Keg/keggle/corny?

[PearlJamNoCode]

I'm an extract brewer who bottles and probably will stay that way for a while... but I'd like to know what you guys are talking about on here!

Please instruct me as to the differences of these pieces of equipment

 

[shafferpilot]

Keg - Normally called a half barrel. Holds 15.5 US gallons. This is what you would see in a bar's fridge. Most homebrewers do not use these for holding/dispensing beer because even with ten gallon batches, there's a lot of empty headspace (leftover space on top of the beer) left in them.

Keggle - A half barrel keg with the top cut off so it can be used as a brew pot. They work great for ten gallon batches because the extra headspace prevents boilovers

Corny - full name is Cornelius Kegs. Holds about 5.5 US gallons. They are what soft drinks used to be delivered in for fast food restraunts and such. They are perfect for storing and dispensing homebrew because of their size and availability since soft drink manufacturers have switched to using plastic bags in boxes.

BTW think about making the switch to kegging as it takes about 10 minutes to fill a keg and with high pressure force carbonation you get to drink your brew about a month earlier than with bottling. Also, a counterpressure bottle filler can fill bottles as soon as the keg is carbed up and the bottle doesn't get that annoying layer of yeast in the bottom

 

[bradsul]

...with high pressure force carbonation you get to drink your brew about a month earlier than with bottling...

Keeping in mind of course that force carbonating doesn't negate the need to properly age your beer so really that isn't accurate. You CAN drink sooner than bottling, but it would be pretty green beer.

 

[shafferpilot]

That's definitely true. I love getting to taste the beer as it ages! However, I've found that the first 3 or 4 weeks of bottle "conditioning" isn't really conditioning at all, it's carbing! Then as it sits longer it conditions. My limited experience suggests that kegging could shorten the process of making beer taste really good some. In the end, I'm sure I'll keep doing both. I can't wait until I have one of those "I just found a sixer of beer that I brewed a year and a half ago on the back of a shelf" moments.

 

[Orfy]

There are some great articles in the wiki worth looking at.