Help - Mini Kegerator Question

Hello, not sure this is the appropriate forum but I did spend a ton of time searching and can't find an answer so thought I'd ask here. While we are not brewing our own beer quite yet, my husband wants a Kegerator for his birthday. We would never have use for a full size keg so I'm looking at the ones that hold 5 Liter kegs - we don't drink Heineken so I'm looking at ones that hold standard mini kegs. My question is this - since we don't brew, are we able to fill these standard 5 liter kegs at our local tap houses and use a mini kegerator to keep the beer fresh and cold? Since this beer will already by carbonated, I'm not sure how it works...this is what I"m looking at getting for him.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AYO4QYM/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Thank you!

... if you are going to brew your own save your money. You can get a used 5 gallon keg for $29.99 frequently. This $160 would go a long way towards getting the lines, regulator and everything else you need. While you say you'd never need a fullsize keg, if you ever do get to brewing .. you probably will ..

Hi Linds. I see a lot of posts on Craigslist for these mini kegerators because people stop using them. I'm not sure where you live but the only way to find out is to call around to the breweries or keg stores. I'm guessing probably not but could be totally wrong. I searched mini kegs and immediately found this link: https://learn.kegerator.com/mini-keg-beers-for-the-mini-kegerator/. It seems like it is used for a limited selection of draft beers although some people with time and no-how use them for more. I think the kegs are more of a soft metal so you need to be careful when cleaning them. Take what you need from this and keep researching.

And here's a thread just on the 5L kegs. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=82638. Hope that helps a little more. Good luck!

One additional thought, the mini kegerators aren't really for craft beer. If he enjoys craft beer over the big name brand lager beers like Bud Light and so on, then I personally wouldn't waste time and money on something like this. If there's any chance he may Brew his own beer then research home brewing and get a starter kit for him or a gift card to a home brew store and let him go and talk to them to get a better feel on the whole idea. Or better yet, see if a local brewery/home brew store offers classes to see if he likes it first. Much cheaper than committing.

I still only Brew 5 gallons at a time and bottle my beer. A lot more work than kegging. 5 gallons is roughing 50-55 beers and kegs/bottles stay good for months after you keg/bottle. I can drink my home brew in as little as three weeks from start to finish. Don't buy those cheep and quick beer kits because you'll only turn him off of brewing most likely.

What you linked to is actually a beer dispensing system and not kegertor While 5 liters may seem like a nice volume, these are really single party day sizes. They use CO2 cartridges, which is convenient, but they will only keep the beer fresh for more than a day or two (some people can keep them in a refrigerator for up to a week, but thats about it)

There are real kegerators that use CO2 canisters (usually 5lbs). While the idea of a full keg or a 5 gallon corney keg may be too much, the good news is that these kegs now come in mini sizes like the 1.5 gallon torpedo keg and the 1.75 gallon cannonball keg.

The advantage is that they are already fitted with the standard ball lock valve for very easy connecting and disconnecting.

They can be filled like any growler at your local tap house that fills growlers. They might look at you strange but once you explain your mini keg is actually a growler they will get the idea.

When you get home, you add CO2 then purge it by lifting the relief value. You do this two or three time to remove whatever air was in there since oxygen is beer's enemy. Since these require air pressure to properly seal the lid, the drive home needs to be direct and steady. Since the beer is already carbonated, after purging the oxygen, set the regulator at dispensing pressure (about 10lbs but that is another chart) and relief the excess pressure.

drink



Kegerators can come with either the standard tapping systems (the classic commercial keg center tap) or the corney keg (for homebrewers and your case the mini kegs). Don't worry of you find one that has the commercial tapping lines, the fittings can be easily cut off and refitted with the quick release ball valves (coney kegs). Just be aware there are two types.

If he decides to venture into home brewing, he'll be all set to keg his own brew,

I'll play devils advocate, some of the home brew supply stores sell the kegs for these systems and it sounds like they work well for some people. Reviews on these kegs suggest they only last about 10 uses. I like the idea of em but here's my points of hesitation:

*Crimped edges as opposed to a smooth welded surface as found in kegs will be extremely difficult to clean.

*Plated steel as opposed to stainless. plating can become compromised exposing the underlying steel which can corrode and cause either off flavors or rupture.

*Why do they only last for 10 refills? They certainly don't go from fully functional to non functional when you empty that 10th refill. Presumably they begin degrading over time. Maybe the corrosion mentioned above? Seems risky for my beer and they are pricy enough to where it's probably not worth the investment for me.

NSMikeD said:

They can be filled like any growler at your local tap house that fills growlers. They might look at you strange but once you explain your mini keg is actually a growler they will get the idea.

When you get home, you add CO2 then purge it by lifting the relief value.

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I've considered bringing a corny down to be filled at the local brewery when my home brew runs out. I'd probably just bring the CO2 to the brewery with me so I can purge and pressurize before loading up for the trip home. I'm a little OCD like that though.

The idea of walking into a bar with a corny keg and asking for a fill up is pretty funny

Here's another option. I've never used one for homebrew but a local brewery sells these (with a deposit for the pig). Much cheaper than the mini keg, easier to clean and to transport and it'll last longer than a mini keg.

https://www.partypig.beer/STORE.aspx

Thanks everyone. He's not so much interested in brewing at the moment - due to time, he works a ton. But wants to be able to have more than just a growler of craft beer in the fridge at a time or when we go camping or have friends over, and have it not go bad in a day. I'm reading that this *could* work for us, but only if my local tap houses will fill them (I could take 5 empty growlers and pay for those to be filled..?) and as long as this mini system keeps the beer fresh for longer than a day or 2. I did order it, found free shipping, so if he decides it's not for him, he'll return it. Ideally I'd like an actual full size kegerator but just not in the budget right now. I'm also learning that while I love craft beer as well, and I do, I have alot to learn about the brewing process...maybe that'll be my next thread! Thanks again, cheers!

Drink tanks 128 oz growler with the lid/co2/tap accessory. Allows you to get a gallon and serve just like a keg without the beer going flat or getting oxidized. It is a bit pricey compared to a corny keg but does work. Below is a link to the growler and lid. The other option and in my opinion would be to get a small keggerator and corny kegs. Many brew pubs will fill a 5 gallon corny keg for a very reasonable price. The 2 pubs closest to me fill corny kegs for $40. A good investment even if not brewing.

https://www.amazon.com/DrinkTanks-Vacuum-Insulated-Stainless-Growler/dp/B018A0C97S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1485384014&sr=8-1&keywords=128+oz+growler

https://www.amazon.com/DrinkTanks-Keg-Cap-Accessory-Kit/dp/B00JBOVUE6/ref=pd_bxgy_79_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=AX731ZM57NWYTWDS3341

Toga said:

Drink tanks 128 oz growler with the lid/co2/tap accessory. Allows you to get a gallon and serve just like a keg without the beer going flat or getting oxidized. It is a bit pricey compared to a corny keg but does work. Below is a link to the growler and lid. The other option and in my opinion would be to get a small keggerator and corny kegs. Many brew pubs will fill a 5 gallon corny keg for a very reasonable price. The 2 pubs closest to me fill corny kegs for $40. A good investment even if not brewing.

https://www.amazon.com/DrinkTanks-Vacuum-Insulated-Stainless-Growler/dp/B018A0C97S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1485384014&sr=8-1&keywords=128+oz+growler

https://www.amazon.com/DrinkTanks-Keg-Cap-Accessory-Kit/dp/B00JBOVUE6/ref=pd_bxgy_79_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=AX731ZM57NWYTWDS3341

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That's a great price if it's good beer.

Toga said:

Drink tanks 128 oz growler with the lid/co2/tap accessory. Allows you to get a gallon and serve just like a keg without the beer going flat or getting oxidized. It is a bit pricey compared to a corny keg but does work. Below is a link to the growler and lid. The other option and in my opinion would be to get a small keggerator and corny kegs. Many brew pubs will fill a 5 gallon corny keg for a very reasonable price. The 2 pubs closest to me fill corny kegs for $40. A good investment even if not brewing.

https://www.amazon.com/DrinkTanks-Vacuum-Insulated-Stainless-Growler/dp/B018A0C97S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1485384014&sr=8-1&keywords=128+oz+growler

https://www.amazon.com/DrinkTanks-Keg-Cap-Accessory-Kit/dp/B00JBOVUE6/ref=pd_bxgy_79_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=AX731ZM57NWYTWDS3341

Click to expand...

I looked at these and a number of CO2 cartridge systems. They lack the control and seal of the keg regulators so there are a number of reviews that complain of foamy beer and not holding the charge for more than a day or two. There is a C02 Cartridge kit with a regulator with a gauge that will lets you dial in and hold the pressure, however that runs $140, which then makes the typical canister/regulator set up on a mini-keg more affordable.

Corny kegs are by far the best way to go hands down. Cheap. Many pubs fill for cheap and if the person wants to go to the next level and brew they are already set up to keg.