Keg system for $100, too good to be true?

Looking into getting a basic corny keg setup and ran across this holiday promotional offering. Is there something I'm missing or is it a pretty sweet deal.

http://stores.kegconnection.com/Detail.bok?no=415

The fine print:

Dispenses a Five Gallon, Cornelius/Firestone style 5 Gallon keg for Homebrew Beer/ Soda. This kit is designed to give you everything you need to dispense your homebrewed beer except for the refrigerator. This kit can also be used for portable applications. The Kit Includes: A RED 5# CO2 cylinder (empty... this CO2 cylinder is good from hydro testing until 04/2013!!!) 2 gauge CO2 Regulator built with an American body using high quality components, beer and gas hose setup, fully assembled with connectors and ready to go. Cornelius style 5-gallon ball lock keg, cleaned and pressure tested. Everything in this kit is new except the keg. However, the keg has been cleaned and inspected in a three-step process. They are rinsed, inspected internally, soaked in a hot Brew Clean solution and then rinsed again and pressurized with CO2. O-rings are greased with food grade lubricant. These kegs are in great shape, but could have dents or scratches.

They don't list very many details there though about what size the tank is or even if the keg is new or used. Since they're throwing in new o rings, I presumed used. But on NB the CO2 tank and regulator alone are $150....

Wibe said:

....what size the tank is or even if the keg is new or used...

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Really?

From Kegconnection.com:

craiginho said:

Dispenses a Five Gallon, Cornelius/Firestone style 5 Gallon keg for Homebrew Beer/ Soda. This kit is designed to give you everything you need to dispense your homebrewed beer except for the refrigerator. This kit can also be used for portable applications. The Kit Includes: A RED 5# CO2 cylinder (empty... this CO2 cylinder is good from hydro testing until 04/2013!!!) 2 gauge CO2 Regulator built with an American body using high quality components, beer and gas hose setup, fully assembled with connectors and ready to go. Cornelius style 5-gallon ball lock keg, cleaned and pressure tested. Everything in this kit is new except the keg. However, the keg has been cleaned and inspected in a three-step process. They are rinsed, inspected internally, soaked in a hot Brew Clean solution and then rinsed again and pressurized with CO2. O-rings are greased with food grade lubricant. These kegs are in great shape, but could have dents or scratches.

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Measure twice, cut once...

I think it's a fair price for what you're getting. Not sure if it's a steel or aluminum cylinder though.

Kegconnection is having a sale right now. Its the real deal , jump on it while you can. Just do a quick search for the vendor and you will see kegconnection is an awesome vendor. They have taken care of me in person, phone and email. If you need something custom, give them a call, otherwise order away.

I've seen this deal for this weekend and I just picked up my freezer today so I really wanna do this thing but I don't know a lot about it. I wanna be able to do up to 3 beers at a time

My questions are:
- If I only get the single gauge regulator how many beers can I dispense and carbonate?
- Is the only difference between single body and double body regulator the ability to dispense and carbonate at the same time?
- They have a kit with a single body reg, but with a manifold for 3 kegs. But it doesn't have the ability to carbonate and dispense at the same time. Is this a big deal? So, with the 2 keg kit I have the dual body reg and can carb and dispense at the same time, but only for 2 beers, leaving me to have to switch lines for the 3rd beer when it needs to be hooked up? And with the 3 keg kit, I can dispense 3 beers but without the ability to do 2 different pressures I can only dispense or only carbonate at one time without switching the hoses around? Is this correct? And if it is, which sounds like the easiest one to deal with?
- Is the digital thermostat really a lot better ($80 versus $50) than the manual one?
- Are the racetrack style kegs really that much of a pain or are they totally worth it for $17??

I really really want to get this thing going but once again have NO idea what I'm doing! Thanks for the help guys :rockin:

-The single gauge regulator does not limit how many beers you can dispense. You will have to either split the lines into many more lines with a Tee or 4 way splitter , or get a manifold. But this has nothing to do with the regulator.
-The difference between a single and dual body is the ability to serve 2 beers at different pressures. Sure some folks carbonate at higher pressures than serving pressure, but I advise against it.

-I have a single body, with a 4 way manifold and one of the line has a 4 way tee, so I am feeding 6 kegs. What ever you get you can grow it later. You can even add another body to a single body later. If you have the cash get the dual , if not ,no big deal.

-I have a digital and manual switch. I like them both. THe digital has more settings.
-The racetrack lids are fine. They carry parts and the lid oring are the same. On another thread someone said the diptube threads are different. I wouldn't worry about the lid, but you might want to call them on monday and ask Ben about the diptube orings.

The shipping is killer tho, it will be like $25 to ship all that. So you have to weigh out all the info. Even still its a good buy, even though I have a few keg setups I thought about getting this one and just selling the CO2 and Reg and keeping the rest. Probably would have come out even!

call up and order it. the website gives an estimate and charges you for it. if you call up and order they should give you an exact number which will most likely be a bit cheaper. i think it was like $18 for my 2 cornies, 5lb tank, dual body reg, etc. I called up and ordered a custom kit since i had some parts already. awesome people, worked with me on prices and such. would recommend them, even if you just order online.

I talked to a guy there yesterday, and he said the difference in the red CO2 tank is that the inspection only lasts for 4 years. New to kegging, I'm not sure what this means. Does this mean that it is an aluminum tank, and steel tank inspections last the full 10 years?
Regardless, I went ahead and ordered; you can't get a deal this good anywhere or anytime else, in my opinion. I have been looking for awhile in different online stores, my LHBS, and Craigslist. For a new setup that you can expand over time, this is a pretty good startup cost, IMHO.
I plan to get a 2-3 keg manifold with check valves in the future, and I also plan to get Perlick faucets. Christmas is just around the corner! I can accumulate customizations over time, but I am ready to get my porter on tap NOW!

The red C02 tanks are aluminum. I had a 5 pounder added to my last order as a spare. Excellent (new) condition. Highly recommend anything coming out of kegconnection.

I wish I had seen a deal like this when I got started kegging. I would jump on this if I was not already setup for kegging.

Yea, this is a good deal. The only way you are gonna beat those prices is hunt down some used equipment, but that takes time and energy w/ no warranty whatsoever, usually as is!

Great way to start and expand as you see fit. Hunt down a free craigslist fridge and you are kegging relatively dirt cheap.

Ordering ....right now!

Finally can keg!!! Early Christmas present to myself. :rockin:

The only problems now guys you will want more than one tap. I said I be fine with one tap, now 4 taps later I wished I had 5....lol

HOP-HEAD said:

The red C02 tanks are aluminum. I had a 5 pounder added to my last order as a spare. Excellent (new) condition. Highly recommend anything coming out of kegconnection.

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So, is $65 for a 10 lb CO2 tank a really good deal? And would it be that much better to have two tanks than one?

Also, is Brew Clean required to clean the kegs or will Oxy Clean work just as well?


Thanks again

Also, how do you keep beer from flowing between kegs without a check valve?

I'm trying to decide between the 2-3 keg setup and the 1 keg setup and I don't know which way to go. People insist that the 1 keg setup is fine and I can add whenever I want to by using tees, or I could just get the extras now since I'm pretty sure I'll be wanting them sooner than later!

duffman2 said:

So, is $65 for a 10 lb CO2 tank a really good deal? And would it be that much better to have two tanks than one?

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Not sure... I bought the red 5 pounder for $45.

My thoughts were that it's better to have two 5 lb tanks so that I have a spare to swap to when I run out... I can keep them filled in a rotation. Obviously, two 10's would be even better... but in my opinion, one 10 is not as nice as two 5's. But that's just an opinion.

Not to discourage anyone, but if you're gonna buy a second tank or spare, get a 20#. 20# are easily swapped and cost the same as filling a 5#. Lots of places cant exchange 5# because they are rare, so you have to find a place that fills 5 and 10#'s

duffman2 said:

I'm trying to decide between the 2-3 keg setup and the 1 keg setup and I don't know which way to go. People insist that the 1 keg setup is fine and I can add whenever I want to by using tees, or I could just get the extras now since I'm pretty sure I'll be wanting them sooner than later!

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Personally, I say go with the biggest you can afford. I cheaped out and went with the 2 keg set-up over the 3, and am already piecing the parts together for a 3rd.... and it's only been a month. I'm even beginning to think that I should have spaced the 2 taps I have for 4 in the long run instead of centered for 3....

HOP-HEAD said:

Personally, I say go with the biggest you can afford. I cheaped out and went with the 2 keg set-up over the 3, and am already piecing the parts together for a 3rd.... and it's only been a month. I'm even beginning to think that I should have spaced the 2 taps I have for 4 in the long run instead of centered for 3....

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Yeah, well I think you're right. I just called keg connections to order the 1 keg setup and talked myself right into the 3 keg setup. I knew deep down that I'd be kicking my own ass if I didn't do it. $430 later and my first keg setup is on its way!!:rockin:

This is way more than a hobby. I'll probably start selling my organs pretty soon to do the next upgrade. We only need one kidney, right??!

While we're on the subject of pricing, I've got a guy selling a setup consisting of a 20 lb. CO2 tank, regulator, two shanks and faucets, and some tubing for $70 (used, of course).

The guy isn't so great about communicating with me, so I don't have any specifics. I'm pretty sure he used the setup on commercial kegs.

Still, I've picked up two cornies and would like to eventually add a third (haven't brewed, let alone kegged yet). Does $70 sound like a decent deal?

Handle said:

While we're on the subject of pricing, I've got a guy selling a setup consisting of a 20 lb. CO2 tank, regulator, two shanks and faucets, and some tubing for $70 (used, of course).

The guy isn't so great about communicating with me, so I don't have any specifics. I'm pretty sure he used the setup on commercial kegs.

Still, I've picked up two cornies and would like to eventually add a third (haven't brewed, let alone kegged yet). Does $70 sound like a decent deal?

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that sounds like an awesome deal. Even just for the tank.

JesseRC said:

that sounds like an awesome deal. Even just for the tank.

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Cool, that's what I thought. Thanks for the response.

Now if I could just get this guy to contact me.

Handle said:

Cool, that's what I thought. Thanks for the response.

Now if I could just get this guy to contact me.

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Finally got him to pick up the phone, and I'm going to look at it tonight. :rockin:

I just ordered my single tap tower system from kegconnection for $140. sweet deal in my opinion

I am kicking myself just a little because I do desperately want at LEAST 2 taps, but I honestly just could not afford to get anymore then one, let alone afford to keep 2 beers on tap all the time. Im a dirt poor college student.

Do people really find that a single tap kiinda sucks, or is it just that need for expansion that comes with hobbies like this?

i ordered this kit grand total with shipping was $119. you cannot find a better deal, even my local place charges $140 for the Co2 tank with gauges and hose. i got my fridge on craigslist for $40. total price for draft beer at home = $160, can't wait! Plus, they have two faucet towers on ebay for $70!!!

Pivot said:

I just ordered my single tap tower system from kegconnection for $140. sweet deal in my opinion

I am kicking myself just a little because I do desperately want at LEAST 2 taps, but I honestly just could not afford to get anymore then one, let alone afford to keep 2 beers on tap all the time. Im a dirt poor college student.

Do people really find that a single tap kiinda sucks, or is it just that need for expansion that comes with hobbies like this?

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I'm too new to kegging to give you a real good perspective, but one tip I was given that I'm beginning to appreciate, was to have 1 more gas line than tap. That way you can always have one keg a few weeks into carbing when the other goes dead. I can only imagine that this is even more important with just one tap. ...and, the beauty is, as long as you've got the space for the other keg in the kegerator, the one extra gas line is dirt cheap.

HOP-HEAD said:

I'm too new to kegging to give you a real good perspective, but one tip I was given that I'm beginning to appreciate, was to have 1 more gas line than tap. That way you can always have one keg a few weeks into carbing when the other goes dead. I can only imagine that this is even more important with just one tap. ...and, the beauty is, as long as you've got the space for the other keg in the kegerator, the one extra gas line is dirt cheap.

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unfortunately my fridge is just barely big enough to even hold the one keg, so thats not all that possible for me... Now im getting worried, how long will it take me to get the next keg going after the first one runs dry?

Pivot-
You should send that single tower back that you paid $140 and check out ebay. They have brand new two faucet towers for as low as $70, now thats a good deal.

mike1978 said:

Pivot-
You should send that single tower back that you paid $140 and check out ebay. They have brand new two faucet towers for as low as $70, now thats a good deal.

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oh its not just the tower, its like the full kegerator conversion kit including a corny and a 5# CO2 tank.

Pivot said:

unfortunately my fridge is just barely big enough to even hold the one keg, so thats not all that possible for me... Now im getting worried, how long will it take me to get the next keg going after the first one runs dry?

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if you have 2 kegs just brew up a batch and keg it, occasionally pull the gas line off the tapped keg and put it on the standby, to carb it.

Pivot said:

unfortunately my fridge is just barely big enough to even hold the one keg, so thats not all that possible for me... Now im getting worried, how long will it take me to get the next keg going after the first one runs dry?

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A week until it's drinkable, 2-3 weeks before it's "right".... the way I do it. Shorter if you up the gas as many do, I just haven't yet seen the need. I just set it and forget it.

If I was limited to space for one, though, I'd spend more time reading up on natural carbing in the keg. That way you could transfer it into the keg a few weeks ahead of running dry, toss in some yeast, and store as you normally would for bottles... once you run out of beer in the kegerator, the replacement would be ready as soon as you cooled it down... or something close, don't take my word on the details, I've never done it.

HOP-HEAD said:

A week until it's drinkable, 2-3 weeks before it's "right".... the way I do it. Shorter if you up the gas as many do, I just haven't yet seen the need. I just set it and forget it.

If I was limited to space for one, though, I'd spend more time reading up on natural carbing in the keg. That way you could transfer it into the keg a few weeks ahead of running dry, toss in some yeast, and store as you normally would for bottles... once you run out of beer in the kegerator, the replacement would be ready as soon as you cooled it down... or something close, don't take my word on the details, I've never done it.

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I thought I read somewhere that there is a way to have a newly kegged batch carbed in like a day. is this true?

Carbed, yes. Conditioned, no.

Look at the Force Carbing sticky for the burst carbing methods.

Pivot said:

I thought I read somewhere that there is a way to have a newly kegged batch carbed in like a day. is this true?

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I would not do shake method on your first keg. Trust me, you want your first experience with kegging to be a good one. Nothing worse than troubleshooting a foam issue on your first keg. Just set it to serving pressure and forget it, or drink it as its carbing , no big deal.

JesseRC said:

I would not do shake method on your first keg. Trust me, you want your first experience with kegging to be a good one. Nothing worse than troubleshooting a foam issue on your first keg. Just set it to serving pressure and forget it, or drink it as its carbing , no big deal.

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i force carb'd my first keg, turned out fine...i didn't push it all the way to carb level though. was fully carb'd within the first way doing a partial force carb.

Sounds said:

i force carb'd my first keg, turned out fine...i didn't push it all the way to carb level though. was fully carb'd within the first way doing a partial force carb.

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I think what he's trying to get at is the fact that simply setting the keg to 10-12 psi (or more precisely to the style and temp as applicable) and leaving it alone for a week or two or three should be stressed as the most desirable, simplest, easiest to master method. If someone wants beer fast later, fine, but this page is over-run with the "my beer is foamy", "I shook it now it foams", and/or "I set it at 30 psi and shook the crap out of it" threads to choke a horse.....