Absolute minimum requirements for kegging?

[TheBone]

What is the absolute cheapest set up to get into kegging?

 

[Bobby_M]

Keg, Co2 tank with regulator, picnic faucet, and a fridge to keep it cold.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

A single Sanke pony keg, naturally carbonated, served with a party-pump style tap (must serve all the beer within about 48 hours of tapping). Refrigerate by storing outside when the weather is cold.

 

[BierMuncher]

One corny keg ($25.00)
One tube of keg lube ($5.50)
One liquid ball lock connector ($5.50)
Six feet of 3/16ths inner diameter liquid hose ($7.00)
One picnic tap ($4.50)
A few miscellaneous clamps to connect everything ($2.50)
One mini-CO2 cartridge charger (to dispense only, $25.00)

Now...you'll have to prime your kegs like you do your bottles to carbonate.

You'll go trough several of those mini-CO2 cartridges for each keg.

And you'll need to find somewhere to chill and store your keg for serving.

But bare-bones? This would get you there.

 

[Soulive]

I'm all for doing things as cheaply as possible, but don't sacrifice too much. If you can't do it the right way, just wait until you can...

 

[abracadabra]

A single Sanke pony keg, naturally carbonated, served with a party-pump style tap (must serve all the beer within about 48 hours of tapping). Refrigerate by storing outside when the weather is cold.

LOL

You could turn a corny keg upside down and dispense from the in post and save on the cost of the pump.

On a serious note you can save yourself some money by getting a single gauge regulator. The high pressure gauge for the tank pressure is IMHO almost worthless.

 

[olllllo]

A single Sanke pony keg, naturally carbonated, served with a party-pump style tap (must serve all the beer within about 48 hours of tapping). Refrigerate by storing outside when the weather is cold.

Get one of those mini-CO2 cartridge charger mentioned above and bask in the luxury. Use Yuri's method and only use the CO2 to purge and blanket after a session.

 

[olllllo]

Oh, and kill your TV and drop your internet for a year and pay for it all.

 

[HenryHill]

Corny to hold the brew and a hose to suck out the contents.

 

[abracadabra]

I'm all for doing things as cheaply as possible, but don't sacrifice too much. If you can't do it the right way, just wait until you can...

I agree with Soulive. It's not worth the effort and expense to do kegging half A$$.

Stay away from those CO2 cartridges you'll spend a bunch of money on those things that you could have spent on a decent system. Then you'll still want a decent system and end up spending more money in the long run.

 

[abracadabra]

Corny to hold the brew and a hose to suck out the contents.

LOL that's the best one yet!

 

[olllllo]

I think that we're mostly going to agree that the absolute minimum requirement is to budget out a reasonable plan, but to have resources to spend what it takes to get the job done right.

In other words, if $400 make you balk, then expect the possibility that you may be less than satified with your solution.

 

[TheBone]

to have to carbonate my beer prior to kegging.

I would like to have two taps.

Now I'm getting picky, huh?

 

[Yuri_Rage]

Now I'm getting picky, huh?

Nope. Two picnic taps will cost you well under $10. As long as you have a CO2 tank, you can force carbonate (you can't force carbonate with a paintball bottle or a party pump).

 

[olllllo]

Budget?

Do you have refridgeration, chest freezer, etc?

 

[TheBone]

at this point.

As for budget, if I could do something for less than $500.00, that would probably be ideal.

 

[Cookiebaggs]

I was able to pull together a kegging system insanely cheap. The way I did it was by watching craigslist and asking around. My best advise is be patient if you can.

I know a guy who is into demolition. He is constantly at different jobsites getting the sites prepped for construction. He came across two cornies while he was demolishing an old bar. I got those for free. :rockin:

I picked up an old Perlick regulator and a 5lb CO2 tank (1/2 full) from a guy for $20 on Craigslist! The listing was misspelled as "taper" instead of "tapper"! I disassembled the regulator, cleaned it, put it back together and it works great!

I bought a picnic tap, hoses, flare fittings and couplers from my LHBS for 1 keg, $28. I need to get another set of couplers for the other keg.

Just last week I found a Danby DAR482BLS on Craigslist for $50! All I need now are faucets and a draft tower. But I plan on just using the picnic taps for awhile and see if I can locate the rest.

Right now I am putting together a two-way distribution manifold.

All total, I have just over $100 invested in my kegging system. There are deals out there if you are patient enough to wait it out.

 

[Evan!]

at this point.

As for budget, if I could do something for less than $500.00, that would probably be ideal.

Very doable.

Here's my bill:

Sanyo 4912 Fridge: $200 new
4 kegs: Free
2-tap tower w/o faucets: $80 (sale @ AHS)
Ventmatic Faucets: $30 for 2
Co2, dual-regulator, miscellaneous tubing & disconnects: $230

So, even with free kegs, that's over $500. If you didn't care about the tap tower and went the picnic tap route, you could easily get a chest freezer for $150 that could fit 4 cornies, the co2 tank, and picnic taps. Then, I'd imagine you'd be looking at...about $400, unless you found some great deals on stuff (like free freezers on craigslist)...and that's not counting the kegs (I don't know how much they cost).

 

[Blender]

at this point.

As for budget, if I could do something for less than $500.00, that would probably be ideal.

Here is a local seller. $425 asking price and ready to go.
http://sacramento.craigslist.org/hsh/577345378.html

 

[abracadabra]

here's the answer to your question:

www.Northernbrewer.com has a bare bones system for $114.99 the CO2 tank would be extra. I paid $75 for a 10 lb.

www.midwestsupplies.com has one for $169.95 that includes a 5 lb. steel tank.

last and certainly not least:

http://www.homebrewing.org/Homebrew-Kegging-System_p_24-69.html

bare bones from homebrewing $89 their co2 tanks are $65 for 5 lb. and $75 for a 10 lb.

There's more but you get the idea.

 

[Yooper]

Here's the one I bought: http://stores.kegconnection.com/Detail.bok?no=22

I have an apartment sized fridge that I bought second hand for $40. I also bought another keg as the same time, so I could have two beers on tap and one extra keg.

 

[abracadabra]

I have an apartment sized fridge that I bought second hand for $40. I also bought another keg as the same time, so I could have two beers on tap and one extra keg.

I agree that a second hand fridge is the way to go, you can often get them free if you're willing to haul them off. craig's list is prime shopping for cheap and free used refridgerators.

Of course you can always spend $200 on a mini fridge if you like the show more than the dough.

 

[solbergg]

Why 4 kegs when the 4912 can only fit two?

Very doable.

Here's my bill:

Sanyo 4912 Fridge: $200 new
4 kegs: Free
2-tap tower w/o faucets: $80 (sale @ AHS)
Ventmatic Faucets: $30 for 2
Co2, dual-regulator, miscellaneous tubing & disconnects: $230

So, even with free kegs, that's over $500. If you didn't care about the tap tower and went the picnic tap route, you could easily get a chest freezer for $150 that could fit 4 cornies, the co2 tank, and picnic taps. Then, I'd imagine you'd be looking at...about $400, unless you found some great deals on stuff (like free freezers on craigslist)...and that's not counting the kegs (I don't know how much they cost).

 

[olllllo]

Why make a 55 bottles of beer when you can only fit a dozen or so in your belly?

 

[Mustangfreak]

at this point.

As for budget, if I could do something for less than $500.00, that would probably be ideal.

kegconnection has a 2 tap tower setup for $330. Includes everything needed but the fridge.

 

[TheBone]

I'm leaning towards the Sanyo 4912 with a twin faucet tower. I definitely want to be able to have two brews at a time going.

 

[solbergg]

Why make a 55 bottles of beer when you can only fit a dozen or so in your belly?

So it's 4 kegs for a 20 gallon batch size? Or can you do your conditioning in the kegs at room temperature? Or are you just saying more is better, so he could have said 4 or 400, just more than 2 being the point?

 

[Chello]

Well ideally you'll want to have extra kegs full of beer thats being conditioned while your drinking your previously conditioned beer. That way you just rotate in a "new" conditioned batch of beer when you float the current keg your enjoying.

So i have 2 taps with 6 kegs and find myself wishing i had more kegs...

 

[olllllo]

^^^
What Chello said.
5taps 13.5 kegs.

I need maybe 4 more.

 

[Mustangj]

Keg Connection.:rockin:

http://stores.kegconnection.com/Detail.bok?no=20

 

[solbergg]

That's cool, so you guys rack directly from your primary to the kegs and let them condition in there for awhile? If you can do that, then I need to start buying more kegs too! Oh, and sorry for going a bit offtopic.

 

[Yooper]

Yes, that's usually what I do. I have a lager that is in a carboy, but for "regular" ales and steam beer, I'm leaving them a bit longer in primary, and then kegging. I leave the keg at room temperature to condition and then put it in the kegerator when one keg kicks. Just like bottling beer- you usually have some conditioning while you're drinking the first.

I now have 7 kegs, but only 2 taps.

 

[balto charlie]

Oh, and kill your TV and drop your internet for a year and pay for it all.

Do this even if you have the money. Save your brain cells for drinking.