Initial Keg Setup

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BlackRock

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I'm looking for recommendations on a first keg setup. Something between value and a little future growth. Nothing too extreme in either direction. My goal is to keg my current batch, pour some bottles from it and possibly add a second keg down the road along with a bottled batch mixed in. So 1 keg and maybe 2 should do it for this first year.

I'm thinking to start with:
-One 5 gallon reconditioned ball lock keg
-2.5lb CO2 tank (Aluminum or steel? 2.5 or 5lb benefits?)
-Dual gauge regulator (shut off valve or not? 5/16 or 1/4" barbs/tubing?)

It looks like something under $200 is attainable. I just want to get something that's useable and works well. Any full kits worth just picking up? Price isn't critical, but I'd like to keep it in check.

Just looking for some insight as to what you guys have done, what you might have done differently and where you've ended up.
 
The easiest way is to get a kit. There are plenty for under $200, I just saw a few on Midwest.

As far a dual reg, you don't need it unless you are wanting to carb beers to multiple levels. Otherwise you can buy very cheap splits to put gas on multiple kegs.

I'd go with the 5 pound gas tank to save you trips to the fill station, plus larger tanks cost only slightly more to fill than smaller ones. I fill my 20 pound for nearly the same cost as my 5.
 
Good looking setup Birdman. So you guys think I need to just go with a 5lb tank? I was figuring the 2.5lb would be more than enough and might fit more easily in a kegerator.
 
As far a dual reg, you don't need it unless you are wanting to carb beers to multiple levels. Otherwise you can buy very cheap splits to put gas on multiple kegs.

Forgive me for being a unsure (I don't keg quite yet), but how do you force carb a keg at a higher PSI while keeping the other keg at serving pressure with only one regulator?
 
Disconnect the already carbed keg while you force the other. It will be fine for several pints. Once forced carbed reconnect. Or hit the force carb keg with 30psi and disconnect let absorb and repeat one or twice then connect at serving pressure.
 
Forgive me for being a unsure (I don't keg quite yet), but how do you force carb a keg at a higher PSI while keeping the other keg at serving pressure with only one regulator?

You don't. You use the set and forget method with one regulator.

Or you turn the gas off the already carbed one for the 24 hours you force carb.
 
Good looking setup Birdman. So you guys think I need to just go with a 5lb tank? I was figuring the 2.5lb would be more than enough and might fit more easily in a kegerator.

Blackrock - we like the 5 pound. Based on the sizes we've offered in the past, I think that 5# would be the most popular size, generally speaking. It's not too big that you have concerns about where to keep it, and it's not too small that it runs out of gas too frequently.
 
Good looking setup Birdman. So you guys think I need to just go with a 5lb tank? I was figuring the 2.5lb would be more than enough and might fit more easily in a kegerator.

I just bought two setups, for a keg fridge and for a garage fridge for force carbonation. I went with two 5lbs bottles as the 5lbs fits in my keg fridge with the reg, two 5gal cornys and a 3gal corney... and this is not a big fridge.

I went with two 5's so I could swap the garage fridge bottle if the keg fridge bottle ran dry.

I never considered the 2.5gal as it seems too small. I want to drink beer, not run back and forth from the industrial gas supply place. :)
 
Baaam! I just pulled the tap and bought me a double keg setup from the Birdman.

This is why I love forums. You get all the expertise and the smaller cottage vendors in one place. As usual it took me a while to decide what I wanted/needed but in the end I went with the 5lb tank (based on everyone's recommendations) but bumped it up and got two tanks and a split regulator. Birdman Brewing definitely has the best prices anywhere for the ball lock kegs and for another $50 I decided to spring for that second ket. Heck, for an extra $50 I not only got the second keg, but the split regulator and all the extra lines needed for the keg. Simply excellent deal. I can't wait for it to show up. My current IPA is in the secondary and will be done in another two weeks ready to keg!

Thanks for the help guys!
 
Baaam! I just pulled the tap and bought me a double keg setup from the Birdman.

This is why I love forums. You get all the expertise and the smaller cottage vendors in one place. As usual it took me a while to decide what I wanted/needed but in the end I went with the 5lb tank (based on everyone's recommendations) but bumped it up and got two tanks and a split regulator. Birdman Brewing definitely has the best prices anywhere for the ball lock kegs and for another $50 I decided to spring for that second ket. Heck, for an extra $50 I not only got the second keg, but the split regulator and all the extra lines needed for the keg. Simply excellent deal. I can't wait for it to show up. My current IPA is in the secondary and will be done in another two weeks ready to keg!

Thanks for the help guys!

Thanks BlackRock! It's all packed up and will be in the hands of the fine folks at FedEx in the morning.
 
My Birdman keg setup showed up last night! Everything looks great. Now I've just got to get the tank full of CO2 and clean everything for my first batches to get kegged over the next couple of weeks. Looks like I'm going to have two kegs of home brew for our annual Halloween party this year!
 
My Birdman keg setup showed up last night! Everything looks great. Now I've just got to get the tank full of CO2 and clean everything for my first batches to get kegged over the next couple of weeks. Looks like I'm going to have two kegs of home brew for our annual Halloween party this year!

Blackrock - would love to see some pics when you're up and running. Thanks again!
 
I'm on it! I cleaned the tanks last weekend and filled the Co2 tank today. I'm going to sanitize one tank and fill it with my IPA then toss it in the fridge to cool the beer. Tomorrow I plan to force carb the first keg and next week my Amber will go into the second keg. I'll take some pics as I get it set up!
 
One word... Success!



One month ago I pitched my yeast. Today I tasted my own first brew. I felt as if I'd walked to The Yard, my local pub, and asked for the newest IPA on tap. Citrus followed by pine with a floral aroma. A hit of smooth malt leading to a dry yet thick hoppy finish. Light enough to drink like a session yet it's finish lures you back for another draw. Puff, puff, pass with this one.

Ahhh yeaahhhh. The Close Up...



A thanks to Birdman Brewing and Bob's Home Brew in Seattle for making this possible. I'd also like to thank [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7bEP8O-2Qw&feature=fvsr"]Honey Boo Boo Child[/ame]. Wait no, what the.?.!.? Sorry too many home brews :drunk:

So I dun brewed me up some hooch. Cousin Cletus said it was good, so I followed the following IPA Recipe found at my LHBS. The keg setup came from Birdman for an excellent price. I determined that one thing I wanted to do was go straight to a keg setup. One job, one fill and I'm done. I had an old wine fridge and figured that would work as my initial kegerator so I ordered the kegs, lines and tank. The Bird got the order and shipped it out ASAP, I practically received them only a couple days later. I unpacked them last week and filled the tank today.

The cool thing about the wine fridge is the clear door and light... I spent the last hour staring at this.



I also figured I needed at least two kegs so I got a dual setup as you can see by the extra red CO2 line. I only kegged the IPA tonight. My amber goes in within the next two weeks though I don't think the fridge can hold the extra corny, so I'm not sure exactly what to do just yet.

I really hadn't planned to be drinking my brew tonight, but with amazing weather in the Northwest this fall I planned another epic trip to the mountains with a buddy on Sunday to get more of this:



So I sanitized the keg tonight and moved the carboy to the fridge. With everyone in bed I racked the brew to the keg, hooked up the tank and decided to force carb my beer. 20 minutes and I had a damn good beer carb'd to a respectable level. Working it's way to 38* I set the PSI to 10-12 PSI and will check liquid temps and PSI over the next week.




So with that final shot of the brew. I'd give it 4 out of 5 stars. BlackRock Brewery is up and running. This brew definitely would have cost me $5/pint. It's just as good as anything down the street yet it tastes better.
 
I have been toying with kegging so, thanks for this thread. I am not quite there yet. I need to work a fridge. Then may move on to one or two kegs. BlackRock, what kind of fridge is that? Size wise?
 
It's one of the Haier 30 bottle wine fridges. We got it years ago but lately it's been just sitting in the basement unused. I think eventually I may make it into a fermenting chamber but for now it's doing a good job to keep my first keg cold. I'd read they only go down to 45* but right now the thermometer in there is reading 38-40* at the coldest setting. There isn't enough room to set both kegs side by side which is unfortunate but it was already in my basement.

This morning my CO2 tank psi reads a noticeable amount lower so I must have a leak somewhere? I checked everything from the CO2 tank regulator through to the lines when I set it up yesterday with soap so I wonder where I could be leaking? I guess I'll have to pull it all from the fridge and go over each of the fittings again. I think the only fittings I didn't check were the ball lock pieces themselves. I guess I could disconnect the keg and check it's pressure after a day to eliminate the leak at the keg or the tank. My guess is I'll need another 5lbs of CO2 if I don't find this leak fast.

Edit - So I took a minute to take a look again. The tanks PSI at full read close to 700psi (50bar) and this morning it reads just under 600psi. The piece I didn't account for was the fact I tossed the tank in the fridge, so it went from around 68* to 40*. I may not actually have a leak, it could just be the temp change of the cylinder causing the pressure drop. I guess later today I'll see if the psi reads any lower since it shouldn't change temp anymore.

I'll also add that my beer is now even hoppier and more bitter that it's dropped down to just below 40*. I liked it better last night, so maybe I need to raise the temp a bit or just drop the carb level. It sure seems like I've reached a pretty fast steady state with the partial pressures of the CO2. I have a perfect head and the carbonation seems pretty spot on if not a tad too much. Either way I'm loving this setup. It just feels so tricked out to have my own beer on draft. I now really understand the addiction to this hobby. :)
 
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