5L Mini Kegs

[Laser21]

Ok, I've done a lot of searching on mini kegs and have not found what i was looking for so I need yalls help.

I got a whole mini keg system, 10 5L kegs, 6g bucket, 5g glass carboy and brewpot etc from a guy off of craigslist for $20.

Now I am trying to learn how to do this mini keg system with CO2 dispenser. My concerns are the some what negative feedback it seems these things get. In my case however, I feel I basically got them for free cause I would have paid 20 for everything I got even without it.

My first concern lies with sanitation. I do not know the history of these other than tally marks on the side of each one indicated each one has twice, so I want to make sure I clean them extremely well before any my beer goes in there.

What is the best way to throughly clean and drain these?

Are there any unforeseen problems I might encounter with the use of these?

Has anyone had good results from these?

This is the system that I got


Thanks,
Brian

 

[camiller]

They make a mini-keg brush with a bend in it like a carboy brush only smaller for cleaning. Draining might be an issue, I think I'd bend a piece of wire and use it to push a towel around inside repeatedly until it was dry rather than relying on draining because of the flat top.

 

[Laser21]

Yea I wasn't as much concerned with cleaning it as I am with draining it. Thats a good idea with the wire.

Any other suggestions?

 

[Flyin' Lion]

Don't know if I can help you, but here is a cooler for mini kegs:

http://richmond.craigslist.org/for/687806117.html

 

[malkore]

Do you have the CO2 tap for these kegs?

i have one i'd sell you dirt cheap, plus a couple of the 2-piece bungs they use.

shoot me a PM if interested. tap was only used 3 times.

 

[Laser21]

Yea I have the tap and enough bungs. Is there a reason you only used it three times? I have the complete set up I just don't wanna fill these things up with my precious beer only to find out it sucks! I was hoping to hear something like oh yea it works good for what you would expect something like that to work (I obviously know its not going to be like a corny or anything) or hear something like I wouldn't even waste my sanitizer on those.

I'm not asking for advice on weather to buy it or not because I already have it, I was just wondering for some input from other people before I fill 'er up!:cross:

 

[eriktlupus]

buy a bore light from a firearm supply shop or such, use it to inspect the inside of your kegs before every usem watch for the interior coating peeling or flaking. other than that i don't like to leave beer in them for longer than 4-6 wks.

 

[malkore]

Yea I have the tap and enough bungs. Is there a reason you only used it three times? I have the complete set up I just don't wanna fill these things up with my precious beer only to find out it sucks! I was hoping to hear something like oh yea it works good for what you would expect something like that to work (I obviously know its not going to be like a corny or anything) or hear something like I wouldn't even waste my sanitizer on those.

I'm not asking for advice on weather to buy it or not because I already have it, I was just wondering for some input from other people before I fill 'er up!:cross:

A big part of it at the time is that my beer was not coming out good. That was a decade ago...and I just stuck with mead, and I wasn't gonna put mead in a 'can' like that.

Now, I cannot hardly find the kegs locally, and I have 5gal corny kegs and enough bottles for 3 batches.

its not a bad system, just doesn't fit my needs.

 

[jbreiding]

i have used them for a while and now i am starting to see rust and that was the downside that i had heard about them before i got them. i am abandoning my setup and going to corny setup and swing top bottles. looking to do some aging and dont like the way they have aged in the cans. plus the tap never seemed to close so i had to always have a drip cloth/tray in the fridge.