Getting into kegging-ideas?

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Pelican521

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I've bottled 2 batches so far and in a few weeks I'll bottle my next brew that's fermenting. While I'll probably always bottle certain batches, I want to get a simple kegging system that can hold a 5 gal batch.

Where's the best (affordable) place to get one. My LBS is too pricey and I saw I simply setup at Midwest that seemed like a good deal but are ther any other options like amazon, etc?

Not sure what I need at this point but if there's an option that's modular that I can add kegs to over time, I would be interested to hear about it.

Thx
 
I don't keg myself but I watch www.homebrewfinds.com and the Vendor Showcase section of this forum for deals. Deals on kegging equipment pop up periodically, though I don't pay a whole lot of attention to them personally.

Craigslist is also always a good option. It might be your best bet for the kegs so you don't get killed on shipping.
 
I actually just bought my first used keg kit yesterday. I ended up going with my LHBS because by the time I factored in shipping and filling the bottle CO2 it was around $20 cheaper than online. Just out of curiosity I assume you were taking that into consideration too?

If not from my shopping it seems like everywhere online was pretty similarly priced. The places I checked were:

http://www.kegcowboy.com/
http://www.northernbrewer.com/
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/
http://www.homebrewing.org/

If memeory serves correct I think adventures in homebrewing was the cheapest (http://www.homebrewing.org/).

Cheers!

EDIT: The other advantage of getting it local was I got to pick out the best looking keg.
 
My LHBS wants $209 for used keg with new seals,new CO2 tank filled, New Lines and regulator. I think that is a bargain.
 
My LHBS wants AU$299 for 2 new 19L kegs regulator, tap and beer lines. With no gas tank. I really want to start kegging but a CO2 bottle is another 150 empty. I looked online and some items are cheaper if I ship them from the US to Australia. So crazy!!!
🍻
 
irishbrewerdownunder said:
My LHBS wants AU$299 for 2 new 19L kegs regulator, tap and beer lines. With no gas tank. I really want to start kegging but a CO2 bottle is another 150 empty. I looked online and some items are cheaper if I ship them from the US to Australia. So crazy!!!
Click to expand...
 
Stupid question to add to this. So, you can very quickly carb your beer in the keg but what about other aspects of bottle conditioning? Does getting the beer carbed fast also have the other benefits of bottle conditioning happen fast? Do you let the beer sit in the kegs for a significant amount of time or just go from primary to lips (with a few hours of carbonation)?

I'm very curious, as I am thinking of buying a few kegs but am learning that those who say "3-4 weeks in the bottles" are probably right. What's the rule when kegging?
 
Not a bad question, but the answer is no. Whole carbonation happens very quickly, the rest of conditioning is no faster. It will taste green approximately as long as it would have in the bottles.
 
freisste said:
Not a bad question, but the answer is no. Whole carbonation happens very quickly, the rest of conditioning is no faster. It will taste green approximately as long as it would have in the bottles.
Click to expand...

Thanks. So, it's not a bad idea to carb the beer up and then let it stand at room temp in the keg for a few weeks?
 
Thanks for all the tips. Here's another question, maybe dumb, but I don't know a lot about kegging...

Are all kegging systems basically the same (at least for my needs as a basic setup)? I've seen just a basic setup with co2, hoses, gauges,etc and then I saw a cooler with a set of tap handles mounted on it, what is the need for a cooler?
 
I usually keg the beer after 1 week primary plus two weeks secondary (for most ales) and let it sit on CO2 pressure in serving fridge for 10-14 days before sampling. I don't let it sit at room temp once kegged. For one thing, harder to carb with forced CO2 theoretically due to lower solubility of co2 in warm fluids (this is also why soda and beer bandits goes flat faster if you don't tightly screw the caps on or leave out at room temp). Also, kegs are chilled and ready to drink already vs putting room temp keg into fridge for cooling overnight. Also, I never try to force carbonate rapidly. I know there are lots who do, but I've never had great results for the effort. I suppose you could take the lid off and use the diffusion stone with your CO2 tank, but I just put them in the fridge, turn on the gas, and let them sit.
Congrats on the move to kegging. I think you'll find your notion of bottling vanishing as quickly as your homebrew! Your friends will be asking you about the homebrew. I ended up moving up to 11 gal so I could bottle half and keg half, but that bubble burst too when a friend interested in home rewind offered to split costs and we split the batch!

TD
 
Check out shipping from HK or China, I remember seeing keg equipment there for next to nothing. Donno how much or how long would take to boat it over to where you live though.
 
Pelican521 said:
Thanks for all the tips. Here's another question, maybe dumb, but I don't know a lot about kegging...

Are all kegging systems basically the same (at least for my needs as a basic setup)? I've seen just a basic setup with co2, hoses, gauges,etc and then I saw a cooler with a set of tap handles mounted on it, what is the need for a cooler?
Click to expand...

The basic kegging systems will tend to be the same, but my opinion is that you should think long and hard before buying one of these setups rather than piecing the system out. The most important change I would make would be to buy a double regulator at this point (unless you are sure that you will never have more than one keg at a time). While you can buy a splitter to serve multiple brews from a single regulator, having a double regulator will allow you to force carb a newly kegged beer while you are serving from another keg.

Also, one thing I would add is a regulator tightening wrench. I never had one until my LHBS suggested it to me. It cost like $3 and stays on my regulator at all times. It allows you to make sure that you have tightened the regulator onto the bottle enough so that no CO2 is escaping.

I am guessing that the cooler with tap handles you are referring to is a system to allow you to serve cold beer on the go. The idea is that you fill the coolers with ice and the keg lines run through the ice. Thus, beer that was not cold coming out of the keg is cold coming out of the tap. You do not need that.
 
Pelican521 said:
Thanks for all the tips. Here's another question, maybe dumb, but I don't know a lot about kegging...

Are all kegging systems basically the same (at least for my needs as a basic setup)? I've seen just a basic setup with co2, hoses, gauges,etc and then I saw a cooler with a set of tap handles mounted on it, what is the need for a cooler?
Click to expand...

The cooler with taps is called a jockey box. That is for a portable kegging system, like if you want to bring your beer to a picnic or a party and won't be able to bring the whole Kegerator. It has copper or stainless lines coiled on the inside, then you fill the cooler with ice. As the carbed beer passes through the jockey box, the beer is cooled down to serving temperature.

Otherwise, it seems to me that the basic components of a kegging system are the same. CO2 bottle, regulator, distribution header (if necessary), gas lines, quick disconnects, kegs, beer lines, shanks, and taps. If you convert a freezer, you have the temperature controller as well, and the materials for a collar. There are a lot of great threads in the DIY section where members have thoroughly documented their build process with pictures. That's where I got the idea for mine. I spent almost two years accumulating parts but I wasn't in any hurry and I knew time was my friend if I wanted to find deals.
 
Ridire said:
Stupid question to add to this. So, you can very quickly carb your beer in the keg but what about other aspects of bottle conditioning? Does getting the beer carbed fast also have the other benefits of bottle conditioning happen fast? Do you let the beer sit in the kegs for a significant amount of time or just go from primary to lips (with a few hours of carbonation)?

I'm very curious, as I am thinking of buying a few kegs but am learning that those who say "3-4 weeks in the bottles" are probably right. What's the rule when kegging?
Click to expand...

It really depends on the type of beer and the type of "conditioning" you are after.

First, some beers do not really need much conditioning beyond the 3 weeks we leave them in fermenters. I know this is considered heresy by some, but it is true. Some of the most experienced brewers here explain that from some pale ales, they keg them and are drinking them between 2 and 3 weeks after brewing. Hefs are another example -- they are pretty much ready to go after 3 weeks. Other brews (e.g., imperial brews, stouts) need more time to condition. With a keg, you have the option to begin drinking the early bloomers sooner, but the beers that need more time to condition will still take time (of course for beers that only really need say a total of 6 weeks from brewing, you have the option to allow almost all of the conditioning to happen in a fermenter so that the keg is not occupied).

Second, some of the things we think of as conditioning CAN happen faster in kegs depending on how they are handled. For example, with a keg, you can put it in the fridge right away so the cold conditioning aspects (e.g., getting yeast to drop and getting rid of chill haze) can start right away. Now, this will not be immediate. I will say that even for cold crashed brews that I run through a cannister filter, they are not "clear" until at least a week after they have been in the keg in the fridge.
 
I can't believe no one gave you the link to kegconnection: http://www.kegconnection.com/

Great company and excellent service. I purchased my original set up there, and when I expanded my keezer I upgraded my equipment from them as well. I cannot say enough good things about my experiences with them.
 
If you buy reconditioned/used kegs try to get a warranty for pinholes. Most reliable places will ensure they can hold pressure.

Also here is a tip. Never connect a keg to gas without something connected to the beer-out post. If you have a leaky poppet valve, you can lose the entire keg as it drains into your fridge/keezer/etc. I have heard of this happening and I pass it along, though has never happened to me. Some folks also advocate that when you are ready to pressurize you keg filled with beer, that you pop the gas post on with the pressure at a higher setting to seal the lid well, then dial back to your desired pressure. I am not totally sure if this is necessary or not, but I do it anyway.

TD
 
Keg Connection was already mentioned, but I am not sure they are a great deal. From what I can tell, their prices for "kits" don't include the keg or the Co2 tank. Am I reading that right?

I am a big fan of Annapolis Home Brew. I did not get my kegging set up from them, but I have gotten 3 used kegs form them since. I also order things from them that are not available from my LHBS, and they have flat rate shipping like many other companies (and as an east coaster, I get my deliveries quick). For a kegging set up, they have kits that start you out with a double body regulator.

https://www.annapolishomebrew.com/c/252/keg-starter-kits
 
I got mine through amazon from keg connection. The price was $200 cheaper through amazon then straight through keg connection and shipping was minimal considering.
 
rklinck said:
Keg Connection was already mentioned, but I am not sure they are a great deal. From what I can tell, their prices for "kits" don't include the keg or the Co2 tank. Am I reading that right?

I am a big fan of Annapolis Home Brew. I did not get my kegging set up from them, but I have gotten 3 used kegs form them since. I also order things from them that are not available from my LHBS, and they have flat rate shipping like many other companies (and as an east coaster, I get my deliveries quick). For a kegging set up, they have kits that start you out with a double body regulator.

https://www.annapolishomebrew.com/c/252/keg-starter-kits
Click to expand...

Keg Connection's website is built around choosing a basic type of system (ball-lock vs pinlock, type of regulator, number of taps, etc.) and then once you do that, adding your number of kegs and the Co2 and upgrading components if you want. I like it because then you don't have to pay for something if you don't want it or will get elsewhere. I got my 20 lb Co2 cylinder locally to ensure I was getting one most readily "exchangeable." I reviewed tons of keg kit sources and at the end of the day, they seemed to be the cheapest overall. A major factor is their flat rate shipping. Midwest, for example, absolutely kills with their shipping costs. There are cheaper sources for just kegs, but I chose to get it all at the same time.
 

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