Kegging question..

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

brewd00d

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 25, 2010
Messages
412
Reaction score
8
Location
Townsend
Im really tempted to buy a keg to put my home brewed beer into.

i already have a kegerator for the regular 1/2 kegs of the common domestic beers.

do i need a different CO2 connections and im assuming i cant use a regular tap?
 
Yes, different gas and liquid connects for 5-gallon corny kegs. Search for corny kegs will yield a ton of information.
 
damn, i was hoping for some good news. thanks for the info though.

which type do people usually keg with, the pin locks or ball locks?
 
Most use ball locks, I think. Although there is nothing wrong with pin locks. Most homebrew suppliers have both fittings. Coke is pin lock, Pepsi is ball lock.
 
i know im hammering you with questions..but i got one more.

the beer line going to the faucet, do they usually come with a standard end that fits universally into most faucets or would i need to change out my whole faucet to accommodate a different hook up?
 
No problem. Usually, the tail-piece on the faucets are the same, as are the gas and liquid lines. All you need would be the keg, gas disconnect, and liquid disconnect. It'll hook right up to your faucets.
 
i'd go ball-lock (and did, a long time ago), based on the fact that some suppliers charge extra for pin-lock. more have ball-lock, too, and they are also easier to find on craigslist
 
I have pin lock kegs and they are find, however, all things being equal, I would recommend ball lock kegs. Why?

The biggest advantage ball lock kegs have is that you can use a standard socket to remove the posts. With pin lock kegs you need to use a modified socket (because of the pins). I have used a wrench with success but it is a PITA.

The other nice thing about ball lock kegs is the pressure release on the lid. Pin locks do not have that.
 
thanks for all the insight guys. i noticed that the nipples on the the ball locks and pin locks i think are 1/4 ID, my keg line i have now it 3/8. do they make a 3/8 ball lock nipple on the connection or do i need to make myself an adapter?

i also found they sell the corny kegs (refurbished/used) for around 20 bucks. is this too good to be true? should i stay away from used ones or are they the way to go and not spend over 100 on a new one?
 
thanks for all the insight guys. i noticed that the nipples on the the ball locks and pin locks i think are 1/4 ID, my keg line i have now it 3/8. do they make a 3/8 ball lock nipple on the connection or do i need to make myself an adapter?

i also found they sell the corny kegs (refurbished/used) for around 20 bucks. is this too good to be true? should i stay away from used ones or are they the way to go and not spend over 100 on a new one?

You could get one of these to attach to your faucet shank and some 3/16 or 1/4 liquid and gas lines.

Most people use the refurbished kegs, or just plain cornies that have not been touched. You can purchase the rebuild kit that has all of the o-rings and gaskets for cheap.
 
i cant believe the difference in price though, used vs new. amazing. thanks for the help though. someday ill have enough knowledge to give back to the community. as of now, im still green.
 
i cant believe the difference in price though, used vs new. amazing. thanks for the help though. someday ill have enough knowledge to give back to the community. as of now, im still green.

Check Craigslist too. I've sold several on there. It helps to have a nephew that works at the Pepsi plant! He picks up decommisioned kegs every now and then.
 
after the beer is put into the keg, are you supposed to keep it under pressure at room temp. for a couple days for the beer to carbonate or can can i put it in the kegerator while it carbonates?

and when you use a keg you DONT need to use priming sugar right? that just for bottles correct?
 
Carbonates much faster under gas in the refrigerator. Use this table for pressures at temperatures. If you prime with sugar to carbonate, you need to keep it at room temperature, just like bottles.

One or the other, gas OR sugar. Not both.
 
that's what my guess was, that you wouldn't do both. thanks Reelale.

Keg and fittings are on their way!
 
got my keg today in the mail. couple of questions though.

the sankey tap i have for my commercial keg has the rubber check valve for where the co2 enter the tap itself.

is that so c02 doesnt travel back into the bottle or so the beer doesnt travel down the co2 line?

how do the Corney kegs not need this type of check valve?
 
got my keg today in the mail. couple of questions though.

the sankey tap i have for my commercial keg has the rubber check valve for where the co2 enter the tap itself.

is that so c02 doesnt travel back into the bottle or so the beer doesnt travel down the co2 line?

how do the Corney kegs not need this type of check valve?

It's the latter. Your regulator should have check valves at the gas out. You only need to worry about it if your regulator psi is set lower than the kegs psi, which sometimes happens with distributed lines from a manifold. But the check valve will stop it before it gets into the regulator. No harm, no foul. I'm not too familiar with sankes, but IIRC that check valve is standard. Good luck with your new toys.
 
i have two dual regulators and i'm unaware of the check valves on them unless they are hidden in the gauge somewhere.

heres a pic of what im talking about
image_962.jpg


this is placed in the tap right where the CO2 hose is screwed in. Im almost positive it prevents the excess CO2 from entering back into the co2 bottle.

i guess the Corney kegs don't need them.

heres another question, is it safe to use the "no rinse" power inside the Corney kegs? i remember the keg saying you shouldn't use alkali based cleaners in the keg.

and i almost forgot, when i carbonate my beer and turn up the psi to around 30, is it ok to leave the beer line disconnected off the keg until it is fully carbonated for those couple days?

and its ok to refrigerate the keg while its carbonating?
 
just did a little more research, its officially called the Thomas valve. it allows CO2 to flow into the keg but prevents the beer from backing up into the gas line if gas pressure drops.

now, what prevents this with the corney kegs? as there is no actual tap on the keg but two hoses coming out.
 
i have two dual regulators and i'm unaware of the check valves on them unless they are hidden in the gauge somewhere.

There is a brass fitting where your gas line comes out of the regulator. This brass fitting is the check valve. Or at least it should be. You can check it, it will be a one-way ball valve.

this is placed in the tap right where the CO2 hose is screwed in. Im almost positive it prevents the excess CO2 from entering back into the co2 bottle.

i guess the Corney kegs don't need them.

heres another question, is it safe to use the "no rinse" power inside the Corney kegs? i remember the keg saying you shouldn't use alkali based cleaners in the keg.

I use either PBW or oxiclean. And I "push" this solution and the rinse water through liquid pick-up tube in the keg by pressurizing and attaching a beverage out connector.


and i almost forgot, when i carbonate my beer and turn up the psi to around 30, is it ok to leave the beer line disconnected off the keg until it is fully carbonated for those couple days?

and its ok to refrigerate the keg while its carbonating?

Yes, and yes. The grey connect has a valve and unless it leaks, there is no problem. And it is better to refrigerate while carbing. Cold liquids absorb CO2 more readily than warm liquids. Be careful to not overcarbonate at those pressures.

just did a little more research, its officially called the Thomas valve. it allows CO2 to flow into the keg but prevents the beer from backing up into the gas line if gas pressure drops.

now, what prevents this with the corney kegs? as there is no actual tap on the keg but two hoses coming out.

Pressure and the checkvalves at the regulator. It can get in the lines, but no further.
 
0101780.jpg


This is what the check valve on the regulator should look like.
 
after the beer is put into the keg, are you supposed to keep it under pressure at room temp. for a couple days for the beer to carbonate or can can i put it in the kegerator while it carbonates?

and when you use a keg you DONT need to use priming sugar right? that just for bottles correct?

what some people do (me included, sometimes) is carb at room temp with sugar, then, when ready, chill it and put it on the gas. that way, it's ready the next day, usually. works great :mug:
 
taking closer look i realized that the sankey taps have both the gas and beer going to it, but the corney kegs have separate connections. the beer will never go into the gas line because the beer level will never be high enough where to enter the little nozzle sticking into the keg in the event that the pressure inside the keg is more than that the co2 bottle.

to understand beer kegging, one must first understand fluid and gas physics and pressure.

i just had to sit a minute and think WTF is actually happening here.


thanks for the input guys. im trying to work out the kinks now. i have about 40 people coming over on sat my family and my fiance's family and our friends. hopefully at the end of the night, my freshly brewed beer in the keg and in the bottles are gone. that would be a good sign.
 
the beer will never go into the gas line because the beer level will never be high enough where to enter the little nozzle sticking into the keg in the event that the pressure inside the keg is more than that the co2 bottle.

Yes it can and does. Just do a search here on beer in gas lines. Happens quite often, mostly due to killing the pressure at the regulator and tapping an already caronated (pressurized) keg. Good luck with your shindig.
 
thats strange. i wonder why a those corney keg manufacturers dont put a Thomas valve into the ball lock on the keg to prevent this. maybe ill do it and make some mullah!

thanks again guys.
 
what some people do (me included, sometimes) is carb at room temp with sugar, then, when ready, chill it and put it on the gas. that way, it's ready the next day, usually. works great :mug:


u put the priming sugar in the beer before you carbonate the keg?
 
Back
Top