SPR-GRN
Well-Known Member
Hi all,
I bought my kegging equipment a while ago off a user on here (can't remember who) but I never got to use it since I was in between locations (Brooklyn, NY, Queens, NY, CT). I finally bought a house last June, but thanks to a motorcycle accident (day before closing I got T-boned by a 7 series BMW) and the other usual "so you own a house now?" crap that sucks up my time, and then planning a wedding and getting married last October, I never got around to using it.
Well we're moved in, all the initial house stuff is done, and we have a second fridge in the basement now!! (upgraded the upstairs unit and moved the old one down). I'm brewing a bunch of beer, and I decided to knock the dust off of my kegging stuff and get to it this summer.
32 gallons of beer, cider and mead:
Here is what I've got:
10lb CO2 tank, single gauge regulator, three-way manifold (no valves), four ball lock cornies, three picnic taps, one shank & tap, extra gaskets for the lids/posts.
regulator, three-way manifold w/check valves (no ball valves) & 10lb CO2 tank.
assembled picnic tap (have to put the other two together still)
Shank & tap (chrome not SS, so I will most likely not use)
The Fridge - Kenmore Coldspot 106
Now, I've read that the Quick disconnects are air tight and when not connected to a keg they will not distribute air, so for now I'll run three kegs with one sitting in the wings and just "hot swap" when one kicks.
I'm also going to run picnic taps for now on three kegs; eventually I'll tap the fridge wall (not the door) and do four (or more) ss perlick 525's; depends on what will fit in the fridge when I empty it out. When I go to four or more taps, I'll buy a dual pressure regulator and distribution manifold with valves, but for now I'm hoping this system will work out for me.
Do you think my idea of hot swapping kegs will work? There are check valves off the manifold so beer can't go back up into the regulator when I turn off the gas to swap tanks.
If I've only got one keg hooked up, will the disconnects be o.k./not leak air?
A ball valved manifold isn't that expensive, so if I need to I may just bite the bullet and buy one, but I was hoping to use what I have for this summer, and upgrade throughout the year - I have a brewing budget and equipment really digs into it quickly.
Edit: keg connection has ball valves for 8 bucks a pop + shipping, I could buy three of those, but the manifold really isn't all that much more expensive; if I could get valves locally for a better price, I'd go for that option, but if I'm ordering I'll just get the manifold now and the dual pressure regulator later.
Thanks for stopping by Homebrewtalk!
I bought my kegging equipment a while ago off a user on here (can't remember who) but I never got to use it since I was in between locations (Brooklyn, NY, Queens, NY, CT). I finally bought a house last June, but thanks to a motorcycle accident (day before closing I got T-boned by a 7 series BMW) and the other usual "so you own a house now?" crap that sucks up my time, and then planning a wedding and getting married last October, I never got around to using it.
Well we're moved in, all the initial house stuff is done, and we have a second fridge in the basement now!! (upgraded the upstairs unit and moved the old one down). I'm brewing a bunch of beer, and I decided to knock the dust off of my kegging stuff and get to it this summer.
32 gallons of beer, cider and mead:
Here is what I've got:
10lb CO2 tank, single gauge regulator, three-way manifold (no valves), four ball lock cornies, three picnic taps, one shank & tap, extra gaskets for the lids/posts.
regulator, three-way manifold w/check valves (no ball valves) & 10lb CO2 tank.
assembled picnic tap (have to put the other two together still)
Shank & tap (chrome not SS, so I will most likely not use)
The Fridge - Kenmore Coldspot 106
Now, I've read that the Quick disconnects are air tight and when not connected to a keg they will not distribute air, so for now I'll run three kegs with one sitting in the wings and just "hot swap" when one kicks.
I'm also going to run picnic taps for now on three kegs; eventually I'll tap the fridge wall (not the door) and do four (or more) ss perlick 525's; depends on what will fit in the fridge when I empty it out. When I go to four or more taps, I'll buy a dual pressure regulator and distribution manifold with valves, but for now I'm hoping this system will work out for me.
Do you think my idea of hot swapping kegs will work? There are check valves off the manifold so beer can't go back up into the regulator when I turn off the gas to swap tanks.
If I've only got one keg hooked up, will the disconnects be o.k./not leak air?
A ball valved manifold isn't that expensive, so if I need to I may just bite the bullet and buy one, but I was hoping to use what I have for this summer, and upgrade throughout the year - I have a brewing budget and equipment really digs into it quickly.
Edit: keg connection has ball valves for 8 bucks a pop + shipping, I could buy three of those, but the manifold really isn't all that much more expensive; if I could get valves locally for a better price, I'd go for that option, but if I'm ordering I'll just get the manifold now and the dual pressure regulator later.
Thanks for stopping by Homebrewtalk!
