kegging equip. Best Price?

Hey guys

I am ready to pull the trigger and purchase my first kegging equipment. I am going with a corny keg with ball locks, 5lb c02 bottle, etc. I found a setup for sale for $164.75 (includes used S.S. corney, c02 bottle with dual regulator, all hoses and connections..BUT it has a picnic tap....I want a tap that will mount through my fridge.

So is this the best price around on a setup???

Dan

Is one corny enough for you? Do you want a good dual gauge regulator that tells you bottle pressure and line pressure? I bought all my stuff individually and it was a little more but I spent 60 on 4 used cornies picked up, 40 on a 20 pound CO2 bottle, 65 on a very nice chrome micromatic.com regulator. The ball locks are like 10.50 for a setup from morebeer.com. They have cheap picnic taps there too. I did have a picnic tap from back in the day but thats only a couple bucks more than your about to spend with a lot more stuff. So shop ebay for a bottle just make sure the test date is recent. They need tested every 5 years go to classifieds on here click on cornelius kegs for sale for your cornies, insco2 will hook you up.

You can get a better deal than that...be sure to check out Midwest Brewing and Keg Connection.com. They both have very good prices on kegging setups, from entry level to ultra-kegger kits. IMHO, you need at least 2 kegs to start out; one for what you're drinking right now, and another to carb and condition your latest brew. That way, you'll have another beer on tap when you dust the current keg.

Check these systems out:

A bit pricey at $225, but very nice setup and you get two kegs: Dual Cornelius Keg System with 5 lb. CO2 tank (comes empty) :: Midwest Supplies Homebrewing and Winemaking Supplies

For $198 this is just one keg, but comes with all the stuff to put a tap through your fridge: 1 Faucet Refrigerator Conversion Kit for Homebrew with keg!

i feel dirty for asking this but has anyone tried to use harbor fright regulators. they have some for around 30 or 36. but im not sure i trust thier equipment.

tiko said:

i feel dirty for asking this but has anyone tried to use harbor fright regulators. they have some for around 30 or 36. but im not sure i trust thier equipment.

Click to expand...

If you don't mind it dying on you in 6 months, I'd say go for it! If you get lucky you could get a decent regulator, but most of HF's stuff is not durable. I got my angle grinder there, but I don't plan on using it more than a couple times a year. For a CO2 regulator I use every day, I'd buy a quality unit you can depend on for accurate pressure, longevity, and doesn't leak.

OTOH, if you want to be a guinea pig for the rest of us and product test the unit from HF, I'm sure we'd all enjoy it!

For $37 you can get a good one at Micromatic.



Beer Regulator - Single Gauge - CO2 Primary - Economy Series

3 Bucks more, gets you a dual guage regulator.



Beer Regulator - Double Gauge - CO2 Primary - Economy Series

It's tough to beat Micromatic on regulators since that's where most LHBS buy theirs to resell.

A few places to check out great pricing on kegging equipment:

ChiCompany.net
Kegcowboy on Ebay
Kegconnection (I think they have an Ebay store as well)
MidwestSupplies
AustinHomebrew
NorthernBrewer

You'll find anything you need at any of those places, and just shop for the best deals. They're all competitive, IMO!

Here is a low-buck single keg setup for $79 that someone here on HBT posted a week or so ago:

Homebrew Kegging System