Party pig vs mini-keg

[jfr1111]

I have a bit of money saved up and am looking to get a few toys. Since I pretty much only brew English style beers, the appeal of kegging some of it is big, but I don't have the space nor the will to get a full kegging setup.

I'll state this again: I'm not interested in getting a corny. The house my gf and I rent is tiny and there's simply no space for buly equipment. Every discussion on smallish options for guys who don't have a dedicated fridge devolves into a chorus of "get a real kegging setup" and I don't want that.

I'm looking to move away from 5 gallon batches since I drink most of the beer I make and I like beers with a fast turnaround. Plus, I'm through my newbie phase of brewing a different style every brew. I want to rebrew often with small tweaks, hence no big batches.

With this in mind, I'm looking for something that:

a) Holds up small 2-3 gal. batches
b) Is easy to operate
c) Lasts a long time

Party-pig or mini-keg ? I'm partial to the pig because of the increased size, but the price of pouches frighten me. 4$ a pop is almost highway robbery, but on the other hand, mini-kegs don't seem to last too long. This will not see constant usage: it's more of a novelty item that will cut down on bottling.

 

[legaleagle37]

take a look at a "tap a draft" system. similar to a party pig but cheaper/easier to operate

 

[jfr1111]

thanks

 

[Golddiggie]

Go with either 2.5 or 3 gallon corny kegs. :rockin: That's what I'm doing... Using a 'normal' fridge, just slightly tweaked, to house the kegs I'm pulling from. I'm also brewing styles from the British Isles (primarily).

The most expensive part of the setup IS the kegs. The smaller ones are more money, even used. Rebel Brewer has the 3 gallon kegs (brand new) for $89.95 (probably the best price you'll find)...

I have pictures of my kegging setup in my gallery. Take a look and feel free to PM me if you have any questions. For reference, I'm using a 9.6/9.9 cubic foot fridge/freezer (Whirlpool) that I got from Sears. I store my hops in the freezer (getting them out of my food fridge) and only beer in the fridge section. Of course, I still have some brew in the food fridge, but that's only until I get the chance to drink the last of it. Once that happens, only the brew fridge will get beer in it.

I am brewing 5 gallon batches, just splitting the final volume between kegs (or kegs and bottles for the first three batches that I put to keg). The last batch I 'bottled' went just to keg. I managed to fill one 3 gallon keg and go about 2/3 full on the second one. I hope to get about the same amount of of the batch that's in primary now. Of course, I might need to get another keg for that one since I have yet to have any kick (I'm just one man drinking from them)...

I will say that I'm liking kegging much more than bottling for several reasons. For one thing, there's no more sanitizing a couple/few dozen bottles every time. For another, once you rack to the keg, you're all done except for the cleanup (other than sealing the keg up of course). My brew also takes up much less floor space now. :rockin: Then there's the ability to adjust your carbonation level on the fly. Not something you can do in bottles. You even have the option of bottling from the kegs once you have things where you want them. You have a few option there, depending on what you have for taps/faucets.

If I could do it all over again, I would have started kegging much sooner than I did. I also wouldn't have purchased as many bottles as I have. Now, I have a surplus. But, I'm not looking to unload them since I'm not sure I won't bottle entire batches in the future. Such as a big barley wine... Of course, being setup as I am, I'll probably carbonate it on gas, and then bottle it once it's ready.

BTW, I have one of the party star mini-keg setups... Used them once and not again. I would advise not going that route.

 

[jcdouglas]

I used a Tap a Draft setup similar to this one:

I actually purchased two coors light draft systems (1.5 gallons), which costs about $15 each. You will need to find a way to get through the beer (e.g. drink it all, or invite friends over). I converted the tap to use with my paintball tank. I also purchased 3 liter bottles from the dollar store that I use. It's not a perfect system, but it's portable and requires less bottles. But it doesn't address your last a long time requirement, since the bottles need to be replaced after 6-7 fillups. In addition, you can't force carbonate.

 

[jfr1111]

Go with either 2.5 or 3 gallon corny kegs. :rockin: That's what I'm doing... Using a 'normal' fridge, just slightly tweaked, to house the kegs I'm pulling from. I'm also brewing styles from the British Isles (primarily).

I don't have room for a dedicated beer fridge, hence the party pig/mini-keg question. I'm sure 3 gal cornies rock, but they are simply not an option, unless I move to somewhere roomier. The party pig would go in the normal food fridge. I'm already getting a smallish fridge or freezer for fermentation control and even this will be a headache to cram somewhere.

 

[Golddiggie]

I could still put food in my brew fridge. I can simply not use kegs either in front of the hump (putting the drawer back in) or the shelf above. It all depends on the fridge you have. IF my main fridge was more flexible, I'd be able to have one 3 gallon keg in there, plus food.

I can set the shelf height for either 2.5 or 3 gallon kegs. I have more 3 gallon kegs, which is why I placed it where it is now. This way, I can have two 3 gallon kegs on the bottom, and either two on the shelf or a any combination of 2.5 and 3 gallon kegs up there. I'm keeping 3 gallon kegs on the bottom though.

Of course, once I move to a bigger place, I'll be setting up a keezer. I'll probably keep the fridge going too.

Oh, and I do have the CO2 tank outside the fridge. I looked up the take-apart drawings for it online and found no lines in the side walls. So perfectly safe to drill and install a bulkhead. No cooling loss there... Saves me space inside the fridge for more kegs/brew/stuff.

 

[Ravenshead]

I could still put food in my brew fridge.

Of course you can, there's still room in the door.

 

[Golddiggie]

Yup... butter and eggs will still fit... Anything else and I'll just need to secure with velcro (got plenty of that on hand too)... Of course, there's also some room on the hump...

I am down to just three bottles of beer in the fridge, plus the three kegs. I have two more kegs with brew waiting for spots... Need to drink some more... Hardest part is trying to decide which to drink next... Do I pull from a keg, or finish off another bottle... Hmmmmmm... Think I need to finish one of the Belgian bottles of English brown ale tonight... 22-24oz of wonderful UK Brunette ale... mmmmmm

 

[atgregory]

I do 15 gallon brew. I fill a couple of party pigs and the rest in bottle. The pigs are great and easy to fill and store in the fridge. No lines, no gas, and easy to take to a friends house. I even have a parka and ice packs for it. I was in the same boat as you but glad I chose the pig.

 

[jfr1111]

I could still put food in my brew fridge. I can simply not use kegs either in front of the hump (putting the drawer back in) or the shelf above. It all depends on the fridge you have. IF my main fridge was more flexible, I'd be able to have one 3 gallon keg in there, plus food.

You are single right ? Because you are either single or delusional if you think any normal (read: not homebrewer herself) woman would accept even only one of these kegs in the normal fridge :cross:

"Honey, just put the sunday roast leftovers on top of the keg, it's quite stable... no need to huff and puff"

 

[jfr1111]

I do 15 gallon brew. I fill a couple of party pigs and the rest in bottle. The pigs are great and easy to fill and store in the fridge. No lines, no gas, and easy to take to a friends house. I even have a parka and ice packs for it. I was in the same boat as you but glad I chose the pig.

Do the pigs have a naturally tendency to foam a lot ? Because every damn youtube videos showing how it works have yahoos pulling 50% foam on their pour. They can't all be carbing their beer to 3 volumes.

 

[Golddiggie]

You are single right ? Because you are either single or delusional if you think any normal (read: not homebrewer herself) woman would accept even only one of these kegs in the normal fridge :cross:

"Honey, just put the sunday roast leftovers on top of the keg, it's quite stable... no need to huff and puff"

Yup, very single, and just a little delusional...

Besides, even in my tiny apartment (~550 sq. ft.) I can fit the second fridge for home brew. Of course, there's other home brewing gear taking up more space, but that's for another thread...

If you have a house with a garage, basement, or even porch with power, you could fit another fridge for home brew/kegs. It's all about priorities man... Of course, you COULD just tell her that with kegging, you'll have shorter bottling times, so you'll have more time to spend with her...

 

[jeffd10]

Jfr111,

I use the Tap-a-Draft and its real cool, you will still have some cost for those little Co2 cartridges...cheaper than party pig I think !!!! but thru progression and the fact I just remodeled the Guest bath for my wife lol... I've gone corny....if you can wait till after labor day i'll make you a solid deal on 2 taps and 7 bottles.. I only used the bottles once...PM me if you are intrested

Jeff D

 

[zeekage]

I also purchased 3 liter bottles from the dollar store that I use. It's not a perfect system, but it's portable and requires less bottles. But it doesn't address your last a long time requirement, since the bottles need to be replaced after 6-7 fillups. In addition, you can't force carbonate.

Who says you cant force carb a 3 liter, 2 liter, 1 liter, or even 20oz bottle? https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/homemade-carbonator-cap-124602/:rockin: This may be a viable alternative to kegging for you without using as many bottles as normal bottling. Once you pour off a beer just blast the cap with some Co2 so it doesn't de-carbonate over time.

Note that I have never used one of these, but do plan on building a few when time permits.

I refuse to pay the $15 or whatever it is for the official one, but you could also go that route if you don't like DIY so much.http://www.homebrewing.org/The-Carbonator-Draft-to-Go_p_108.html

 

[tacticalhooligan]

Take a look at this (scroll down the page a little bit, also, not my idea/design)

It's something I'm personally looking into doing. You would buy some mini kegs (either empty from online or full of beer from a local liquor store) then make your own taps for them. Using that system you get the versatility and option to either set it up to use those small corny chargers that use the 16 gram cartridges or use anything from a 20 oz paintball tank to a 5lb+ tank and run it like a standard corny. If you use the CO2 charger method you can't force carb (at least not cheaply) but save the most in terms of space. On the flip side, you would have to teach people how to only give the keg a quick burst of gas to dispense otherwise they'll pour tons of foam/overcarb.

Also, the mini kegs are said to only last 7-10 uses so it isn't "long lasting" in that regard. I'm also not sure if this system is worth the time and effort given the cost compared to something like the TAD or Party Pig but the option is there.