Recommendations for 128oz system?

[Ty520]

In interested in a 128 oz system to force carbonate mead and cider.

Can anyone recommend products?

I am leaning toward the nutrichef system, but also considering the mancan and ukeg. Open to others as well though.

U keg is probably at the bottom of the list because it requires several days to fully carbonate; is that also necessary with the other systems?

Ukeg also sounds like it's more difficult to maintain and has finicky parts, so simplicity and solid reliability are important.

 

[madscientist451]

The Nutrichef system is $121 on Amazon, but then you have to buy Co2 cartriges. The Mancan system is $195. I have a Ukeg, which I got used for $50, and also got the lid so I can use my C02 tank with it, and you're right, cleaning the little parts is a little bit of a hassle. You can find all the above used on Ebay.
What to get depends on where you want to go from here. i would suggest the small Torpedo corny kegs from More Beer , the 1.5 gallon is $80, and then use a plastic "picnic" tap and 5' of line, you'll also need a CO2 tank and regulator. Sometimes you can get a lower price when they run a sale. You can then add more kegs to your line up and easily sell the gear if you don't need it anymore. Corny kegs are pretty easy to clean and maintain.
Wish.com has a small ball lock keg that is $53, includes a tap and runs on cartridges, but gets poor ratings. It would probably be better with a picnic tap and line instead of the tap that comes with it.
Look on your local Craigslist or FB marketplace for a CO2 tank and regulator, there are usually some available.

 

[Ty520]

The Nutrichef system is $121 on Amazon, but then you have to buy Co2 cartriges. The Mancan system is $195. I have a Ukeg, which I got used for $50, and also got the lid so I can use my C02 tank with it, and you're right, cleaning the little parts is a little bit of a hassle. You can find all the above used on Ebay.
What to get depends on where you want to go from here. i would suggest the small Torpedo corny kegs from More Beer , the 1.5 gallon is $80, and then use a plastic "picnic" tap and 5' of line, you'll also need a CO2 tank and regulator. Sometimes you can get a lower price when they run a sale. You can then add more kegs to your line up and easily sell the gear if you don't need it anymore. Corny kegs are pretty easy to clean and maintain.
Wish.com has a small ball lock keg that is $53, includes a tap and runs on cartridges, but gets poor ratings. It would probably be better with a picnic tap and line instead of the tap that comes with it.
Look on your local Craigslist or FB marketplace for a CO2 tank and regulator, there are usually some available.

I am not a fan of buying used equipment - I don't mind paying full price for new equipment.

Do you know if the ManCan and Nutrichef systems take a few days to fully carbonate like UKeg? their sites seem to imply it is more or less instantaneous

 

[Ty520]

.

 

[madscientist451]

I don't know how to get instantaneous carbonation with beer, in my experience it takes some time.
Its all going to be about the same time wise, except if you get a keg w/CO2 tank and regulator you can crank the pressure up to 30psi and get the carbonation going a little faster by shaking/rolling the keg. Then you turn it down to your serving pressure I'm not sure if you can get that kind of pressure from the little throw away CO2 cartridges.
Here's an article that says you can carbonate in 30 minutes or even 5 minutes:
https://www.clawhammersupply.com/bl...uck-carb-how-to-carbonate-a-keg-in-30-minutes

 

[dmtaylor]

Love my uKeg Go.

 

[JayZeus]

Not sure if this is helpful but I got a uKeg about a year ago and I love it. I am currently using it to force carbonate my first brew,

 

[bwible]

uKeg is designed for you to take to your local brewpub and bring home a growler under pressure, so it doesn’t go flat. I also have the uKeg Go, the red one was all they had in stock when I bought it. It uses little one-use CO2 gram cartridges.

I never used one to carbonate my beer, but I have used it to take some beer out of one of my kegs to travel.

ManCan looks durable but they are expensive. They have a replacement cap you can buy with ball lock connectors. I looked at those myself.

Most small volume systems suck. 5L minikegs, etc. There used to be Medicine Rock balls, Quoin Piggies, and others but most of them went out of business.

I have 3 gallon kegs and thats about the smallest I can go. I can’t even find anything smaller to use for real beer with a handpump.