Kegging equipment

[Curtis Russell]

Recommendations on where to purchase equipment to keg from including regulators, kegs, and hosing with connections. Wasn’t sure on any sites who have best deals or recommended.

 

[philly224]

Edit double post

 

[philly224]

My three favorite:

Morebeer
Kegconnection
Adventures in homebrewing

 

[Zzyzx3]

Bought my first kegging equipment from Birdman brewing. Decent prices and quick shipping. http://www.birdmanbrewing.com/

 

[Calaeb]

Depends how you want to do it. If you want to get everything from one site, I like Kegconnection, if you have the time or enjoy piecing together things, I'd do a combination or Kegconnection/Ritebrew. Im assuming you're in Iowa and if thats the case Ritebrew ships to me in just two days and their prices on faucets and some of the other misc. things are awesome.

 

[Nagorg]

Kegconnection.com

 

[springinloose1]

Good question... Glad I stopped by this thread... I've never purchased anything from kegconnection.

 

[myndflyte]

For most things like faucets, hoses, shanks, etc, I like Ritebrew. As for the kegs themselves, if you have the time to wait, Adventures in Homebrewing will have pretty good sales where you can get cornys for pretty cheap.

 

[augiedoggy]

I'd wait for a sale... I bought my pin lock kegs for $25 each refurbished WITH shipping in packs of 4 a few years back (midwest before inbev bought them) ... ebay has them cheap too. I have accumulated many pin and ball lock kegs for free or cheap since including 10 gallon cornies for $20 each on craigslist... If your want everything to be new then its a different story since your being paying a lot more.

 

[hezagenius]

@Curtis Russell

A couple of pointers that I wish I knew when I first bought my kegging setup:

1 - Use MFL connections anywhere possible. Makes changing lines, cleaning lines, swapping between commercial and homebrew kegs much easier. Also, be aware that not all connections are equal. I have CMB connections and some offbrand connections. Several of the offbrand ones had no o-ring seals. Not sure if there were missing or intentionally didn't have them. Either way, that's not good. I've had great luck with CMB.

2 - Do some research on faucets before pulling the trigger. I didn't and ended up getting the stock faucets that came with the tower. My faucets were clogged each time I went to get my first pour of the day. A small amount of beer dries inside the tap and you have to crank it a bit to break it free. I bought a few Perlick 525SS and that made a huge difference. There are several brands of faucets (Perlick, Micromatic, Intertap, probably others) and lots of different styles. The forward sealing ones will get stuck much less often.

3 - If you are going to have multiple kegs in the kegerator at the same time, I'd say you should strongly consider getting a dual gauge regulator. This allows you to carbonate each keg at a separate psi.

4 - Don't skimp on the quality of your beer and gas lines. Several good choices out there like Bevlex and Ultra Barrier. Another option is Accuflex but then you need some push fittings.

Some websites have the ability to customize the entire setup (connections, towers, faucets, regulators, tank size, etc.). This can sometimes be cheaper since you are basically getting credit back for swapping out the stock parts for upgraded parts instead of buying the stock parts AND the upgraded parts. I used Beverage Factory for my initial setup and then bought upgrades piecemeal from many sites like RiteBrew, Keg Connection, Amazon.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Think about using Sanke instead of Corny kegs, less prone to frustrating leaks imo.

 

[Nagorg]

Think about using Sanke instead of Corny kegs

My only problem with this is with cleaning/sanitizing Sanke -vs- Corny kegs. I admit I haven actually tried taking the spear out of a Sanke yet but it looks like a PITA. Also, I've yet to see information on cleaning and sanitizing them (or even filling them for that matter) that makes me feel like I want to try it. And I have two 5G Sanke's sitting in my garage keeping me thinking about it.

So, if you can point me to some info on these topics I'd much appreciate it. I'm sure others reading this would find it helpful too; its very much on topic IMO.

 

[augiedoggy]

The only sanitary way ive been told to clean the sankeys is with acid followed by hot water or alkaline cleaner (with a cleaning rig) You can do it on a homebrew level other ways but they dont pass the mustard for a brewery and im not sure how good of a job they will consistently do.

 

[Nixon66]

I picked up the majority of my stuff from BrewHardware.com and some kegs and bits and bobs from Keg Connection. Both great places.

 

[hezagenius]

The only sanitary way ive been told to clean the sankeys is with acid followed by hot water or alkaline cleaner (with a cleaning rig) You can do it on a homebrew level other ways but they dont pass the mustard for a brewery and im not sure how good of a job they will consistently do.

I ferment in a sanke (pony keg) and cleaning up afterwards is a hassle. Not necessarily hard, but you have to trust your cleaning regimen. Taking the spear out wasn't really that hard but I only did it once. Not sure I'd want to do that every time I fill a keg. I boil water in my sanke several times after each fermentation.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

2nd kegconnection, but also check Amazon. All the major homebrew retailers sell through Amazon and you can often times get things a bit cheaper - especially if you're a prime member. Case in point...

kegconnection.com (not including shipping)

amazon.com (no shipping)

 

[ddibbern5]

Ritebrew.com for faucets can’t beat the prices and great customer service

 

[Kyle]

Take your time and search the market on this site and Craigslist and all that. There are a lot of good deals if you stay patient and collect little by little. For my setup i found everything used in good condition except for the tubing and small fittings and it only took about a month or two

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

My only problem with this is with cleaning/sanitizing Sanke -vs- Corny kegs. I admit I haven actually tried taking the spear out of a Sanke yet but it looks like a PITA. Also, I've yet to see information on cleaning and sanitizing them (or even filling them for that matter) that makes me feel like I want to try it. And I have two 5G Sanke's sitting in my garage keeping me thinking about it.

So, if you can point me to some info on these topics I'd much appreciate it. I'm sure others reading this would find it helpful too; its very much on topic IMO.

Hands down Sankes are far better. I've used both. They serve better than cornys and theyre made for beer not soda like cornys. They can be run with 5 ft lines instead of a highway of coiled up line with a corny. Cleaning is a breeze. Fill them with water and some Oxyclean and let them sit overnight and then just rinse them out. Couldn't be any simpler. I only clean mine if I think the last beer was infected otherwise I just rinse them out and refill with the new batch. They never leak..ever so infections are rare at best. Opening them is easy and putting them back together isn't bad. Theres 2 notches were the ring is. I grind down an old screwdriver to fit the groove and pry out the ring. Its takes a little figuring at first but gets real simple once you get the hang of it. I use an autosiphon and just stick the tube in the keg. Not brain surgery. If you already have sankes its a no brainer. Use them

 

[Nagorg]

Maybe I'll give it a shot... Not sure how the keg type affects the tubing length though. Regardless, interested in trying it.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

Maybe I'll give it a shot... Not sure how the keg type affects the tubing length though. Regardless, interested in trying it.

Neither do I. They're different by design. Skinny dips tubes vs one large spear. Somehow it makes a difference

 

[wilserbrewer]

https://www.google.com/search?q=using sanke kegs for homebrew

Lots of information and opinions out there. I use Sanke and feel they are superior to corny kegs.

Maybe just my biased opinion, but most who use them feel the same way, and most of the negatives presented are by those that use corny kegs and are committed to them.

Removing and reinstalling the stem is easy and takes a few seconds if you’re the least bit handy and use proper technique.

One tip would be to install the spiral ring so the end just passes one of the two notches by a 1/4” or so. This will make removal easier.

Also, if you have to force the spiral ring, you’re doing it wrong and you may bend it, and once bent it will become much more difficult if not impossible to use.

 

[augiedoggy]

https://www.google.com/search?q=using sanke kegs for homebrew

Lots of information and opinions out there. I use Sanke and feel they are superior to corny kegs.

Maybe just my biased opinion, but most who use them feel the same way, and most of the negatives presented are by those that use corny kegs and are committed to them.

Removing and reinstalling the stem is easy and takes a few seconds if you’re the least bit handy and use proper technique.

One tip would be to install the spiral ring so the end just passes one of the two notches by a 1/4” or so. This will make removal easier.

Also, if you have to force the spiral ring, you’re doing it wrong and you may bend it, and once bent it will become much more difficult if not impossible to use.

whats your method of cleaning them?

I have 32 sankes I have to clean and I bought everything to build a keg cleaner for the nano once we are operational but im curious how people are doing it effectively at home without the acid used by breweries..

 

[newtobrew1981]

I have to disagree with johnny rotten on the use of shankes over corneys. 1 it makes no difference what they were intended to be used for they are both vessels disigned to hold liquid under pressure. 2 getting the spear out of the keg is simple cleaning is simple. But trying to get the snap ring back in can be a real pain in the a**. I've seen myself struggle so many times trying to get the snap ring to seat. For some reason depending on the sanke keg it was harder on some than others. In my humble opinion just go with corneys they are easier to deal with you will thank yourself later. I since sold all of my sankes except for three that I made kettles out of. In fact it's all they are even good for ( my opinion). Her is a pic of my sanke kettles cheers.

 

[wilserbrewer]

 

[SanPancho]

whats your method of cleaning them?

I have 32 sankes I have to clean and I bought everything to build a keg cleaner for the nano once we are operational but im curious how people are doing it effectively at home without the acid used by breweries..

If you open them up you can use anything you want to clean them, caustic, pbw/oxi/bkf, acid cleaner,etc. A carboy cleaner type spray head is fine. Or by hand.

If you keep them closed then you have to either use non caustic alkaline or one of the acid based cleaners. Using caustic will cause them to implode. And you need the full cleaning rig with pumps,tanks,gas, obviously.

If you have time and clean only a few at a time then the carboy cleaner is fine. Open, rinse, run spray head for 10-15m, then look inside. If its clean, its clean. Rinse and go to next one. Then swap cleaner for sanitizer. To speed things up get two set ups, or make two, and have one for cleanin and one for sanitizing. Rinse with hot water hose.

In Mexico labor is cheap so we pay someone to wash kegs all day about once every other week. If that doesn’t pencil for you then maybe a cleaning rig makes more sense.

 

[newtobrew1981]

Wouldn't be long before you destroyed that ring with the pliers or marred your seating surface

 

[newtobrew1981]

There best suited for the commercial breweries who have the means to open them and close them properly. On a hombrewer level they really make no sense to me unless you have no other choice. I have used sankes. And the simplicity of the corney makes it my choice but to each their own.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Wouldn't be long before you destroyed that ring with the pliers or marred your seating surface

I’ve actually been doing it for years without any damage or marring. The SS is so hard, and the force required is so small no damage results.

Thanks, perfect example of naysayers predicting problems from opinion rather than experience.

A crescent wrench actually works better than pliers, adjust the wrench to just contact the spiral ring then rock the wrench outward as you chase the spiral snap ring back into the groove.

It does take a bit of a mechanical touch, but once learned it’s simple.

Newtobrewer, how long did it take to polish those keggles...wow

 

[newtobrew1981]

I have used sankes and like I said I had some that were easy and some were harder than others I just found I frustrating at times so I decided to move on to an easier option. As for the keggles It took me a lot of elbow grease and a lot of time I figure about 36 hrs of work

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

I have to disagree with johnny rotten on the use of shankes over corneys. 1 it makes no difference what they were intended to be used for they are both vessels disigned to hold liquid under pressure.

I'm no physicist but it makes a difference. I used to fight with line balancing like endless other people running ridiculous 12 ft lines and finally gave up. Now I run 4 ft lines without issue. Your never going to find a corny serving well with short lines like that so somehow somewhere it makes a difference. Every kegerator sold comes with 4 or 5 ft lines for a reason, they work with sankes that kegerators are designed for to the masses and not home brewers. If everyone that bought a kegerator had to fight with those short lines they would change them but don't for a reason. They work. You also don't need to worry about orings and hunting down leaks that again there are endless threads about. Theres also the fact that every brewery everywhere and billion dollar companies with endless R&D use sankes. If corneys were better they would use them. Theres also the question of why pepsi/coke ETC used cornys over sankes. I'm sure they did endless tests and found cornys served better with the high carb level of soda or they would have just used sankes.

At the end of the day we all put a lot of time effort and money into brewing and the very last thing before drinking it is serving it. I've found sankes to serve better with zero headaches. To each there own.
Cheers

BTW your kegs have so much bling they should be in a rap video..nice job

 

[newtobrew1981]

Ty. I'm not anti sanke. I just like the ease of corney kegs. At the end of the day we are all drinking beer. Cheers

 

[augiedoggy]

No naysaying here, I'm just curious how people were cleaning them at home is all as ive heard others who tried them post they are not as freindly to use for homebrewing in other threads.... I dont have the means to caustic cleaners ,acids or use a pressurewasher indoors during the winter (thats how I read some cleaned them in the past.) and I switched from carboys to conicals to get away from dealing with trying to clean a large vessel through a small opening but it makes sense that additional hardware like cip cleaners (carboy cleaners) would work if one removed the spear each time.
Honestly it would be something I would consider but I have dozens of cornies and even a number of 10 gallon cornies I dont use much now because I like being able to cram 3 5 gallon cornies in my kegerator and have 3 styles on tap... 11ft lines vs 4ft aside but that is a compelling reason.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

No naysaying here, I'm just curious how people were cleaning them at home is all as ive heard others who tried them post they are not as freindly to use for homebrewing in other threads.... I dont have the means to caustic cleaners ,acids or use a pressurewasher indoors during the winter (thats how I read some cleaned them in the past.) and I switched from carboys to conicals to get away from dealing with trying to clean a large vessel through a small opening but it makes sense that additional hardware like cip cleaners (carboy cleaners) would work if one removed the spear each time.
Honestly it would be something I would consider but I have dozens of cornies and even a number of 10 gallon cornies I dont use much now because I like being able to cram 3 5 gallon cornies in my kegerator and have 3 styles on tap... 11ft lines vs 4ft aside but that is a compelling reason.

I don't know about cleaning a ton of them for a Nano brewery but for homebrewing and just a few kegs believe me when I tell ya that Oxyclean and nothing else works awesome. 5 years with the same kegs and I've never stuck a brush or anything else in them and they're nice and shiny clean inside. They never leak so if you forget about them after kicking a keg they don't get funky inside. A simple rinse is all they need

 

[wilserbrewer]

I often wonder how many corny keg users are actually reaching inside their kegs and scrubbing them out, I would think most are soaking with a cleaner as mentioned above vs actual hand washing. Just cause you can doesn’t mean that most do...

 

[day_trippr]

I have, mostly on "new to me" kegs. I'm 6'5" and lanky, but there are corny keg brushes on the market for stubby or broad folks

Cheers!

 

[augiedoggy]

I do I can barely get my arm into them but usually try to wipe them out with a sponge if they've been sitting awhile it takes some scrubbing to get the krausen ring out of the inside

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

I do I can barely get my arm into them but usually try to wipe them out with a sponge if they've been sitting awhile it takes some scrubbing to get the krausen ring out of the inside

So you ferment in the kegs?
I always wonder how that works. How do people ferment 5 gallons in a 5 gallon keg?

 

[newtobrew1981]

I do as well I'm very careful when it comes to cleanliness

 

[Nagorg]

I often wonder how many corny keg users are actually reaching inside their kegs and scrubbing them out, I would think most are soaking with a cleaner as mentioned above vs actual hand washing. Just cause you can doesn’t mean that most do...

I do this...