Question on corny keg

[kyle6286]

I found out that a local beverage company near my house has corny kegs for cheap (I think) so I went by to pick a couple up. I told them I was just looking for two ball lock kegs. They gave me two kegs, which they said they cleaned out for me, for $20 each. When I got home I noticed one of them had the Pepsi engraving on the outside of the keg and had all of the attributes of a ball lock keg. The other keg, although the same size in height, diameter, etc. has a top that doesn't have the CO2 pull relief. Instead, it just has this small thing with a couple holes in it. Is this not a ball lock keg? I've never owned any cornys before so I don't have any experience so excuse my ignorance. I was planning on just going back tonight after work and exchanging it for another keg but I'm not sure if it just needs another top. Hope this makes sense. Thanks for the help!

 

[JuanMoore]

That's called a hansen valve, and is more common on pin lock kegs. The posts are what determines if a keg is ball lock or pin lock, not the lid. Having a pressure relief valve is handy, so if trading it in for a different one is an option I'd consider it. You could swap just the lid if you wanted to.

 

[Chrisl77]

If the size of the tank is the same and it has ball lock posts on it, then its a ball lock keg. What your describing is a hensen relief valve. Its a one shot relief valve that blows if the pressure in the keg reaches the max pressure rating on the keg. To purge the air out of the head you need to disconnect the gas line and depress the post.

 

[kyle6286]

Thanks for the help guys. I appreciate it. I'll make sure it's a ball lock keg and if so, I'll see if I can just trade the top for another one with the pressure relief valve.

 

[Misplaced_Canuck]

If the size of the tank is the same and it has ball lock posts on it, then its a ball lock keg. What your describing is a hensen relief valve. Its a one shot relief valve that blows if the pressure in the keg reaches the max pressure rating on the keg. To purge the air out of the head you need to disconnect the gas line and depress the post.

Not wanting to nit-pick but the relief valve will pop when the relief valve's max pressure is achieved, not the keg's max pressure.

M_C

 

[Misplaced_Canuck]

Thanks for the help guys. I appreciate it. I'll make sure it's a ball lock keg and if so, I'll see if I can just trade the top for another one with the pressure relief valve.

You don't really need a different top. Sure, the manual pressure relief is handy, but the same can be achieved my pressure on the IN fitting to relieve pressure.

M_C

 

[HHP]

Not wanting to nit-pick but the relief valve will pop when the relief valve's max pressure is achieved, not the keg's max pressure.

M_C

Not to nit pick your nit pick, BUT: he said the max pressure RATING of the keg, not the max pressure of the keg, and I believe the hansen valves are set for the rating of the keg

 

[Goblism]

just an FYI, but every possible keg you can for $20, those are dirt cheap for ball locks

 

[kyle6286]

I thought so too. Obviously, they're used so they have the scuff marks on the outside, but some oxyclean free and starsan should make them good as new. They had a bunch too. Even though my kegerator can only fit two, I was tempted to pick up a few more.

 

[kpr121]

I think you should buy a hundred of them and ship them to HBT'ers all over the US a la Flomaster:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/group-buy-used-5-gallon-ball-lock-kegs-25-a-220967/

 

[kpr121]

In for 2, you can't stop it now.

 

[BeerEagle]

Please ship 8 to the UK.

 

[ChandlerBang]

Listen to me. BUY THEM ALL. Then add a couple bucks for your trouble (buyer pays shipping), put up a post on here and sell all you don't want. They'll go like hotcakes.

 

[Chrisl77]

Buy more so you can you can age and carb so when one gets kicked you have a replacement inline ready to go.

 

[RensBerserker]

Listen to me. BUY THEM ALL. Then add a couple bucks for your trouble (buyer pays shipping), put up a post on here and sell all you don't want. They'll go like hotcakes.

This.

My LHBS just got ball lock kegs back in stock... for $70/ea used, or $120/ea brand new. Lots of online retailers don't have any ball lock kegs in stock, and those that do charge $50+ for used kegs. Jump on this! Now!

 

[ChandlerBang]

I'll start the list in case you actually do this.


1) Me. I'll take 3 (price depending)

 

[jmark]

This would be awesome - i'd jump in for 2-4 of them at that sort if price!

 

[Gimlet]

This would be awesome - i'd jump in for 2-4 of them at that sort if price!

Same here! Just getting started on the kegging thing and it's impossible to find decent prices on the net.

 

[sfrisby]

I'll take two! Thank you for volunteering to help your fellow hbt'rs! Lol.

Seriously, get a couple more for yourself and use them as fermentors. Drill a hole in the lid for an airlock and the pressure relief valve becomes irrelevant. At this price, they will be the most effective and cheapest fermenters you will find.

 

[JuanMoore]

Seriously, get a couple more for yourself and use them as fermentors. Drill a hole in the lid for an airlock and the pressure relief valve becomes irrelevant. At this price, they will be the most effective and cheapest fermenters you will find.

Don't drill a hole in the lid and ruin it. If you want to use a corny for fermenting (which is a great idea), either put a gas QD on it for a blow off tube, or remove the gas poppet and put a larger hose over the post, or remove the post and stick in an airlock with a couple o-rings That way you can counter pressure transfer when fermentation is over, and the keg is still functional for serving.

 

[ChandlerBang]

seriously, get a couple more for yourself and use them as fermentors. Drill a hole in the lid for an airlock and the pressure relief valve becomes irrelevant. At this price, they will be the most effective and cheapest fermenters you will find.

*gasping in horror*

 

[HHP]

I think you should buy a hundred of them and ship them to HBT'ers all over the US a la Flomaster:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/group-buy-used-5-gallon-ball-lock-kegs-25-a-220967/

Wow, I wish I had known about and gotten on that. I have 12 and have paid about $40 each for them.

 

[JuanMoore]

*gasping in horror*

Me too. I can think of a half dozen ways to ferment in a corny that don't involve destroying it.

 

[ChandlerBang]

I think you should buy a hundred of them and ship them to HBT'ers all over the US a la Flomaster:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/group-buy-used-5-gallon-ball-lock-kegs-25-a-220967/

Listen to me. BUY THEM ALL. Then add a couple bucks for your trouble (buyer pays shipping), put up a post on here and sell all you don't want. They'll go like hotcakes.

....... ugh, there it is, that's the thread I was looking for. Why doesn't the search function ever work for me when I need it most?

 

[kyle6286]

Haha you guys are hilarious. I guess they're a small syrup and soda distributor and they don't actually advertise that they sell used cornys. I put a request on Craigslist saying I was looking for some used cornys and someone was nice enough to let me in on this place. When I went there they had a small section of their warehouse labeled "clean kegs". I'd say they had maybe 20-25 lying around. I'm not sure if they're all ball lock. I believe there were a couple pin locks in the pile. Anyways, I was surprised they let me come in the warehouse and actually look around considering I'm not part of a soda company or anything like that. The guy even filled the two I got with a little CO2 to show me they could hold pressure. I will call them Monday and see if they'd be willing to get rid of the rest of their used supply. If so, I will get back to you guys. In the case they agree to sell all of them, it would have to be first come first serve on this thread. Again, I'm not sure how many they have so please don't 500 people request 10 kegs a piece. I'll try to accommodate as many of you guys as I can, if at all possible.

In the meantime, I should brush up on supply chain management from my graduate school class in case this thing takes off.

 

[sfrisby]

Me too. I can think of a half dozen ways to ferment in a corny that don't involve destroying it.

Gee ok. If we are going to get sensitive about it...