I just came home from doing some appointments, and setting in my kitchen thanks to my son is a sunbeam kegerator refrigerator. All I need is a keg ( got one but have no clue how to fill it) and a CO2 tank......OH YEAH I need beer to put in the keg.
Good Kids
- Thread starter OHIOSTEVE
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r2eng
Well-Known Member
At least you are starting from the correct side... have somewhere to store it BEFORE you brew it. I started the other way!
android
Well-Known Member
all ya do is rack it into a keg like you would into a secondary fermenter or bottling bucket. couldn't be easier.
OHIOSTEVE
Well-Known Member
No priming sugar though right? Just the CO2 for carbonation. Do you let it set a while in the keg before carbing it up with the CO2?
HSM
Well-Known Member
Need some clarification. If you have a keg and no idea how to fill it I assume you have a brewery sankey keg. A "corny" keg is pretty obvious on how to fill it. That's what you want.
If you are force carbing you can do a 30lb pressure shake for 5 minutes. I find it easier to go with 24/24 (lbs of pressure for 24 hrs). This works for most styles of beer. You can prime with sugar, but less sugar is needed. You still should shoot the keg with 5 or so lbs of pressure after priming just to insure a good seal.
If you are force carbing you can do a 30lb pressure shake for 5 minutes. I find it easier to go with 24/24 (lbs of pressure for 24 hrs). This works for most styles of beer. You can prime with sugar, but less sugar is needed. You still should shoot the keg with 5 or so lbs of pressure after priming just to insure a good seal.
dantodd
Well-Known Member
Most kegerators are designed to use a commercial tap (called a sanke as HSM pointed out.) If your tap looks like this it is designed for sanke kegs:
(thanks to morebeer.com for the image)
This tap pushes CO2 into the keg through one connector (I think the one on the right side) and the beer comes out the other connection (the top in this case.)
Most homebrewers don't use sanke kegs largely because they are mostly available in 7.5 and 15 gallon sizes and most homebrewers brew in 5 gallon batches.
You will also want to get at least 3 sets of gas and beer connectors. AT morebeer they're about $6/connector so that's $35 dollars. You'll also want gas and beer line. I buy mine from mcmaster-carr mcmaster.com they're cheaper than the beer places but you can get it from any of the online shops too, I think AustinHomebrew.com is the cheapest right now.
Pepsi and Coke used to use 5 gallon stainless kegs (called corney or cornelius kegs) to deliver their syrup to fountain accounts. Now they use 5 gallon bags stuffed in a heavy duty cardboard box (called, creatively enough, bag in box.) These are the kegs most homebrewers use now. They use 2 separate quick connections for beer and gas rather than going through a single port. The tops on the corney kegs are much larger too so they're easier to clean. Unfortunately Pepsi and Coke didn't use the same type of connectors but the Pepsi kegs are by far the most popular. These use ball-lock connectors, one size for gas and a slightly different size for beer. Here is a picture of a ball-lock connector:
(again from morebeer.com)
And here is a picture of a Pepsi corney keg from kegconnection.com
Your kegerator should hold 2 or 3 corney kegs. The 4 for $80 deal at keg connections is a great price even with shipping. You'll want at least 3 so the 4 keg deal is the way to go.
You also want to get a manifold for your gas line so you can feed multiple kegs from one CO2 tank/regulator.
Finally you will want to get 2 or 3 more faucets (assuming your kegerator only has one faucet.) This way you can serve from whichever keg you choose without having to switch around tubing. If you should have room in your tower for one more nice faucet. I recommend the Perlick 525SS austinhomebrew has a great sale at $24 each and they offer flat rate shipping so if you buy your other supplies there you'll save on shipping. You will also want a couple "picnic faucets" which are the types you see on rented keg taps, they're cheap and you can just leave the attached to the kegs you don't have running to the tower.
So, here is what you need.
Homebrew Kegs (get 4)
Homebrew keg connectors (get 3 or 4 sets)
A manifold to split your CO2 feed
Picnic faucets (3 or 4, you can get one nice to add to the tower if you'd prefer)
Beer and gas line
You could invest in quick disconnects for one of the gas lines and the beer line to the tower so that you can easily switch between the sanke and homebrew taps. This way you would always have the ability to buy commercial beer on tap. http://morebeer.com/view_product/17398//Beer_Gas_Tubing_Quick_Disconnect_-_In-line_W__Shut-off_Set
This tap pushes CO2 into the keg through one connector (I think the one on the right side) and the beer comes out the other connection (the top in this case.)
Most homebrewers don't use sanke kegs largely because they are mostly available in 7.5 and 15 gallon sizes and most homebrewers brew in 5 gallon batches.
You will also want to get at least 3 sets of gas and beer connectors. AT morebeer they're about $6/connector so that's $35 dollars. You'll also want gas and beer line. I buy mine from mcmaster-carr mcmaster.com they're cheaper than the beer places but you can get it from any of the online shops too, I think AustinHomebrew.com is the cheapest right now.
Pepsi and Coke used to use 5 gallon stainless kegs (called corney or cornelius kegs) to deliver their syrup to fountain accounts. Now they use 5 gallon bags stuffed in a heavy duty cardboard box (called, creatively enough, bag in box.) These are the kegs most homebrewers use now. They use 2 separate quick connections for beer and gas rather than going through a single port. The tops on the corney kegs are much larger too so they're easier to clean. Unfortunately Pepsi and Coke didn't use the same type of connectors but the Pepsi kegs are by far the most popular. These use ball-lock connectors, one size for gas and a slightly different size for beer. Here is a picture of a ball-lock connector:
And here is a picture of a Pepsi corney keg from kegconnection.com
Your kegerator should hold 2 or 3 corney kegs. The 4 for $80 deal at keg connections is a great price even with shipping. You'll want at least 3 so the 4 keg deal is the way to go.
You also want to get a manifold for your gas line so you can feed multiple kegs from one CO2 tank/regulator.
Finally you will want to get 2 or 3 more faucets (assuming your kegerator only has one faucet.) This way you can serve from whichever keg you choose without having to switch around tubing. If you should have room in your tower for one more nice faucet. I recommend the Perlick 525SS austinhomebrew has a great sale at $24 each and they offer flat rate shipping so if you buy your other supplies there you'll save on shipping. You will also want a couple "picnic faucets" which are the types you see on rented keg taps, they're cheap and you can just leave the attached to the kegs you don't have running to the tower.
So, here is what you need.
Homebrew Kegs (get 4)
Homebrew keg connectors (get 3 or 4 sets)
A manifold to split your CO2 feed
Picnic faucets (3 or 4, you can get one nice to add to the tower if you'd prefer)
Beer and gas line
You could invest in quick disconnects for one of the gas lines and the beer line to the tower so that you can easily switch between the sanke and homebrew taps. This way you would always have the ability to buy commercial beer on tap. http://morebeer.com/view_product/17398//Beer_Gas_Tubing_Quick_Disconnect_-_In-line_W__Shut-off_Set
OHIOSTEVE
Well-Known Member
thanks guys.. I have no idea what the type of connector is.. I will get a pic later and put it up. I have been in the truck ALL Day and am beat...been to the brew store, and got the stuff for my first brew tomorrow.
dantodd
Well-Known Member
I also found a conversion kit on kegconnection.com that will allow you to switch back and forth between commercial and homebrew kegs.
http://stores.kegconnection.com/Detail.bok?no=152
This would be a way that you can start with just one keg on tap at a time. You'll still have room in the kegerator for more kegs to condition so they'll be ready as soon as you kick the keg on tap. You'll still need to buy kegs but you wouldn't HAVE to have any other equipment. But if you want more than one on tap at a time look back at my previous post.
http://stores.kegconnection.com/Detail.bok?no=152
This would be a way that you can start with just one keg on tap at a time. You'll still have room in the kegerator for more kegs to condition so they'll be ready as soon as you kick the keg on tap. You'll still need to buy kegs but you wouldn't HAVE to have any other equipment. But if you want more than one on tap at a time look back at my previous post.
WenValley
Well-Known Member
So, what did your son do? Hmmmmmm?
Nice addition. You're going to love that thing...
Nice addition. You're going to love that thing...
OHIOSTEVE
Well-Known Member
We kinda got into it a bit earlier in the day...he and his cousin ( my brothers son) just moved back in here because my son lost his job... I layed the law down about what does and does not go in my house....... I think the fridge was a peace offering.....He got it from a friend of mine who was wanting to sell it but told Jake if he would just get it out of his way he could have it...... I JUST missed a CO2 tank and regulator on craigslist for 25 bucks!
avshockey311
Member
I'm not trying to hijack, sorry OHIOSTEVE. How long does beer keep in kegs after tapped? I would love to start kegging but just worry about "spoiled" beer.
