Friend Gave Me an Old Keg, is it Usable?

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NathanYearout

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Apparently my dad's friend also had a son that was into brewing. He had this old dirty keg that was sitting for years. Looks good but says "Coke-a-cola" on it and it's missing a lid. I'm assuming I can use it for beer but would anyone know if I need some special lid or can I just buy any generic keg lid. I'm planning on power washing it/scrubbing it and then rinsing it with Star San and finding some supplies for the CO2 online.
 

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That looks like a standard lid
When you price replacement lids be sure to also price complete recycled kegs.
Might be a better deal over all.
 
Interesting, is there a reason they would've converted it?

Ball lock kegs are more popular with most homebrewers.
Also there are several accessories that are available for ball lock kegs.

Personally, I prefer the pin lock kegs, because there is NO WAY to hook them up wrong.
 
Apparently my dad's friend also had a son that was into brewing. He had this old dirty keg that was sitting for years. Looks good but says "Coke-a-cola" on it and it's missing a lid. I'm assuming I can use it for beer but would anyone know if I need some special lid or can I just buy any generic keg lid. I'm planning on power washing it/scrubbing it and then rinsing it with Star San and finding some supplies for the CO2 online.
All of my kegs are Coca Cola pinlock kegs. Some 3 gallon and the others 5 gallon. I have never seen one with the logo embossed in the rubber handles before… that’s pretty cool.
 
All of my kegs are Coca Cola pinlock kegs. Some 3 gallon and the others 5 gallon. I have never seen one with the logo embossed in the rubber handles before… that’s pretty cool.
Interesting, the side says "Safer s.p.a - Valmadrera - LC - made in Italy." don't know if it's good quality yet but it feels nice. Just needs a lot of cleaning and scrubbing.
 
With a new lid and a complete disassembly and cleaning, it should work fine. A standard Cornelius lid will work. Be sure to use a long cleaning brush inside the liquid dip tube and replace all the o-rings. Bar Keeper’s Friend and a dish scrubbie or scotch brite pad will work wonders on the inside… just rinse very well. My forearms are too big to get my arms in a keg, but sometimes I have my daughter with her skinny arms help me scrub them. She can get in to her armpit.😎
 
Nice score!
My cousin works for Coca-cola and gave me four Coke kegs a few years ago. Similar state, they had sat for god knows how long with some soda residue in them. Cleaned them really good, changed the posts to ball locks b/c that's what I am already set up for and replaced all the o-rings. One thing I will say is, you may want to buy some extra oversized keg lid o-rings. I have scored some other free corny kegs over the years in various states and found sometimes they need these thicker lid o-rings to seal properly. The only place I have found them is at Willam's Brewing Oversize Keg O-Ring. If your LHBS doesn't have all the replacement parts you need for the keg, you can get it all at William's Brewing. Good luck and enjoy your new keg!
 
Nice score! Wish I could go back to my teen years with the knowledge that someday I would be a brewer. Worked at a movie theater and had access to dozens of pin lock kegs that could have slowly disappeared week by week out the back door. :D Was pin lock expert because I had to change kegs every time a soda kicked.
 
Nice score! Wish I could go back to my teen years with the knowledge that someday I would be a brewer. Worked at a movie theater and had access to dozens of pin lock kegs that could have slowly disappeared week by week out the back door. :D Was pin lock expert because I had to change kegs every time a soda kicked.
Lmao. My twin brother mentioned the same thing. He works at a nice steakhouse in the area. Told me they have hundreds of them in the basement. He didn't even know they could be used for beer.
 
Nice score!
My cousin works for Coca-cola and gave me four Coke kegs a few years ago. Similar state, they had sat for god knows how long with some soda residue in them. Cleaned them really good, changed the posts to ball locks b/c that's what I am already set up for and replaced all the o-rings. One thing I will say is, you may want to buy some extra oversized keg lid o-rings. I have scored some other free corny kegs over the years in various states and found sometimes they need these thicker lid o-rings to seal properly. The only place I have found them is at Willam's Brewing Oversize Keg O-Ring. If your LHBS doesn't have all the replacement parts you need for the keg, you can get it all at William's Brewing. Good luck and enjoy your new keg!
Thanks! Going to the home brew store after school. Looking forward to kegging as I bottled the first batch I ever made and I really don't enjoy it. I like it for presentation but the sedement in the bottom ruins it for me since I don't like bottling just to pour it into a glass regardless. It seems like unless I'm gifting my beer I'd rather just keg it.
 
Lmao. My twin brother mentioned the same thing. He works at a nice steakhouse in the area. Told me they have hundreds of them in the basement. He didn't even know they could be used for beer.


Time to help them out and give them the space to store the things that they need.
 
I have found from experience that keg parts can be not interchangeable sometimes even between 2 of the same kind of keg. The worst mistake I ever made was taking apart 3 kegs at the same time and soaking/cleaning all the parts together.

Lids in particular are a fit or they are not. The majority of the kegs we get are Cornelius or Firestone, etc and I have not come across one made in Italy before. Sometimes what looks like something standard isn’t.

If you’re willing to risk $20 on a new lid go for it. You might get lucky. Don’t be surprised if it leaks with a new lid though.

As was mentioned, what are complete used kegs with all the parts going for? $25?
 
I have found from experience that keg parts can be not interchangeable sometimes even between 2 of the same kind of keg. The worst mistake I ever made was taking apart 3 kegs at the same time and soaking/cleaning all the parts together.

Lids in particular are a fit or they are not. The majority of the kegs we get are Cornelius or Firestone, etc and I have not come across one made in Italy before. Sometimes what looks like something standard isn’t.

If you’re willing to risk $20 on a new lid go for it. You might get lucky. Don’t be surprised if it leaks with a new lid though.

As was mentioned, what are complete used kegs with all the parts going for? $25?
Don't know, I bought a lid and new O rings for the keg last night and they fit perfectly fine. Cleaned up the inside with PBW and boiling water and it's shiny and ready to rock.
 
Don't know, I bought a lid and new O rings for the keg last night and they fit perfectly fine. Cleaned up the inside with PBW and boiling water and it's shiny and ready to rock.
Cool. I guess you’ll find out when you fill it and pressurize it. Good luck, I hope it works out.
 
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