Help please, is this Kegging setup a good deal?

I want to get in to kegging using the commonly available 5 gallon kegs. The current plan is to have everything in a large fridge, and eventually, down the road, install a tap in the door.

I found this locally and want to buy it, but I don't know enough about it to make an informed decision. The seller also knows nothing about it as he bought it and never got around to using it.

Does it look like ball or pin connection? I think its a 2lb tank but might be a 5lb.

It it worth the price?

http://greenville.craigslist.org/app/1760992448.html

I'd take it. You probably won't be able to use all the parts for corny kegs, but the regulator and tank are worth it by itself. I also couldn't see the dates on the tank, so you might have to get it retested or trade it in for an in date one.

Thanks, I read about the 5 year re-testing, how much does this normally cost?

JonClayton said:

Thanks, I read about the 5 year re-testing, how much does this normally cost?

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I normally just trade my co2 tanks in so I never worry about testing costs. If you want to use corneys, then this won't be a direct fit since this is not ball or pin lock, its actually sanke. Sanke is your standard keg though, so if you find a 5g sanke keg, you could use that if you wanted. There are a few here that use sanke.

I would say its a decent price. Not the best faucet in the world... but even if you go with ball lock corney kegs in the future, this would not be bad to have around the house. You can use the tap for most commercial kegs (ie. you throw a party and want to serve a keg of Sierra Nevada or something).

and if i understand correctly I should be able to use the tank, and regulator on a normal corny if I get new lines correct?

I can pick up a "picnic" faucet for time being?

Sorry for noob questions, wasnt planning on jumping on this quite yet, but I don't want to let a deal pass if its a good deal.

The tank and regulator are ready to rock and roll (making the assumption that the regulator works, hopefully he still has some co2 in the tank to prove the regulator is good). You would want to replace the liquid line, but the gas line is fine. Just need the other connectors (ball or pin lock) if you go the route of corneys.

You don't *have* to get a picnic faucet. That one would probably work just fine. Really, the only part holding you back would be the tap itself.

Definately worth the asking price. You could either sell the sanke tap for $10-$15, or keep it in case you ever want to get a keg of commercial beer. The shank and faucet aren't ideal, but they'd probably work for you after a good cleaning. All you'd really need to buy to get going is a corny keg/s, quick disconnects, some new beer line/gas line, and get the gas tank filled/exchanged. Looks to me like at least a 5# tank, maybe even a 10#. If I could read the stamps on it a little better I could tell what size tank it was and when it was last tested.

JonClayton said:

Thanks, I read about the 5 year re-testing, how much does this normally cost?

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Depends on where you live and what size tank. Around here it costs anywhere from $10-$25 for a hydrotest, and about $12-$18 to fill/exchange a smaller tank like that.

Thank you guys. He said the tank is ~20 inches tall. He is bringing it by my office tomorrow. One small step closer to not having to bottle anymore

I received the equipment today. The tank had a little co2 left so i was able to test the regulator and it works.

It's hard to read the numbers engraved, but it looks like it says something like 1.57kg-F2.0kg on the side.. Does that mean this is roughly a 4 lb tank?

I don't see any date info, so I guess I will be trading in.

JonClayton said:

I received the equipment today. The tank had a little co2 left so i was able to test the regulator and it works.

It's hard to read the numbers engraved, but it looks like it says something like 1.57kg-F2.0kg on the side.. Does that mean this is roughly a 4 lb tank?

I don't see any date info, so I guess I will be trading in.

Click to expand...

All the info should be there, but it can be a little hard to decipher the numbers.

For the hydro date, look for 4 numbers and a letter (or sometimes symbol), often with the letter in the middle. The first two numbers are the month it was tested, the last two numbers are the year it was tested, and the letter indicates where it was tested. It may have several such stamps, as it may have been tested many times.

For the tare weight (how much the tank weighs when empty) look for a T or TW followed by a number. This is very handy to know, because you can easily tell how full the tank is by weighing it.