need advice - taking the keg plunge

Looking for some advice on kegging stuff. Specifically the kegs- what to get and where to get them. I've read my books and see a lot about using old soda syrup canisters (but the industry doesn't use these anymore so they are hard to come by?). Also see the term "corny" used a lot - is that a generic term or a specific manufacturer's product? Unlike most of my other brewing equipment I don't, for some reason, feel the need to improvise something or build my own. (Normally I'm the first one to try and conjure a kegging system from an old air compressor or water softener system or something of the kind - what is it with people like us?) I'm guessing by now some wise entrepreneur out there has tailored a product specifically for the 5-gallon homebrewer and I would be willing to shell out the dough as long as I know it is the real McCoy.

As they say on talk radio; Thanks for taking my call, I'll take your comments off the air.

You can buy Cornelius Kegs (Corny's or Cornies), but I really like Sanke. Sanke is the regular beer keg type of tap and you can find 5 gallon Sanke's. This way if you buy a commercial keg for some reason your equipment is ready for it.

Well first off you should just check out the kegging FAQ at the top of this forum. That as a bunch of conversions and information about kegging.

A good source for some 5 gallon cornelius kegs is ebay or there is a member of the forum here, Insco2, who sells them as well. His prices are the best i was able to come by, got 4 shipped to my door for $95 bucks. He has a thread going in the classifieds forum.

I have to disagree on the sanke kegs. They're harder to fill and clean and you can get a sanke tap adapter for a few bucks for when you want commercial brew

Oxyclean cleans my kegs, they are easy. Once you learn how to take the rings off and put them back where you can get them off easier the next time, they are great. Cornie's have two different styles of fittings, which becomes a mess when you get a keg that requires a different one than you have. I am not knocking Cornie's, just trying to say that Sanke's aren't any harder to clean or use, and they are readily available for a deposit. Don't modify them or anything and you are just borrowing them. I turn my kegs in for deposit on another one for parties all the time. Then I have a fairly new keg to reclean and use a couple of times until someone else is having a party. I make a little bit by charging them for gas and tap setup, but I drink for free and get a keg for my home brew.

I am in no way saying take a keg and keep it without it being yours legally. You must buy a keg you say you own, otherwise it needs to go back every now and then.

I recently got into kegging myself. Ive been using the corny's, And kegging has been great. It seems like alot in the beginning, But it all comes together pretty fast. Think about the space you have for storing cooled kegs now. Once you start kegging, The whole thing just grows. Good luck.