Realistic, Up to Date Price to Start Kegging

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Tactical-Brewer

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So, quick question. I've found a place, somewhat locally where I can get an unlimited amount of 5gal corny kegs for 50 bucks used.

What all do I need outside of that? The guy selling them highly suggest replacing the O ring thing which I would do. But other than that, what would it cost me to be able to put beers that have already made it through primary, in the keg, and when I'm ready to tap it pump some c02 in there and have a kegged beer on tap?

Eventually when space and time allowed, I'd like to get a kegerator but just need to know the absolute basics at this point price wise.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Tac
 
I've been saying that to get into kegging you will likely spend about $300 depending on the deals you find, but assuming you buy a CL freezer/fridge and buy a new tank, regulator and other items. This is not the cost of all of the kegs you would need either.

Roughly:

Regulator = $70
Tank = $70
Faucets = $40 (perlick style)
Shank = $15
Tailpiece, and other assorted items = $20
Fridge/Freezer = $100

Some of the prices I listed are including tax and shipping so a bit higher than you might see for listed prices. You can sometimes find good deals to lower the price, but generally this is what I'd expect to pay.
 
I think homercidal has pretty much hit the nail on the head. If you want to work on it you can get the prices down, probably can save 10-15 percent. Much depends on shipping and sales.

Here's the regulator I have, at $64.99 including free shipping:

https://www.morebeer.com/products/taprite-dual-gauge-co2-regulator.html

I bought two of these (I always have a backup); one will cost you about $69.47 with shipping:

https://beveragelements.com/beverag...kVeg9zkvouZMCMr1xiB0_CJJ0TXijkepw4BoCwBPw_wcB

You can also buy used CO2 tanks from at least one supplier here on HBT.

And depending on your willingness to shop around, you might do better on the other stuff.

The refrigerator is the wild card--Craigslist might have a cheapo you can use.
 
I just use a cobra tap personally. I do have a shank and faucet but i don't want to drill a hole in my fridge.

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I really want to get into it. I like the idea of being able to brew and not being restricted by the amount of bottles I have or Fermentors I have available.

I like the idea of being able, if I want to brew but don't have an open fermentor, throw a batch into the keg as a secondary, brew, use the fermentor I just had and when I'm ready throw the beer secondarying in my keg on tap and roll right along.

Right now I'm stuck at, "Well I want to brew but only have 100 bottles and so many Fermentors etc etc etc.". Plus the idea of having beer on tap is pretty bad ass, and yes, I want to be "that friend" lol
 
You will love kegging man. Its the bees knees. You can turn around good beer in 10 days no problem.

And with the cobra tap you can carry it where ever you want. You could do it with a faucet but it would be more of a hassle.
 
Subbed, as I am in a similar position as Tac. I have a line on a converted mini fridge with a faucet, regulator and CO2 tank for $120. It seems like a great deal, I just don't really know where to go from there and I want to find CHEAP kegs. Should I pull the trigger on that deal and just go from there?
 
Subbed, as I am in a similar position as Tac. I have a line on a converted mini fridge with a faucet, regulator and CO2 tank for $120. It seems like a great deal, I just don't really know where to go from there and I want to find CHEAP kegs. Should I pull the trigger on that deal and just go from there?

If it works, you should.
 
I've been saying that to get into kegging you will likely spend about $300 depending on the deals you find, but assuming you buy a CL freezer/fridge and buy a new tank, regulator and other items. This is not the cost of all of the kegs you would need either.

Roughly:

Regulator = $70
Tank = $70
Faucets = $40 (perlick style)
Shank = $15
Tailpiece, and other assorted items = $20
Fridge/Freezer = $100

Some of the prices I listed are including tax and shipping so a bit higher than you might see for listed prices. You can sometimes find good deals to lower the price, but generally this is what I'd expect to pay.

agreed! nice summary. If there is ANY chance you will want to expand, I would spend a little more (or a lot more) on a larger freezer. Large enough to fit >5 kegs at least.
You will need manifolds and perhaps secondary regulators. As well as temperature control. You will need to add collar to your keg (maybe $50 or so in wood/parts plus some labor).

Also, I would get 20lb CO2 tank instead of 5lb CO2. Lasts longer.
 
So, quick question. I've found a place, somewhat locally where I can get an unlimited amount of 5gal corny kegs for 50 bucks used.

What all do I need outside of that? The guy selling them highly suggest replacing the O ring thing which I would do. But other than that, what would it cost me to be able to put beers that have already made it through primary, in the keg, and when I'm ready to tap it pump some c02 in there and have a kegged beer on tap?

Eventually when space and time allowed, I'd like to get a kegerator but just need to know the absolute basics at this point price wise.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Tac

Its like a ball of string, how long do you want it. Do you want a cheap craigslist fridge like i did with a duct tape cup drip tray. Or a monster pimped out keezer with stainless wings. Homercidals numbers are spot on. I probably was 80 less as my fridge was 50 and i used a party tap.
 
When I do pull the plug, I'll start with just a keg and cobra deal I guess.

Eventually I want a keezer/kegerator and have multiple kegs on tap. But I want to start as affordable as so can I suppose.
 
$50 is not that low a price btw for a keg. (I assume used?). My average is about $40 for my 11 kegs. Including shipping etc.

I agree though. Start slow and work your way up. See if you like it. Cobra taps are perfectly functional. You still need means of cooling the keg though.
 
Quite honestly you can buy a used 7ft freezer for the same money as a mini fridge. The freezer will give you room for 3 kegs plus the CO 2 bottle. if you add a 2 x 6 collar you will be covered for quite a while. This has some versatility and storage over the mini fridge. I went the mini fridge route and I needed more way to soon. Like the next 2 months. THe freezer just needs you to add tempature control about 60 dlls for plug and play. Less if you are handy with electronics.:mug:
 
I went stand up freezer cause screw building stuff :p
But seriously, a stand up has a smaller footprint, can hold all your bottles too, generally better insulated bacause it hasn't had a section of insulated wood built between the body and the door/lid. Also, a taller stand up can hold 8 kegs(note, measure twice accounting for disconnects, need a big freezer). That kind of footprint with a coffin keezer would be huge.
Downside, you have to shuffle kegs around a bit, stirring up sediment.

I got a smaller stand up that hold 4 pin locks in the bottom, 3 on tap and one on standby. I keep my glasses and bottles on the shelf above them. Yes, I chill my glasses, only because it helps control over foaming and keeps the nasty basement air away from them. Don't be haten'.

Also, I live in humid Tennessee and ha never had humidity issues in my standup.

Things that will run the price up are quality shanks(ss) and faucets, going picnic will avoid this and maybe ask Santa for some shanks.
Bobby_M has the best price on SS shanks that I found, and everything else he sales is awesome
Brewhardware.com
Check aliexpress for popets, intertap faucets
Amazon for o-rings
AIH for loose handle kegs, when avaliable.
Perlicks come up here all the time.
Also, go 3/8 on your line and keep an eye on CL for co2 tanks. Or call around to welding supply places for prices.


IN SHORT:
Kegging is a sub-division of the brewing hobby that, just like homebrewing, can cost you as much as you willing to let it or conversely, give you quality product with minimal investment.
 
I've been thinking of switching to kegging also and was wondering what the cons of the cobra taps were. You can still have several on tap at once right? Sry in advance if this is a noob question. :mug:
 
You can spend quite a bit, or not much at all.

Bare minimum would be buying a cheap fridge and keeping a couple kegs in it with picnic faucets. It serves its purpose to keep a keg cold and serve beer. Not the most visually pleasing though.

I didn't want that, but I didn't want to spend any of our actual money either on my keezer, so I got a second job for 3 months, flipped alot of pancakes, and now have a pretty nice setup with 5 beers on tap. It just depends on how far down the rabbit hole you want to crawl.
 
agreed! nice summary. If there is ANY chance you will want to expand, I would spend a little more (or a lot more) on a larger freezer. Large enough to fit >5 kegs at least.
You will need manifolds and perhaps secondary regulators. As well as temperature control. You will need to add collar to your keg (maybe $50 or so in wood/parts plus some labor).

Also, I would get 20lb CO2 tank instead of 5lb CO2. Lasts longer.

Good options to consider.

My kegerator holds 2 5-gallon cornys, but still has a whole door of shelves for bottles. I like that. It also has a small freezer for keeping hops and a storage bin underneath the kegs. It's a small upright fridge; bigger than a mini fridge, but smaller than standard.

I could want a little more variety, but since I'm the only one at my house who drink beer it's plenty of beer for me. I just got 2 2.5-Gallon kegs for my birthday so I can fit 3 kegs at this time.

The options are numerous. Plan carefully and err on the side of expanding in the future.
 
I've been thinking of switching to kegging also and was wondering what the cons of the cobra taps were. You can still have several on tap at once right? Sry in advance if this is a noob question. :mug:

Cobra and facuets are basically dispensers. You will need a dispenser on each keg. Cobra being the cheaper of the two. They do the samething.
 
I've been thinking of switching to kegging also and was wondering what the cons of the cobra taps were. You can still have several on tap at once right? Sry in advance if this is a noob question. :mug:

you have to open the fridge/freezer door to pour the beer from cobra taps. Other than that, no downside. Cheap, easy to clean, lines stay cold because they are inside. If you have friends with keeezers (with faucets) they may have extra lying around - I have 5-8 or so picnic taps that I don't even have use for anymore.

I would also argue that chest freezer has a number of huge advantages over stand-up fridges.
First of all, you can still easily store bottles of beer (I do, as well as all my yeast vials and mason jars and growlers). Footprint is greater, but volume utilization is very efficient too, just put it in the garage or basement where you have room - and dispensing from the taps built into collar (or alternatively a tower) - is so much easier than drilling holes in the stand-up fridge door, etc. It's exactly the right height, and it's very easy to swap out kegs, adjust things, etc. Building it is super easy too - just connect a few cedar boards with corner brackets, and you are all set, takes just a few hours of actual work. You can treat the wood and seal it if you are concerned about heat leaking in, but I think it's not a major problem at all. I can turn off the power on my freezer and it takes a really long time for it to warm up even a few degrees.
 
I've been thinking of switching to kegging also and was wondering what the cons of the cobra taps were. You can still have several on tap at once right? Sry in advance if this is a noob question. :mug:

Cobra taps (Picnic taps) tend to be more problematic. They seem to leak a lot more and generally you would need to open the kegerator in order to pour a beer.

With a regular faucet you can mount it through the wall of the fridge using a shank and pour beer without having to open the door and let some cold air out.

I think cobra taps are ok to start with, but my recommendation is to plan on buying some forward-seal faucets at some point. Forward-seal faucets do not tend to "stick" like the cheaper faucets. I feel this is important for the homebrewer who might pour a couple of beers in an afternoon.

A bar might pour from the same faucet several times a day so cheap faucets are fine. A homebrewer might go days between pouring any single faucet. A cheap faucet will gum up and stick. The forward-seal faucets don't tend to stick even after several days of no use.
 
Homercidal, knows more about faucets and stuff then me so listen to him. But FYI i have had no problems with my cobra tap. I'm sure it won't last has long has my perlick faucet however.
 
Forgot about those, another nice option. If you don't want to build a keezer and drill holes and stuff. Which i might do one of these days, probably not anytime soon though. :D

drilling holes is super easy. takes about 2-3 min if you have a drill.

Also, in my opinion cobra/picnic taps are superior to the taps mounted on the keg. They can be used at "human" height - away from the keg, and allow for better direction of the beer dispensing. Also much much cheaper.
 
50$ for corneys is a good deal in my book (70$ at the LHBS now used). I have about 50/50 mix of Corney and Sanke, mainly bc I found sankes cheaper (45$). If your endgame in kegging, Id get a decent amount of those kegs while you can at that price. Hell, you can even pick up extra and make some profit. O-ring replacement kits arent expensive, and these kegs are tanks.
 
50$ for corneys is a good deal in my book (70$ at the LHBS now used). I have about 50/50 mix of Corney and Sanke, mainly bc I found sankes cheaper (45$). If your endgame in kegging, Id get a decent amount of those kegs while you can at that price. Hell, you can even pick up extra and make some profit. O-ring replacement kits arent expensive, and these kegs are tanks.


Well you can get pin lock legs right now for $38 plus shipping at homebrewsupplies. And in the very recent past you could get pin locks for $30 and ball locks for $40-45 or so. And even better deals on Craigslist. I never paid more than $40 for a used keg. And I own 11 used ones - all in the past 4 months or so. For $70 you might as well get torpedo kegs which are brand new and very well constructed and only a little more.
 
Hopefully in a few months I'll find another fridge or freezer preferably and get me a couple kegs. Only downside will be having to go out in my garage to get a refill lol
 
drilling holes is super easy. takes about 2-3 min if you have a drill.

Also, in my opinion cobra/picnic taps are superior to the taps mounted on the keg. They can be used at "human" height - away from the keg, and allow for better direction of the beer dispensing. Also much much cheaper.

For sure, i just can't be bothered right now. I've used my fair share of drills..
 
I'm assuming Cobra taps are picnic taps. If so they do have one downfall they need replaced every couple years or at least I have had to replace one or two. Other than that they work really well. My commercial keg is hooked up to a faucet and it's definitely a lot easier to just pour from it then open the fridge. However I trust the cleanliness of my Cobra tap more because I take it apart and clean it after every keg.

In my really good beer brewing book by Mike karnowsky. He shows a very short tube coming off the keg and it would be so much easier if mine was. Why did the guy at the beer store give me such a long hose?
 
I'm assuming Cobra taps are picnic taps. If so they do have one downfall they need replaced every couple years or at least I have had to replace one or two. Other than that they work really well. My commercial keg is hooked up to a faucet and it's definitely a lot easier to just pour from it then open the fridge. However I trust the cleanliness of my Cobra tap more because I take it apart and clean it after every keg.

In my really good beer brewing book by Mike karnowsky. He shows a very short tube coming off the keg and it would be so much easier if mine was. Why did the guy at the beer store give me such a long hose?

You don't take your faucets apart and clean them after every keg?

I always clean mine after each keg (or almost always). It takes a few minutes tops. I think many people just flush their lines and faucets with cleaners, though.

I think it's standard for commercial servers to clean their lines every 2 weeks.
 
You don't take your faucets apart and clean them after every keg?

I always clean mine after each keg (or almost always). It takes a few minutes tops. I think many people just flush their lines and faucets with cleaners, though.

I think it's standard for commercial servers to clean their lines every 2 weeks.

No, but I will now :). I usually just flush it which has proven to be somewhat tricky or messy better said. I usually also stick the nozzle of a spray bottle filled with sanitizer up into the faucet and squirt. I spray that faucet pretty good in general and work it back and forth. But your post made me realize how easy it is to take off just the faucet piece with the wrench and clean it. I'll do that next time good idea. I take better care of my Homebrew than commercial claro que si.
 
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