Corny Kegs. The only option for larger quantities?

[killsurfcity]

I've agreed to brew 30g of beer for a friends wedding. That means 6 corny kegs, which is a lot of work/cost (at $40 a pop). Way costlier than the beer. Are there any other options?

Thanks

 

[kpr121]

You can use 1/2 bbl sankey kegs.

 

[killsurfcity]

You mean the standard kegs you would get from a distro? Didn't know you could do that. Know where I can get some how to info?

 

[kpr121]

Im not exactly sure of the best way to acquire the kegs (legally), but heres a good thread on using them:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/using-sanke-15-5-gallon-kegs-homebrew-kegging-59100/

I would check craigslist/ask you local distributor or brewery if they have any old decommissioned ones theyd be willing to part ways with.

 

[malkore]

You mean the standard kegs you would get from a distro? Didn't know you could do that. Know where I can get some how to info?

Step 1: Go get a full one of bud light now.
Step 2: throw party to empty keg
Step 3: refill with real beer (i.e. your homebrew)

Dispense at the wedding then return the keg for your deposit and to stay legal.

 

[kpr121]

If you dont want to go through all that trouble, 6 cornys is not all that many (if you plan on kegging at any time soon). In fact, you can find deals, usually 4 packs for 120 bucks. Even if you dont plan on using them, the homebrewing community is likely to take them off you hands at or close to cost.

 

[killsurfcity]

thanks for the info guys! this is definitely an option.
malkore... i thought of doing that exact thing, hahaha!

 

[Razorbrew]

Step 1: Go get a full one of bud light now.
Step 2: throw party to empty keg
Step 3: refill with real beer (i.e. your homebrew)

Dispense at the wedding then return the keg for your deposit and to stay legal.

Except that you have to drink a 30 gallons of Bud Light. Yuck!

 

[kpr121]

Except that you have to drink a 30 gallons of Bud Light. Yuck!

Nahhh... buy a couple 6 packs of good stuff that you store in the fridge while all your buddies drink the crap. Have them pitch in 5 bucks a head (like the college days) and you will have free kegs in no time!

 

[Brooklyn-Brewtality]

I agreed to make 8 kegs for my sister-in-laws wedding a while back. Meant buying 6 more kegs. But I used every one of them now, and need more. So hey, you might grow into them.

 

[tekknoschtev]

As others have mentioned, if you have any thoughts of kegging in the future, 6 kegs isn't all that many. I have 9 now, and its my goal to get and keep most of them full as much as possible.

 

[killsurfcity]

yeah, i'm trying to work the numbers as many ways as i can to give the groom options. he wants to get as close to 300 beers for 300 bucks as possible.
me, and a fellow home brewer may absorb the cost of a couple kegs each. and i can borrow a couple. so buying a 4 pack may work out.
that said, i'd gladly absorb the cost of a 1/2 bbl keg were the price right, as i'd just turn it into a keggle when we were done.

 

[lumpher]

i have 9 kegs too, and it seems to be the perfect #

 

[wilserbrewer]

Just a warning, if you plan on transporting kegged homebrew, make sure that the beer is very well cleared prior to kegging it. No matter how careful I am, whatever yeast is in the bottom of the keg always gets resuspended and will take days to resettle for nice clean brew. If I take a keg on the road now, I will jump transfer it to a clean fresh keg so there is zero sediment in the keg.

Hate to see you bring 6 wonderful kegs to a wedding and end up serving mud.

 

[kpr121]

Just a warning, if you plan on transporting kegged homebrew, make sure that the beer is very well cleared prior to kegging it. No matter how careful I am, whatever yeast is in the bottom of the keg always gets resuspended and will take days to resettle for nice clean brew. If I take a keg on the road now, I will jump transfer it to a clean fresh keg so there is zero sediment in the keg.

Hate to see you bring 6 wonderful kegs to a wedding and end up serving mud.

That's a good point. Should you transfer as close to the event as possible? Or does that not matter much?

 

[killsurfcity]

i hear you on the sediment issue. i'm fermenting in 3 15g fermenters. i'm planning on racking those to a PET trash can once they settle out to remove sediment and blend for a consistent product. i will install a tap on the trash can so once it is full, we just poen the tap to fill each keg.
(Note: i realize 30g of liquid in a trash can will be incredibly heavy. we have it worked out so we will not have to move it in it's filled state.)
my hope is that this will limit the sediment in the finished product. we should only have to move the kegs from the house to the yard on wedding day.

 

[kpr121]

i hear you on the sediment issue. i'm fermenting in 3 15g fermenters. i'm planning on racking those to a PET trash can once they settle out to remove sediment and blend for a consistent product. i will install a tap on the trash can so once it is full, we just poen the tap to fill each keg.
(Note: i realize 30g of liquid in a trash can will be incredibly heavy. we have it worked out so we will not have to move it in it's filled state.)
my hope is that this will limit the sediment in the finished product. we should only have to move the kegs from the house to the yard on wedding day.

That's intense. Really Intense. Well,not really intense, but pretty intense.

Are your 15g fermenters 1/2 kegs? Are you planning on just pushing the beer from those into an elevated trashcan via CO2? Then drain via gravity back into the kegs? Sounds like a nice plan, you're doing it big,I like it!

 

[killsurfcity]

so the 15g fermenters are PET liquid shipping tanks. originally filled with LME. i would have to rack out of those with a cane into the trash can, as the openings are just big enough to fit a hand in. that shouldn't be a problem tho.
my yard has 2 levels, with a wall. the can would sit on the wall, and we'd rack the 15g's in from a table on the upper part of the yard. then i'd just position the cornies on the lower level under the can to fill by gravity.

 

[unklesam]

So as the plan is to tap the trash can and put a bulk head on there...does anyone have any clue if it will hold up to the pressure of 30 gallons of liquid sitting on it?

 

[tekknoschtev]

We use 30 and 40 gallon trash cans for storing RODI water and reef aquarium, and have for years. I suspect beer doesn't weigh too much more/less than water/saltwater so you should be fine storing wort/beer there (from a weight standpoint). Be careful though. We found that the cans can be more prone to tipping when full of liquid. Just make sure its out of the way and it would be ok.

 

[killsurfcity]

haha, good to see you in the thread unklesam! 30g is about 250#. i'm assuming that's not enough to rip a trash can in half, but i'll make sure.

 

[unklesam]

Good to be here, it's been too long...

Im just wondering if the bulk head on the trash can itself will stand up to the pressure and not pop out or something along those lines...