Looking at getting new keg.

[jcs401]

I am debating on selling my 2 pin lock kegs I bought used and buy a new ball lock. I have had some issues with leaking I think with my pin locks after even changing all the seals and poppets. Not just gas leak but also went into my kegerater and found beer all over the floor so somehow it leaked liquid side as well. So I figure screw it sell the used ones and buy 1 new one which I think ball lock hopefully would help. Anyways, my real question is that of why are these new more expensive "Italian" type kegs with the handle on top saying to be the best? Is there a particular thing that will set them aside from say a 75$ new ball lock from Austin homebrew.com? Just trying to get the diffrence and if it's worth the extra cost??

 

[brewcat]

I have two AEBs with rubber handles. They are nice. I wouldn't mess with any that don't have the rubber handle. I think kegconnection has the best deal on them at the moment.

The selling point seems to be brand new while others are simply reconditioned. With AEB you also know you are getting a quality keg and not a cheapo.

 

[BrewerBrad82]

There are a handful of manufacturers of new corny kegs out there, some in China, India, and then AEB in Italy. In my experience, the welds on the AEB kegs are by far the best, and the AEB is the only one I know of that is NSF certified, the others are not.

 

[jimmywalker55]

I just ordered 2 new AMCYL 3 gallon kegs from ritebrew.com. They're made in India. I'm new to kegging, but they seem like good quality, the welds all look nice and smooth, I can't comment as far as how long they'll hold up though. They do have the NSF stamp on them. ritebrew.com had the best prices I could find and they shipped them out very quickly!

 

[alexavery]

Another one to look at is the Torpedo Kegs. I don' have one, so I can't comment on the quality. But they look pretty good. http://www.birdmanbrewing.com/torpedo-stacking-ball-lock-keg-5-gallon/

 

[day_trippr]

I have to say, unless there's literally a hole in a keg, it can be rehabilitated for hella less money than replacement cost. Even the apocryphal scenario - someone managed to trash both posts, dip tubes and the freakin' lid - all those parts together with a fresh O-ring set and a pair of U-poppets are cheaper than one new keg.

And then there's the less dramatic - but definitely insidious - scenario: your supplier gave you kegs with posts outfitted with ball lock O-rings. Thinner than legitimate pin lock post O-rings by enough that even the sideways pressure from a gas or beer line will cock the quick disconnect enough for things to leak out.

That's a cheap fix, if you recognize it. If you can't wiggle a pin lock QD without gas or beer escaping, that's the classic signature of an undersized post O-ring.

And given that most sites have no clue that there's actually a spec'd difference between the two types of O-rings, probably not an uncommon malady for pin-lockers...

Cheers!

 

[pat10323]

I have to say, unless there's literally a hole in a keg, it can be rehabilitated for hella less money than replacement cost. Even the apocryphal scenario - someone managed to trash both posts, dip tubes and the freakin' lid - all those parts together with a fresh O-ring set and a pair of U-poppets are cheaper than one new keg.

And then there's the less dramatic - but definitely insidious - scenario: your supplier gave you kegs with posts outfitted with ball lock O-rings. Thinner than legitimate pin lock post O-rings by enough that even the sideways pressure from a gas or beer line will cock the quick disconnect enough for things to leak out.

That's a cheap fix, if you recognize it. If you can't wiggle a pin lock QD without gas or beer escaping, that's the classic signature of an undersized post O-ring.

And given that most sites have no clue that there's actually a spec'd difference between the two types of O-rings, probably not an uncommon malady for pin-lockers...

Cheers!

That's some good info

 

[bkboiler]

could just get the new kegs in addition to your current ones... just sayin..mo beer, mo betta
I got mine brand new from adventures in homebrewing and love it

 

[jcs401]

I have to say, unless there's literally a hole in a keg, it can be rehabilitated for hella less money than replacement cost. Even the apocryphal scenario - someone managed to trash both posts, dip tubes and the freakin' lid - all those parts together with a fresh O-ring set and a pair of U-poppets are cheaper than one new keg.



And then there's the less dramatic - but definitely insidious - scenario: your supplier gave you kegs with posts outfitted with ball lock O-rings. Thinner than legitimate pin lock post O-rings by enough that even the sideways pressure from a gas or beer line will cock the quick disconnect enough for things to leak out.



That's a cheap fix, if you recognize it. If you can't wiggle a pin lock QD without gas or beer escaping, that's the classic signature of an undersized post O-ring.



And given that most sites have no clue that there's actually a spec'd difference between the two types of O-rings, probably not an uncommon malady for pin-lockers...



Cheers!

Where can I get for sure, pin lock replacement o-rings? I think my kegs are Firestone since the top rubber part is a complete circle and don't have rose like notches in the rubber

 

[day_trippr]

Where can I get for sure, pin lock replacement o-rings? I think my kegs are Firestone since the top rubber part is a complete circle and don't have rose like notches in the rubber

The lid and dip tube O-rings are the same, but the post O-rings are different.
Chicompany carries post O-rings for pin locks separately from ball locks...

http://www.chicompany.net/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=376_1_163&products_id=3286

Cheers!

 

[Newsman]

If you choose to go with new ball-lock kegs, I highly recommend getting the "seconds" if you can. They are significantly cheaper and other than LOOKING a bit ugly (ugly welds, etc) they are just fine. I have several. I also second getting rubberized handles if possible. I have two different types -- one with a plastic handle and one with a metal handle. I prefer the plastic 10000% more than the plain metal. Especially if you are trying to carry a full corny.

 

[jcs401]

How can I tell if my pin locks are Cornelius or Firestone?l so I know what thread size they have?

 

[Newsman]

How can I tell if my pin locks are Cornelius or Firestone?l so I know what thread size they have?

Should be something engraved on the side stating "cornelius" or "firestone" or whatever brand

 

[jcs401]

Should be something engraved on the side stating "cornelius" or "firestone" or whatever brand

Maybe I am blind but I don't see anything???

 

[wallybangbang]

could just get the new kegs in addition to your current ones... just sayin..mo beer, mo betta
I got mine brand new from adventures in homebrewing and love it

+1 to the new kegs from AIH. Love mine. they are on sale for $75 a lot and even got two when they dropped them to $69 apiece.

 

[jcs401]

Is there a benefit to me switching the pin locks I have now, over to ball lock connections? Do ball lock connectors have less leaking issues that anyone is aware of?

 

[Newsman]

Maybe I am blind but I don't see anything???

Then they are probably "generic" kegs made by someone else. Are the ball lock or pin-lock?

 

[jcs401]

Then they are probably "generic" kegs made by someone else. Are the ball lock or pin-lock?

Pin lock. One I did find says "coca-cola" and looks like it says Strasbourg

 

[Newsman]

Pin lock. One I did find says "coca-cola" and looks like it says Strasbourg

There you go. As I said, they may be etched into the body of the keg. If not, I think all pin-locks use the same thread, etc so you just have to buy a pin-lock to ball-lock conversion kit if you want to do that. That way you don't have to worry about which posts to purchase.

 

[jcs401]

There you go. As I said, they may be etched into the body of the keg. If not, I think all pin-locks use the same thread, etc so you just have to buy a pin-lock to ball-lock conversion kit if you want to do that. That way you don't have to worry about which posts to purchase.

Is there a benefit to switching over to ball lock from pin lock? I have had some issues with beer leakage and all my o-rings are new and found out that they are all for sure "pin lock" o rings. I don't know if it is leaking from the connector peice itself or not. Wondering if going over to ball lock is worth it?

 

[Newsman]

Is there a benefit to switching over to ball lock from pin lock? I have had some issues with beer leakage and all my o-rings are new and found out that they are all for sure "pin lock" o rings. I don't know if it is leaking from the connector peice itself or not. Wondering if going over to ball lock is worth it?

Main benefit is that it's easier to find ball-lock kegs. That being said, I would try replacing your poppets before switching to ball-lock. Also, double-check you're getting a good tight seal on the post -- may want to try replacing the disconnects and make sure you have a good clamp on the hoses to and from the keg. Those would be cheaper than switching to ball-lock, I believe. Especially if you have a LOT of kegs.

 

[wilserbrewer]

One word...sanke ftw!

 

[jcs401]

There you go. As I said, they may be etched into the body of the keg. If not, I think all pin-locks use the same thread, etc so you just have to buy a pin-lock to ball-lock conversion kit if you want to do that. That way you don't have to worry about which posts to purchase.

So would I need the 9/16-18 thread conversion or the 9/32?

 

[Newsman]

So would I need the 9/16-18 thread conversion or the 9/32?

Check this Amazon search out -- http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...eld-keywords=pin-lock+to+ball-lock+conversion

You don't NEED to worry about which thread you have.

Here's the same thing from Midwest: http://www.midwestsupplies.com/pin-lock-to-ball-lock-conversion-post.html