Corny vs 1/6 Sanke for kegging

Just wondered if you guys had any input on one vs the other.

I have 2 cornies and one 1/6 sanke so far. The cornies were going to be used for kegging while the sanke was going to be the HEX in my HERMS system.

So far I don't keg yet and have't built my brew rig, so things can still be changed.

What do you guys think? Is there a clear winner? Pluses and minuses for each I suppose.

Here are my thoughts on the distinctions.

Cornies are cheap, durable, readily available, easily rebuildable with cheap spare parts that are easy to find, easy to clean, and they use low-cost quick disconnects for gas-in and beer-out.

1/6th barrel Sanke are even more durable than cornies. They are relatively (compared to a cornie) expensive and hard to find used. The Sanke coupler and connectors are more expensive than the QDs for the soda kegs, but the design results in a slightly more secure connection (imo). They are also a little heavier and slightly taller and a little wider in diameter than a cornie, so you might not be able to fit as many in your kegerator/keezer. They are more difficult to clean than a cornie since you don't have good access to the inside.


I think a 1/6th barrel Sanke setup would be very slick. It's serious bling (that almost no one gets to see) and the coupling/connector system can't be beat. But I decided to go with cornies when I built my 8 tap keezer. This was mainly due to much lower cost compared to using 1/6th barrel Sanke. If you are making 10 gallon brews, consider that you'll want double or more the number of kegs than you have taps available since either type of keg only holds about 5 gallons. Also, head clearance in my keezer wasnt' an issue since I could make it as tall as I needed, but I was able to fit one more cornie in my Keezer than I could have with 1/6th bbl kegs.

I use and vote Sanke. The 1/6 and 1/4 (7.75 gal) kegs work well. I have never heard of a Sanke inadvertantly discharging gallons of beer to the keezer floor? Cornies have more fittings and opportunities for leakage. IMHO the Sanke D connector is more reliable. Cornies are smaller and lighter for easier handling and more efficient use of space.

The benefits of sanke far outweigh corny (without factoring in cost). I have nine sanke's for my 5 tap kegerator and they are very durable, easy to use, and almost completely without troublesome issues. I've never had a leak, a bad valve, an unseated gasket, etc... If you need more proof, just look to what the pro's use.

At some point, this thread may turn to cornies being easier to clean due to their large opening. While I agree they do have a large opening, a scoop of oxy and an overnight soak takes care of just about everything. If they are especially nasty (like if they've had some really old beer for awhile when you get it), do multiple overnight soaks (dump and add fresh). A 4" pvc pipe with a cap makes an excellent place to soak the spears.

ajwillys said:

...a scoop of oxy and an overnight soak takes care of just about everything. If they are especially nasty (like if they've had some really old beer for awhile when you get it), do multiple overnight soaks (dump and add fresh)...

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Do you worry about beer-stone cleaning in this way? I've read/heard that soaking in Oxy can't clear kegs of beer-stone.

I'm wondering because I got my hands on some 12th barrel kegs, but they have what I believe is commonly called "Miller" spears. Basically, the spears aren't as easy to remove, so the kegs won't be as easy to clean outside of forcing in solution and soaking.

I'm trying to figure out if it's possible to keep them clean without ever opening them up, or if I'm just going to have to bite the bullet and get those dip tubes out.

Use dishwasher detergent powder or PBW to clean kegs. Either one is more effective than Oxyclean. It only takes 20 minutes with occasional agitation, no overnight soaks necessary. I've read that extended soaks in PBW can damage o-rings. I don't do extended soaks, and I mostly use Cascade dishwasher detergent anyway, so I haven't seen any problem.

If I won the lottery, I'd be going with Sanke kegs, all brand new kegs of the same type. Less hassle than trying to acquire a used keg here and there. Advantages are that you could buy them all at once, from one vendor, all new and clean, with the same types of valves, and with a clean conscience (knowing that they weren't acquired by forfeiting a deposit). They cost around $140 each from CHI Company (20 liter with US D-style valve). I'd need 16 of them minimum, a significant one time investment.

I'm sticking with cornies until I win the lottery.

Good input. Thanks. I believe I can fit 8 cornies in my soon-to-be keezer, but probably only 7 sankes, which won't be a problem since I will only be running 6 taps.

The other price issue would be the connector, ball locks are about $13 for a pair to do one keg, while the sanke connector is about $40 with fittings.

A guy around here has a few sankey 1/6th for sale for $25 each. Price might be too good to pass up, but he's 2hrs from me, so that sucks.

billtzk said:

Use dishwasher detergent powder or PBW to clean kegs. Either one is more effective than Oxyclean. It only takes 20 minutes with occasional agitation, no overnight soaks necessary. I've read that extended soaks in PBW can damage o-rings. I don't do extended soaks, and I mostly use Cascade dishwasher detergent anyway, so I haven't seen any problem.

If I won the lottery, I'd be going with Sanke kegs, all brand new kegs of the same type. Less hassle than trying to acquire a used keg here and there. Advantages are that you could buy them all at once, from one vendor, all new and clean, with the same types of valves, and with a clean conscience (knowing that they weren't acquired by forfeiting a deposit). They cost around $140 each from CHI Company (20 liter with US D-style valve). I'd need 16 of them minimum, a significant one time investment.

I'm sticking with cornies until I win the lottery.

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I use PBW in my brew operations, but my question still stands. Without scrubbing, is it possible to really clean the keg over the long haul?

billtzk said:

I've read that extended soaks in PBW can damage o-rings.

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What o-rings? There are only two pieces of rubber on a sanke and they both come out when you remove the spear.

DrDarwin said:

I use PBW in my brew operations, but my question still stands. Without scrubbing, is it possible to really clean the keg over the long haul?

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I've been using the same sanke's since around December 2008 and I haven't noticed any build up. I check them regularly with a light.

DrDarwin said:

Do you worry about beer-stone cleaning in this way? I've read/heard that soaking in Oxy can't clear kegs of beer-stone.

I'm wondering because I got my hands on some 12th barrel kegs, but they have what I believe is commonly called "Miller" spears. Basically, the spears aren't as easy to remove, so the kegs won't be as easy to clean outside of forcing in solution and soaking.

I'm trying to figure out if it's possible to keep them clean without ever opening them up, or if I'm just going to have to bite the bullet and get those dip tubes out.

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Beer stone takes a very long time to build up, and if you do get some beer stone deposits it's easy enough to clean it using beer stone remover or another acid without removing the spears. As for the miller spears, once you get it open once, you can break off or remove the metal tab that makes them a PITA to remove/install. There's at least one thread on here detailing how to open that type of keg, and while more difficult than a standard type D, it's really not that bad.

MonkeyWrench said:

The other price issue would be the connector, ball locks are about $13 for a pair to do one keg, while the sanke connector is about $40 with fittings.

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FWIW sanke couplers are very easy to find used, unlike corny QD's. I have ~6 sanke couplers and I paid on average <$20 each including fittings. I got several of them in the classifieds section here.

DrDarwin said:

I use PBW in my brew operations, but my question still stands. Without scrubbing, is it possible to really clean the keg over the long haul?

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Yes. There are billions of commercial kegs in circulation with an expected 30-40 year service life that never get any scrubbing.

JuanMoore said:

Yes. There are billions of commercial kegs in circulation with an expected 30-40 year service life that never get any scrubbing.

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Gross.

All this talk is quickly convincing me to pressure-ferment in 7.5gal Sanke's. Hmmm. Kyle

ajwillys said:

What o-rings? There are only two pieces of rubber on a sanke and they both come out when you remove the spear.

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That was intended as a warning where applicable, not necessarily Sanke kegs. For example, when cleaning soda kegs (which is what I use), extended soaks in PBW could damage the o-rings, of which there are several.