Thanks to a Home Depot Clearance I am joining the ranks

I swung by Home Depot today and saw a 10 cu ft Magic Chef freezer on clearance for $170, so the wife said go for it.

I have already ordered a Ranko ETC 111000 to pair it up with so now I am piecing together a tower setup from kegkits.com (the wife really wants towers vs. a collar setup so that a tap not accidentally bumped as we are carrying stuff in the back door next to where the kegerator will be)

Friday I am going to go get some kegs and I just read about corny kegs being able to double as fermenters. Since I am getting the kegs for $15 I can't think of a cheaper fermenter to get, so I am thinking I might as well buy a few extra.

Is there anything else you guys recommend me getting?

Mainly I just needed to share with people that can appreciate how excited I am

Congrats! It really helps with an understanding SWMBO!

Get as many cornies as you can get your hands on! Everybody ALWAYS wants more. Just FYI you can't use them for primary fermentation (they aren't big enough unless you go down to about a 4G batch) but they're great for secondary conditioning.

Corny kegs do NOT make good primary fermenters, they are far too small - so don't be too quick to give up on your carboys/buckets. Often people will skip secondary and go straight to a keg since a kegged beer still bulk conditions just the same, then you can pour off the sediment in the first few pints.

However, if you've got a place to buy kegs for the low price of $15, you might as well stock up regardless of whether you can use them as primaries - it seems everyone who starts kegging always ends up wanting more kegs than they thought they would, myself included.

I am still playing with head space issues using corny's as primary fermenters~~ but my AG batch size is 2.5 gallons. Keep your ale pale and glass for now.

Otherwise yes, buy all the cornies you can fit in your house because you aren't going to bottle much beer for a while. Draw up a growler to take to a party, sure. Sterilize 50 bottles? bwa-ha-ha. Welcome to the dark side.

$15!

I hate you!

I currently need more, and can't get them for less than $35 apiece!

Sea said:

$15!

I hate you!

I currently need more, and can't get them for less than $35 apiece!

Click to expand...

I'd kill for $35! I have to pay $55CAD!

Here 25 bucks for one that seals, but has a few dents...30 bucks for one with less dents, 35 bucks for almost perfect one. 15 bucks for a "parts keg"....They all come with a new O-ring kit....I ususally get the 25-30 dollar ones. I dont care if they have dents as long as they seal and beer runs out when you pull the tap...

You wont be sorry you started kegging....

Sea said:

$15!

I hate you!

I currently need more, and can't get them for less than $35 apiece!

Click to expand...

Just keep reading down these forum listings!!! Check here:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=46176

4 kegs 20 bucks each, currently available, cleaned, sanitized and extra O-ring kit. Heck of a deal. I loved mine.

Yeah, I guess I should have said that I read the cornies make good conditioning containers, not fermenters.

Do you guys think 8 is a good starting number? I am trying to keep the shock factor down for the wife by not rolling in with an entire truck full of kegs. I figure that is a good cutoff between not worth driving the 40 minutes and not going overboard.

cowgo said:

Just keep reading down these forum listings!!! Check here:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=46176

4 kegs 20 bucks each, currently available, cleaned, sanitized and extra O-ring kit. Heck of a deal. I loved mine.

Click to expand...

+1, excellent kegs, all held air so I saved the extra o ring for later use. Cahrlie

Eight kegs will be an excellent starting number. It's a lot, but not overwhelming.

Sea, there's a guy in portland on craigslist that's consistantly selling kegs between $15 to $20 if you can make it up this way any time soon. He sells them quite often.

Jonio,
I know where you're getting your kegs!
I drove up there in September, bought all I could get in my car (5 since it's a miata!)
and thought I'd be satisfied, since I had 8. I have 3 in use for long term food storage, so I'm back to 5, and wish I had a couple of spares.

Yeah, buy all you think you can get. Do you do 5 or 10 gallon batches? 8 with 5 gallon batches would be plenty. I do 10 gallon batches and have 20. That's only 10 batches and I keep 5 beers on tap. It gives me enough to have several big beers bulk aging for awhile and I can still keep the session beers rolling through.

I have read several posts/articles about people doing primary fermentation in cornies using Foam Control to keep the krausen under control. Has anyone here tried this? If so, what did you think of it? From my understanding, Foam Control has no effect on head rentention. Is this correct? The idea of a completely closed system from fermentation to tap is interesting.

TWilson said:

I have read several posts/articles about people doing primary fermentation in cornies using Foam Control to keep the krausen under control. Has anyone here tried this? If so, what did you think of it? From my understanding, Foam Control has no effect on head rentention. Is this correct? The idea of a completely closed system from fermentation to keg is interesting.

Click to expand...

Personally I wouldn't want to do it just because of the smaller batch size. If you figure you lose a couple litres (half a gallon say) of the batch to trub that means you won't have a full keg of beer.

Jonio, I thought Kegkits had the cornies for 19.00 each?? Would that not offset the cost of the gas to go get the other kegs??

Great to see another Huntsvegas brewer also......I got a keg setup fom Tom at Kegkits for Xmas, and I am carbing my Dead guy clone tonight....


Chad

Awesome Chad I hope it all goes well with your kegging (that way I have someone to holler to if I have problems )- I will have to double check with Tom, but his site only has pin lock for that price and I really want to do ball lock.

Right now I am doing 5 gallon batches with 2 on tap, working my way up to 4 taps. I think it will be a while before I go to 10 gallon all grain. The one on tap and one brewing for the 4 is where I came up with 8 - on the flipside though I was thinking if I buy 10-12 and don't need them I am betting I could find someone to take them off my hands.

sorry, didn't see that you wanted ball lock kegs....I will have to check it again......

I would take some off your hands...i can always use an extra keg


Edit: you were right, they are pin lock....my bad....