Kegging 101... anyone?

Ok, I have been toying with the idea of kegging for awhile and a friend just offered me his equipment. He used to keg and claims to have about 5-10 coca-cola kegs, regulator, tap etc, everything except the CO2 tank and a fridge.

So, how do I know the equipment is still good? Another person told me the kegs will expire.

And secondly, for a complete noob, what do I do?

And thirdly, pros and cons of filtering and how to?

There is probably already a thread that covers all of this, if so, just point me in the right direction.

I am in the same boat, I am anxious to see your replies.

billc68 said:

Ok, I have been toying with the idea of kegging for awhile and a friend just offered me his equipment. He used to keg and claims to have about 5-10 coca-cola kegs, regulator, tap etc, everything except the CO2 tank and a fridge.

So, how do I know the equipment is still good? Another person told me the kegs will expire.

And secondly, for a complete noob, what do I do?

And thirdly, pros and cons of filtering and how to?

There is probably already a thread that covers all of this, if so, just point me in the right direction.

Click to expand...

1) The kegs themselves are good as long as they hold pressure. You'll probably need to replace all the O-Rings and lube them up with keg-lube (which is easy and costs just a few bucks), but that's usually it. CO2 canisters expire after five years or so, but they can usually be exchanged or re-certified for fairly cheap.

2) http://www.northernbrewer.com/documentation/Kegging.pdf

3) Filtering requires you to push the beer from one keg through the filter into another keg. Pros are that you can get crystal-clear; even sterile beer (why anyone would want to make "dead" beer at home is beyond me), cons are that it costs extra money for the equipment and filter pads (which need to be replaced after every batch or two), the possibility of clogged filters, and time - depending on how clean you want your beer, you have to filter multiple times with different filters.

It should be noted that virtually the entire supply of used 5G Cornelius kegs were at some point holding a soda product from Coke or Pepsi. Since they are made from stainless steel, they have an almost unlimited lifespan provided the seals are replaced (soda smell stays with the rubber o-rings : they should be replaced when using with beer) and they are cleaned properly. If you just plan on replacing the o-rings, you'll be set back a few bucks per keg, but after you disassemble, clean, and replace these parts- they'll be ready to go. Just don't use bleach on them.

I try to find matching kegs, since it makes for easier sourcing of replacement parts and swapping of pieces should the need arise. My poppets are the same, pressure relief valves are the same...dip tupes are the same...etc.

The only catch I've found so far with using old gear is that my local CO2 distributor has a big sign behind their counter that says "WE WILL NOT FILL PEPSI/COKE CO2 TANKS!!" ... I learned that 20# CO2 tanks with either a blue top or a red top are Pepsi/Coke tanks. Lucky for me, an older gentleman at the counter believed my [true] story about where I obtained the tank from and put a company sticker on it for future fillings.

Anywho, grab some kegs, a CO2 tank with regulator, some tubing+1/4" threaded fittings, some pin or ball lock quick-connects (depending on the kegs you get) and have some fun!

the best thing about kegging.
that you don't have to wash/sanitize 60 bottles. all you wash/ sanitize is one keg, plus few bottles for leftovers.
it takes less space since you dont have hundreds of bottles waiting to be carb.
force carb, no yeast at the bottom of bottles.

only con would be the cost.
kegs, tap, fridge, co2 tank, regulator.

I think the time you will save not washing the bottles will pay for the keg system pretty quick.

Free Equipment is Free Equipment...Accept it figure out what you can reuse and buy what you need to make the kit complete........On second thought those are bad please send them to me for proper disposal!

Kegging FAQ: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/sticky-kegging-faqs-43347/

Lots and lots of good info there.

brewagentjay said:

Free Equipment is Free Equipment...Accept it figure out what you can reuse and buy what you need to make the kit complete........On second thought those are bad please send them to me for proper disposal!

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I never said it was free, but I will be getting everything I need minus the CO2 tank and 7-8 kegs for $200 CDN.

I noticed in another thread people were using chest freezers for a fridge, how do I do this? are they adjustable enough to get cool temps or do I need to modify the thermostat? I don't care for "ice cold" beer, I like it cool 5-10 C (not sure what that is in American terms ) I have a small freezer and want to replace it anyway, could be a win win! If this is too complicated, I will just pick up a mini fridge.

I have also heard of bottling from your keg, and getting a bottled beer with almost zero sediment (did a quick search on here, no luck). Is this possible?

billc68 said:

I have also heard of bottling from your keg, and getting a bottled beer with almost zero sediment (did a quick search on here, no luck). Is this possible?

Click to expand...

Yeah, it freaks people out at home brew club meetings too.

For the chest freezer, you'll need to get a temp controller that basically shuts off and turns on the freezer to keep a certain temp. If you are handy, you can get a love controller and wire it into the freezer bypassing the thermostat that is built in. These are around $50. If you are not handly, like me, you can buy a digital Johnson or Ranco controller for $75ish. Johnson's have an anti short cycle feature which is nice so I get those for applications where I will always use it for either heating or cooling. I use these for fermentation too where sometimes I want to heat and sometimes cool so I get the Ranco which is easier to switch from heating and cooling mode. Both of these work by plugging into the wall, you plug the freezer into it, and then a temp probe goes inside the freezer. The device shuts the freezer on and off to maintain temperature.

There is also a less expensive Johnson analog controller, but it has a 3 degree F differential (6 degree swing) so if you can live with that, you can save some money. IMO that is probably fine for a kegerator but not good enough for fermentation.

So bottom line, for a kegerator if you are handy get a love (or the cheap chinese version people have been posting about on here) otherwise get an analog or digital johnson depending on how much money you want to spend and whether or not you can live with the 6 degree swing.

Most homebrew stores will sell one or two of these models.

There's no need to filter and the prior response on Orings, etc is correct. The kegs shoud last forever. You should purchase new Orings at $1 - $2 bucks/keg and possibly new poppets (approx $2/ea). If you have pin locks you'll need a special socket. Yes, get keg lube. Very cheap.