Can I Start Kegging Before I Have Everything?

I want to move into kegging but can't get everything at once. Can I just get the kegs, beging conditioning in them, and get the rest of the stuff in a month or so? Do I need the CO2 right away?

You can keg condition them by priming them with dextrose or any other fermentable and letting them naturally condition. You only need CO2 if plan on force carbing.

My first couple of times kegging (in borrowed cornies), I primed in the keg with sugar. Works fine, but you won't be able to serve it until you get at least a picnic tap and some form of CO2.

Some corny keg lids don't fit very snug, and therefore require a quick blast at 20 psi or so to seal them up. If your kegs have lids like that, you will not be able to naturally carb without getting a CO2 tank first. I suppose you could build pressure in the keg some other way and do a test on the lids with a spray bottle of star san solution.

You may run into an issue if the keg does not seal itself when not pressurized. Normally, you would kit the keg with CO2 pressure to initially seat the seals. If you are bottle conditioning with a keg and and the keg does leak without being initially pressurized, the conditioning of the beer would not be forceful and quick enough to set the seals. So all the CO2 you were trying to absorb into the beer would be leaked out, leaving a flat keg.

Edit- What PVH said.

Thanks. I don't need to serve them for awhile so I have time to get the co2 and other stuff.

... and we all responded at the same time. lol. I'll probably have to splurge right away then.

Actually what they say can be true. I had one that needed a blast of CO2 like that. Do you have a friend or friendly homebrew store who could give you a blast of CO2 to get them set?

BB- I think I'll "phone a friend" and go that route. I'd just need to seal them. Also, is the pin lock or ball lock better or does it really matter?

The choice between pin or ball usually comes down to availability. Ball locks are usually a little easier to find, and easier to get parts for locally. Pin locks have the advantage that it's impossible to put the wrong QD on the wrong post. Ball locks are slightly taller and thinner than the shorter fatter pin locks, so depending on the shape of your kegerator/keezer/beer fridge you may be able to fit more of one style than the other. The guy who sells ball locks here locally on craigslist is a good guy to deal with, and all of the kegs I've bought from him sealed up great. IIRC he lives near Corona de Tucson, so not too far from you.

I started kegging without CO2 and never had an issue. To test if the keg will seal without a tank, just seal the keg up in a cold corner of your house and then set it in the sun for 30 min. Pull the pressure relief valve to check if it's holding pressure well. Some keg lube on the lid o-rings is a good idea if you aren't able to seat the lids with forced pressure.

Hey Juan, is it this guy? http://tucson.craigslist.org/for/2264098801.html

Another option you can do is to get a portable CO2 charger to blast the seals, like this one: http://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Innovations-Cornelius-Keg-Charger/dp/B000NV9CE6. They don't have enough to force carbonate it, but it will be enough to blast the seals with some pressure.

beninan said:

Another option you can do is to get a portable CO2 charger to blast the seals, like this one: http://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Innovations-Cornelius-Keg-Charger/dp/B000NV9CE6. They don't have enough to force carbonate it, but it will be enough to blast the seals with some pressure.

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That's not a bad idea either. Thanks.

RiverBirchBrew said:

Hey Juan, is it this guy? http://tucson.craigslist.org/for/2264098801.html

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Yep. He's a member here also, but his mailbox is usually full. I think his username is Malt-O-Meal. He used to have a lot of beat up kegs he sold for $15-$25 ea, but I think all he has now are the nicer ones for $30. Even his "beat up" kegs looked nicer than the ones at Brew Your Own.