If you're buying the tank, regulator, and tap, you're saving the cost of a keg ($20). The "meth lab" prototype looked to be taking up as much space in a fridge as a kegging setup. Used fridges are cheap, anyway - and using coke bottles or whatever, you're not fitting that in the house's main fridge and not pissing off the wife! 99 wives out of 100 are telling you - GET YOUR OWN DAMN FRIDGE FOR THAT BEER GEAR!
So what cost are you REALLY saving? As far as I can see - you're "saving" the cost of the keg, which is almost negligible as far as I'm concerned.
I've got a prototype sitting at 25psi right now. No special glues/epoxies or expensive gadgets required. I don't see or hear any leaks, I'll be doing an underwater test in a bit to be sure. If it holds psi I'll post the build plans. Total cost for this one was about $1, plus the tools required to build it, and the co2 tank, regulator, and tap.
please post a pic , I cant wait to see it.
__________________
Jesse
Primaries: Porter
Kegs: Hibiscus Saison (AG), Orange Kolsch (AG)
Future Brew: Aberdeen Brown
I've ditched the clusterKeg idea, due to the problems pointed out by bnscherm. Basically it would be impossible to have more than one keg hooked up to a single tap in parallel without the co2 displacing the beer once one of the bottles became empty. I'm just perfecting the cheapest possible 38mm cap tap which, as I've pointed out before, is the same cap size for 2 liter, 3 liter, and 6 liter pet bottles. Once testing is complete I'll post pics and a build tutorial in a new thread, with a proper thread title...bike pump keg has completely lost its meaning.
Had a minor setback today(again) trying to purchase hose clamps at lowes; they were out of the size I needed. The guy helping me recommended I go to an auto parts store to get it, unfortunately I had to go to work so first thing tomorrow I'll be heading to autozone to get the clamps, then I'll hook everything up and start official pressure testing.
If you're buying the tank, regulator, and tap, you're saving the cost of a keg ($20). The "meth lab" prototype looked to be taking up as much space in a fridge as a kegging setup. Used fridges are cheap, anyway - and using coke bottles or whatever, you're not fitting that in the house's main fridge and not pissing off the wife! 99 wives out of 100 are telling you - GET YOUR OWN DAMN FRIDGE FOR THAT BEER GEAR!
So what cost are you REALLY saving? As far as I can see - you're "saving" the cost of the keg, which is almost negligible as far as I'm concerned.
I buy my kegs for $15. So yes, negligible. And my wife did kick me out of the fridge.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pizzaman
I've got a prototype sitting at 25psi right now. No special glues/epoxies or expensive gadgets required. I don't see or hear any leaks, I'll be doing an underwater test in a bit to be sure. If it holds psi I'll post the build plans. Total cost for this one was about $1, plus the tools required to build it, and the co2 tank, regulator, and tap.
I brewed my first batch of beer for less than a buck. Except for the carboys and tubing and other stuff and ingredients I needed to buy for it. So kudos to you for following the same route that I did when I invented a way to brew my own beer at home. I didn't need any epoxies either. I thought I did. I insisted on it in fact but everyone kept telling me otherwise. In the end I sure proved them right.
__________________
On Tap: 1. Kelly R. IPA, 2. Roter Hund Hefeweizen, 3. Bud Killer Blonde, 4. Red Dog Pale, 5. Roter Hund Oktoberfest, 6. Pumpkin Ale, 7. McRed's Stout (with new nitro system and stout tap,) Cream Soda, 8. ESB # 3, & 9. Ordinary Bitter.
Had a minor setback today(again) trying to purchase hose clamps at lowes; they were out of the size I needed. The guy helping me recommended I go to an auto parts store to get it, unfortunately I had to go to work so first thing tomorrow I'll be heading to autozone to get the clamps, then I'll hook everything up and start official pressure testing.
Yeah it's weird, a few years ago I remember being able to find all kinds of sizes for hose clamps. Now it's damn near impossible to find small worm clamps that are all stainless. I've tried lowes, home depot, autozone, harbor freight, and Pep Boys. I finally went with Oetiker clamps from Keg Connection. The variations of oetiker type clamps and crimping tools from lowes are ridiculously expensive.
__________________
Jesse
Primaries: Porter
Kegs: Hibiscus Saison (AG), Orange Kolsch (AG)
Future Brew: Aberdeen Brown
Where oh where is everyone finding kegs for $10? The cheapest price I've seen on craig is $35 for used 5gal cornies. Obviously I've seen them at online stores for $10, but you can't honestly say its "only $10" when you have to pay $20+ for shipping....
The first thing I brewed only cost me $1 also dontman. I poured a can of grape juice concentrate into a used, cleaned out gallon milk jug, dumped in some sugar, water, and bread yeast, and used a condom with a hole in it for an airlock. 3 weeks later I had something resembling cheap table wine and a new hobby/addiction. Just goes to show you condoms with holes in them aren't all bad.
Where oh where is everyone finding kegs for $10? The cheapest price I've seen on craig is $35 for used 5gal cornies. Obviously I've seen them at online stores for $10, but you can't honestly say its "only $10" when you have to pay $20+ for shipping....
$35 is the going price w/o any haggling or discount shopping.
I got mine from a local business selling them for 15. You can shop around. You might try joining a group. From your area. Post a message in each of these groups asking about deals on kegs.
![[Not a] Bike Pump Keg [Evolution]](http://cdn.homebrewtalk.com/iconimages/f51/not-bike-pump-keg-evolution_ltr.gif)
Linear Mode
