Gonna buy a Corny Keg - Any advice?

After brewing beer on and off for about 5 years now, I'm finally going to ditch the bottles and all the work associated with them.
I've found a Corny keg set-up online for about $165 which includes: 3 used corny kegs, a 5lb CO2 bottle, the regulator, lines and the dispenser. From what I've been able to find online this seems to be a pretty good looking setup for a reasonable price.

Does anyone have any advice/thoughts/regrets about using corny kegs.
I have a full size refer that I'm planning to store my kegs in.

Thanks for your help!

Sean

I prefer to use the ball lock cornies vs the pin lock cornies. You mentioned that you are buying them used. It is a good idea to purchase a rebuilt kit (new orings) to install when you clean them.

The new CO2 tank will be empty, (can't ship gas)so you'll have to go to the gas store anyway, why not check the local price for the tank? Or swap meets, they are all over, for carpenter's nail guns, maybe $20 with regulator. Cornies are going for $10 each on eBay, plus shipping, or $5 at the swap meets. Fitttings are $6 ea at the HBS, hose, tap, a few more $. Of course, you have to drink another batch from bottles while you collect all this stuff....get the corny first, then while it's aging....

casebrew said:

The new CO2 tank will be empty, (can't ship gas)so you'll have to go to the gas store anyway, why not check the local price for the tank?

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Be careful about buying a used CO2 tank. They have to be hydrotested every 5 years to make sure they're still good to handle the pressure. If you buy a used one and it's due for a test and fails, they scrap it for you and point you to the door. Learn to read the build dates on the tanks if you go this route (search the threads here for info). Also, every place in town told me that if the tank has someone's owner stamp on it (like it belongs to another welding shop), they won't fill it. Professional courtesy. Check around your neck of the woods to see if they are as critical about the details. Some folks say the shops in their area don't care.

If you're looking for a reasonable kit, take a look at the kits being offered by THARGRAV on eBay. I bought one from him a few months ago and got a brand new 10lb Catalina aluminum tank with the big handle for $65 (looked at one kit with and one without the tank and subtracted the difference) as part of a kit. The place where I had it filled said they charge $120 for the same bottle.

JoeCoastie said:

After brewing beer on and off for about 5 years now, I'm finally going to ditch the bottles and all the work associated with them.
I've found a Corny keg set-up online for about $165 which includes: 3 used corny kegs, a 5lb CO2 bottle, the regulator, lines and the dispenser. From what I've been able to find online this seems to be a pretty good looking setup for a reasonable price.

Does anyone have any advice/thoughts/regrets about using corny kegs.
I have a full size refer that I'm planning to store my kegs in.

Thanks for your help!

Sean

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From what I have seen, this is a excellent price. Is it a two gauge regulator?

Thanks for the advice, I went ahead and bought the system! You can check it out here: http://www.ebrew.com/cornelius_kegging_system_ball_lock/cornelius_ball_lock_system.htm
FYI, It comes with new o-rings as someone mentioned above. For $165 + $17shipping I think 3 kegs, the two guage regulator, the tank, o-rings, and both the gas set-up and bev set-up isn't a bad deal.
I did price things out on ebay, but people are charging way to much for shipping lately. I got the whole system (57 lbs) for less than I could get a single keg shipped!
I'll be sure to let you guys know how it works out once I get it. Thanks again for all the good tips.

Cheers!
Sean

That's a fair price. When I first got into kegging I did something similar where I didn't spend much on the dispensing side; I waited until I figured out what I wanted specifically. You can check out my final setup in my gallery.

Great price!

DesertBrew:

That's a great setup you've got, I'm planning to do something similar, I have a frig in the garage totally dedicated for my kegs, might look to you later for some tips. Thanks!

Sean

JoeCoastie said:

DesertBrew:

That's a great setup you've got, I'm planning to do something similar, I have a frig in the garage totally dedicated for my kegs, might look to you later for some tips. Thanks!

Sean

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Depending on where you are in HR, I can recommend a good place to get your CO2 tank filled. Do a Google for Yates Fire Protection in Hampton. It is roughly a mile or so away from the I 64/664 interchange. Go see Wyn and he will hook ya up.

Welcome to the forum!

How many corneys do you tanks dispense before they are empty? What size are they? 5# 10# 20#? My local medical gas supplier will fill tanks but they wont fill any thing smaller than a 10 pounder. They say their filling equipment will fill a 5 pounder in a split second which gives them no time to shut it off before it bulges or cracks. When i go for my keg set-up I am planning on a 10 pounder or a 20 pounder. What do you all think?

I opted for a 10 pounder because the extra cost wasn't that much ($17) over a 5 pounder and because most of the charge of filling the tank is the set-up cost. Any shop in town charges me $2 more for 10 lbs than for 5 lbs.

If you force-carbonate, figure around 9-10 kegs dispensed from a 10 lb tank. Try welding supply shops in addition to the medical supply shops. They shouldn't have any problem filling 5 lb tanks.

If you're planning on putting the CO2 tank inside the fridge, make sure a 20 lb will fit before you buy one. They're pretty tall. My 10 lb fits easily and leaves more than enough room for four corny kegs.

Thanks ORRELSE! I'll check them out.
FYI, Mike over at HomeBrewUSA also said there is a place called Pickens that can do it, not sure where on the Penisula they are though.
Thanks again!

Sean

You did well buying the 3-keg kit from ebrew.com. I live in Charlotte where they are located, so I just went to the store and bought the exact same set up. The kegs were used, so they had a few ounces of soda in the bottom, but were otherwise in very good shape. The regulator is a very good quality, 2-guage. I have my first kegged brew setting in the corner, ready to drink. Now I just have to get a dedicated fridge to put the set-up in.