Kegging Help

[Brewmegoodbeer]

Hey guys,

I am brand spanking new to kegging. I am looking a different kegs and it looks like some kegs, you can unlock the top to get an opening to siphon your beer in, and others, just have a ball lock on it. Here is a pic below of what I am talking about. Can I get my beer into a keg like this? It looks like Id have to hook it up to a ball lock at the end of my siphon, am I right? Also If I can use this type of keg, how would I go about cleaning the crap out of this before putting my beer into it? Thanks.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

Your picture is a sanke keg, most here use a corny keg. I find the sanke kegs to be better in every way but I'm the odd man out around here.
You don't need anything to transfer except an auto siphon. The top comes off/out by removing a snap ring and the center pulls out.. really simple

If you get a sanke keg and Perlick flow control faucets with 5 ft beer lines youll have zero kegging headaches

 

[Brewmegoodbeer]

Your picture is a sanke keg, most here use a corny keg. I find the sanke kegs to be better in every way but I'm the odd man out around here.
You don't need anything to transfer except an auto siphon. The top comes off/out by removing a snap ring and the center pulls out.. really simple

hmm so what your saying is I should buy this keg for 30 dollars that the person is selling with the kegerator? I will have to look up on how to take the top off. What about burping this type of keg? Any tips you have on using this keg for homebrewing would be great. Thanks!

 

[MidAtlanticBrew]

You need special equipment to clean these. You don't want this type. You want a Cornelius Keg. google it or go to your local or online home brew shop. they'll set you up

 

[brewstergalVT]

What you show in the photo is a Sanke keg, what typically is a commercial keg. Typically most homebrewers use Cornelius kegs which you'll see if you search are available as either ball-lock or pin lock. These 'corny' kegs have a large opening which makes it much easier to clean the keg than the Sanke keg. Besides the large opening on the corny keg there are two 'ports' or bodies that are opposite each other on the top of the keg, an 'in' (gas) and 'out' (beer), to carbonate and dispense the beer. Of the two corny styles, ball lock is more common but pick either ball lock or pin lock as you can't interchange them. You didn't ask for advice but I'd stay away from Sanke if you're starting out. I hope that helps.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

You need special equipment to clean these.

This is 100% completely false information.

First they never leak air...ever. So they never get funky. I've Had kegs sitting around for months with the last bit of beer sitting in them. Opening them up the beer smells as fresh as the last pint I pulled.

I rinse out my kegs with water....That's it
Every once in a while I'll dump some oxiclean in and let it sit an hour and rinse it out.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

hmm so what your saying is I should buy this keg for 30 dollars that the person is selling with the kegerator? I will have to look up on how to take the top off. What about burping this type of keg? Any tips you have on using this keg for homebrewing would be great. Thanks!

If hes giving it to you for $30 its most likely the deposit he paid and not really his to sell...I'd ask him about it.
Already people are trying to scare you away from the Sanke..Like I said most here use the Corny because its the "homebrew thing to do" I've used both and can tell you hands down the Sankes are better. Not to mention If you want to go buy a commercial beer one day the connections are the same.
Your Kegerator is already set up for it. Try out the Sanke and see if you like it.You have nothing to loose...You wont switch to a corny, I can almost guarantee it.

 

[Silver79]

I've been using Sankey kegs for about 5 years now. I really enjoy them for several reasons already mentioned. The one pictured above looks to be a snap ring style to remove the spear (tube down center with ball valve on top of it.) A few posts down this forum I recently posted some pictures of how to get that spear out and back in with stuff I found at home. If you ever get a partner to that keg, you can open the Miller style (threaded) sankes with a wonderbar as the wrench. Fear not the Sanke style D it's like the super-hot girlfriend of taps, everyone without one will find reasons why YOU shouldn't.

 

[MidAtlanticBrew]

I do agree that you don't need special equipment if you subscribe to the rinse and pray method of prepping a keg.

This is 100% completely false information.

First they never leak air...ever. So they never get funky. I've Had kegs sitting around for months with the last bit of beer sitting in them. Opening them up the beer smells as fresh as the last pint I pulled.

I rinse out my kegs with water....That's it
Every once in a while I'll dump some oxiclean in and let it sit an hour and rinse it out.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

I do agree that you don't need special equipment if you subscribe to the rinse and pray method of prepping a keg.

Even people using cornys just give them an Oxiclean soak...It works.
I've been rinsing/cleaning the same way for years. Never had a single issue.The cornys that people leave sitting around after the keg kicks and loose pressure and let the air in and get funky is where the "work"comes in.
As stated Sankes never leak and there filled with co2. When opened there as fresh as the last pour,If I really wanted I could just open up a sanky and siphon in the same new beer a month later...not that I would because it takes 2 seconds to rinse out.

I used Cornys for years and still have them collecting dust....Have you used a sanke for homebrew...I think not....Giving advise without experience doesn't help.

 

[Brewenstein]

When I was looking to get into kegging, a couple guys in my brew club advised me to start out with Sanke kegs, so I did. Removing the spear takes a little practice, but i can do it now in 15 seconds and re-install it it 30 seconds. I got mine from a guy that knows a beer distributor. When the distributor get odd kegs that no one wants to take back he sells them to this guy and he sells them to other homebrewers for $50 (otherwise they go to recycling). I just remove the spear and rinse them well. A carboy jet washer does a good job of removing any yeast stuck to the bottom. Every few uses I'll give it an oxyclean soak.

Read through this sub forum for awhile. Almost all leak related questions / problems are from guys using corny kegs. Poppits, O-rings, keg lube, mismatching parts between kegs ... All things I don't have to worry about. (Not that there can't be a leak somewhere with the gas line to manifold / regulator connections, but it really cuts down on the possibilities.)

But in the end, it is what you are comfortable with. But consider that what you start with is what you will most likely keep using because once you spend the money once, you won't want to spend it a second time.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

^^^^^ This Exactly^^^^^

With absolutely no proof whatsoever I have a gut feeling the 10 ft lines everyone uses to fight foam is directly related to the design of the cornys with dip tubes and poppets. I run 4 ft lines with sanke kegs and almost never use my flow control, maybe on the first pour sometimes but I have a tower that gets warm.

 

[wyowolf]

^^^^^ This Exactly^^^^^

With absolutely no proof whatsoever I have a gut feeling the 10 ft lines everyone uses to fight foam is directly related to the design of the cornys with dip tubes and poppets. I run 4 ft lines with sanke kegs and almost never use my flow control, maybe on the first pour sometimes but I have a tower that gets warm.

interesting, i didnt know you could use those types. Not that it matters now because I have kegs already but how do you connect them and make them useable for kegerators?

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

interesting, i didnt know you could use those types. Not that it matters now because I have kegs already but how do you connect them and make them useable for kegerators?

Every kegerator ever sold (most likely) comes with a sanke tap already attached to the beer line ready to go. Just twist it on the same way you would a pump tap. People cut that tap off and add on poppets they need to buy...To me its creating work and going in reverse

 

[Brewenstein]

^^^^^ This Exactly^^^^^

With absolutely no proof whatsoever I have a gut feeling the 10 ft lines everyone uses to fight foam is directly related to the design of the cornys with dip tubes and poppets. I run 4 ft lines with sanke kegs and almost never use my flow control, maybe on the first pour sometimes but I have a tower that gets warm.

I have no idea if short lines would work or not. I have Perlick 630's and use 15' of beer line. Went with the "conventional wisdom" of 1' line per 1 PSI. Then added a few feet just in case. (I serve at 12 PSI.) Figured I could always cut them down, and maybe I could, but my pours are fine so why mess with it.

 

[Brewenstein]

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZPfZ_AL380[/ame]

Video showing how to remove and re-install the spear.