absolutly everything for kegging

[grrtt78]

I am looking to start keggings after this summer and I would like to know everything that one needs to keg. I know i need a keg, co2 tank, and regulator. my quesions are if i want to use two kegs i need a dual regulator and one tank right? what hoses and fittings do i need and what do those cost? lastly i saw someone was using a regular picnic tap taht i would like to use for a while before a tower. where do i get those for cornies and wat do they cost? o wait one mroe thing, how long does co2 last and what does it cost?

Edit: I was just reading that i could prime in the kegs with sugar and then use a simple pump style picnic tap. Would this work without any big drawbacks? Is it a different kind for corny kegs? This is like my 9th edit: could i use a tower w/o a co2 tank if i prime the keg?

 

[robh1111975]

I just bought a used/recondetioned corney from Midwest. They are already cleaned and have new gaskets. The price with Shipping was close to what they kegs on ebay were going for, so I went ahead with them for the peace of mind.
you'll also need the check valves for both sides.
I learned alot from this site:
http://www.jerseybrewers.com/Introd_to_Kegging_By_Paul.htm

Good luck!

 

[krispy d]

no, you will not be able to use a tower without co2. you don't neccesarily need a dual regulator to run two kegs. a simple manifold will work just fine or even a 'T' off the tank would work. only drawback is you keep all lines at the same pressure. which is what I always do anyway.

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

Priming will carb your beer and give you some intial pressure, enough for a pint or 2 then you will have no pressure and you will be SOL. It would take several co2 cartridges to dispense beer and is a waste of money. Useful for only for taking a keg somewhere but not for home use.

 

[ajf]

Priming will carb your beer and give you some intial pressure, enough for a pint or 2 then you will have no pressure and you will be SOL. It would take several co2 cartridges to dispense beer and is a waste of money. Useful for only for taking a keg somewhere but not for home use.

With all due respect, I used to use the CO2 cartridges with a plastic pressure barrel. I can't remember how long a cartridge lasted, but I certainly didn't use several cardridges to dispense a single 5g brew (unless I had a leak).
You can also buy as s-load of cartridges for less than the cost of a CO2 tank and requlator.

-a.

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

I have a hard time seeing how you could keep the carbonation consistant when you use cartridges to dispense your beer.

 

[homebrewer_99]

With all due respect, I used to use the CO2 cartridges with a plastic pressure barrel. I can't remember how long a cartridge lasted, but I certainly didn't use several cardridges to dispense a single 5g brew (unless I had a leak).
You can also buy as s-load of cartridges for less than the cost of a CO2 tank and requlator.

-a.

I find that hard to believe because I've used several cartidges on a 5 liter mini-keg.

Yes, you can buy a s-load of cartridges, but you have to throw them away...you get to keep your invested $$$ with your tank and regulator.

 

[ajf]

For English style ales, you just need sufficient pressure to move the beer. They have very low carbonation. (You'd probably describe them as flat. )
As I recall, I used to use the cardridge for a short while after drawing off a pint or two just to keep a little pressure on the beer. I certainly never tried using it to force carbonate which I shouldn't think would work.

-a.

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

Don't forget you don't have to BUY a tank. Renting a swapable tank is fairly cheap. And used regulators can be found on ebay or elsewhere.