Getting ready to keg...

Hello good folks!
This is a great forum I glad I came across it!
Me and a friend have been casually brewing for a few years now. We aren't what you'd call serious or pros; we are happy just brewing up partial mash batches a couple times a year.
As with most homebrewers, we have hit that point where we are sick of bottling and are ready to start kegging.
Here's situation and my imbedded question:
When we brew, we get together and usually make two batches; one for each of us. Then, when we bottle, we split the bottles so we each get some of each variety. Now that we are going to keg, we are trying to find a way to keep that trade up. We don't exactly live nearby each other, so it's not like I can just buzz over to his place anytime I'm in the mood for his brew.
I've done a little bit of research and it seems like maybe you can fill a 5-gal keg only halfway? As long as you purge it pretty good with CO2 and fill the head space with CO2? Our new idea is to each get two corny kegs and each take half of the two brews. Is that a good idea? Or is it too risky to be worth it?
I've seen the 3-gal kegs, but it doesn't quite seem worth it to pay that much more. If nothing else, we will just bottle a few to trade.
Thanks in advance!

You can treat them just like you do if you put 5 gallons in them. I've only done it once, but didn't notice any difference.

One thing you could do - if you have the equipment to do so - is to do 10 gal batches. That way, you both fill up a keg with the same brew.

I could have written that original post.

I am in the process of buying all my pieces/ parts now and hope to start assembly this weekend if I can find any decent lumber in my area.

I wondered about the half corny as well.

Thanks for posting.

Your two best options IMO are...
1) you fill each a keg and bottle from the keg (there's a great sticky thread on how to do that)
2) you fill your kegs half way and purge with CO2 like you suggested and bottle the rest

As mentioned earlier though, if you have the opportunity to brew 10 gallon bathces, do that.

Shambo said:

I wondered about the half corny as well.

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At some point a 5 gallon corny becomes a 3/4 corny, 1/2 corny, 1/4 corny

tom

homebeerbrewer said:

One thing you could do - if you have the equipment to do so - is to do 10 gal batches. That way, you both fill up a keg with the same brew.

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+100, my thoughts exactly. A good friend of mine does this, and just splits the cost of the brew with his buddy. Come kegging time, they each take one keg...easy as pie!

TwoHeadsBrewing said:

+100, my thoughts exactly. A good friend of mine does this, and just splits the cost of the brew with his buddy. Come kegging time, they each take one keg...easy as pie!

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I started brewing a couple years ago with a friend. We split the costs and the beer. It was worked fine these last couple years because we where splitting a 5 G batch between us.

Now we went to a 10 G batch, and I don't want to bottle that many.

I am going to start kegging my 5g.

He can bottle all he wants to now.