Midwest Supplies Keg Kit

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jmmy3

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I've been doing alot of keg research over the past week or two, and it appears that Midwest has very good deals. Almost too good maybe. Problem is they have about 10+ different keg starter setups and alot of them don't appear to have any difference, other than price. I was thinking about getting this one:
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/brew-logic-dual-tap-draft-system-w-pin-lock-kegs.html

Like I said, seems very cheap for two kegs, is there something I should know? Anyone with any insight as to how reliable Midwest is for things like this? I read the reviews but who knows if they filter out the really horrible ones. Unsure if I should be going for a better keg setup or is this suitable for starters? It's hard to pick apart the differences between all the keg kits on that site.
 
They had the best deal on a new 3 gallon keg kit, thats why I got one from them.
 
Be careful, brewers!
I have seen reconditioned kegs which had small areas where the metal was dinged, and then flattened to make it look nicer. Trouble is, when metal is flexed, it becomes work-hardened, and it will ultimately crack, and leak(because you are alternately pressurizeing and depress'ing it, right?). Now, you have a keg that must be welded: $$$$.
I did this very thing, unintentionally, back in, oh, '94.
I do not recommend you do this, and this info is supplied for informational purposes, only, and you do this at your own risk: If you were to go to your car's oil filter(engine OFF), and with a suitable object, put a crease in the side of the filter, later, about the time you forgot about it, the police would pull you over because you were leaving a trail of oil on the road. You have been warned!
 
I bought this a couple years ago, kegs were fine. The regulator works, but kind of sucks. The pressure likes to jump up and you really have to keep an eye on it or youll overcarb your beer.

I brought it in and they rebuilt it because it wasnt assembled right (by them or whoever builds them) and its better now, but still not as good as other regs.
 
I bought this a couple years ago, kegs were fine. The regulator works, but kind of sucks. The pressure likes to jump up and you really have to keep an eye on it or youll overcarb your beer.

I brought it in and they rebuilt it because it wasnt assembled right (by them or whoever builds them) and its better now, but still not as good as other regs.

? uhh?
 
They are reconditioned kegs which they sell off and on anywhere between $30-$50 bucks. One poster pointed out that sometimes reconditioned kegs go bad pretty quickly, but again you can purchase reconditioned kegs for 30-50 bucks. I'd be more concerned about the regulator problem another mentioned, but it looks like they fixed that for the guy.

Two thirty doesn't sound bad.
 
One thing nobody seems to have noticed is that the kegs are pin lock versus Ball lock. Pin lock kegs are cheaper and I have a few. I bought 2 pin lock for the price of one Ball. Midwest price os OK, but have you looked at Beveredge elements kits too? I think my kit was 139 and the two extrakegs with freight were like 70 or so. So three kegs, hpses reg, spigot for around 200 with a luxfer aluminum 5 lb gas tank.
Wheelchair Bob
 
I bought their three keg system kit (ball-reconditioned). If you happen to live nearby, they give a 10% discount to Minnesota Public Radio members and I think a discount to AHA.

I did have an issue with them when I went to add a second regulator, the guy didn't tell me all I needed so I got home and couldn't use it. They charged me for the extra part but didn't charge shipping (which arrived in 2 days) so I was annoyed but thought they handled it alright.
 
I've been doing alot of keg research over the past week or two, and it appears that Midwest has very good deals. Almost too good maybe. Problem is they have about 10+ different keg starter setups and alot of them don't appear to have any difference, other than price. I was thinking about getting this one:
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/brew-logic-dual-tap-draft-system-w-pin-lock-kegs.html

Like I said, seems very cheap for two kegs, is there something I should know? Anyone with any insight as to how reliable Midwest is for things like this? I read the reviews but who knows if they filter out the really horrible ones. Unsure if I should be going for a better keg setup or is this suitable for starters? It's hard to pick apart the differences between all the keg kits on that site.

Hello All,

There are a few differences in our keg systems. One of the main ones is mentioned above (pin lock vs. ball lock). The systems that use pin lock kegs are cheaper than the ones that use ball lock kegs. This is simply because sourcing ball lock kegs is more expensive than pin lock kegs.

Other than that the primary difference has to do with the regulators. The brewlogic systems are built here in the shop, so we are able to sell them for less. The Cornelius regulators are a little higher quality, and will keep a more consistent pressure. However, they are more expensive.

As has been mentioned the Brewlogic regulators can tend to allow pressure to creep up 5-7psi over the course of a 24hr period, however they usually stay put after the initial creep up. If you know this in advance you can set the pressure a little low, and it will come to rest in the range you were aiming for.

I hope that helps. If you have any other questions feel free to call, email, or live chat us.

Cheers,

Nick @ Midwest
 
Ended up ordering the other day, received a 10% off thing in the mail for P Day which they quickly honored for me over the phone. Thanks for the advice guys, sounds like this will be a good starting point and I can upgrade pieces as I move forward with my setup. Crossing my fingers that the kegs aren't too beat!
 
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