Right angle keg posts?

Brewer's Friend 728
Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
L

Lax coach

Supporting Member
HBT Supporter
Joined
Mar 23, 2018
Messages
290
Reaction score
178
So I recently built my first brewing rig, and kegged its first beer earlier this week. It's now carbed and when I went to move it into my kegerator (Perlick two-spout built-in undercounter), I discovered that while it will fit with like 1/16" clearance by itself, once the hoses/ball lock adapters are attached, it's too tall by about 3/4". :mad: These are brand-new AMCYL kegs bought from Keg Outlet.

My question is this: is there a way to set up the keg so that no part of it is taller than the handles? I'm thinking of something like a 90-degree keg post, if such a thing exists. Failing that, what are my options? The top of the fridge can not be raised in any way.
 
Not 90° posts, but I've seen right angle QDs, although they may still project above the rubber handle once pressed onto the posts. Worth checking, though, they are all stainless and... pricey.
Use 3 gallon kegs instead?

Pin lock kegs are a little shorter, but fatter.
 
https://www.morebeer.com/category/ball-lock-fittings.html

Not sure if these would solve the problem. I measured my regular QDs and they are 2 3/16" high. The morebeer ones are 2" high, which isn't enough....except that on a normal QD the connector/tubing comes off at a more vertical angle, whereas these come off at a 90-degree angle.

If the conflict is mostly with the tubing and connectors, maybe these would be enough to give you the clearance you need. But...cheap they are not.
 
mongoose33 said:
https://www.morebeer.com/category/ball-lock-fittings.html

Not sure if these would solve the problem. I measured my regular QDs and they are 2 3/16" high. The morebeer ones are 2" high, which isn't enough....except that on a normal QD the connector/tubing comes off at a more vertical angle, whereas these come off at a 90-degree angle.

If the conflict is mostly with the tubing and connectors, maybe these would be enough to give you the clearance you need. But...cheap they are not.
Click to expand...
I never saw the Torpedo QDs, only seen these or similar ones I was referring to before:
https://www.morebeer.com/products/ball-lock-disconnect-beverage-stainless-flared.html

Given the design of QDs, the poppet and spring to balance their antipodes inside the posts, some height is needed. There is no way you could have a 90° coming straight off the post.

But you could forego the posts and QDs altogether and screw small 90° elbows onto the threaded keg stubs, with a small valve into the other side.

If you have some extra leeway on the width inside your kegerator, pin locks kegs, with or without the posts converted to ball locks, may be the easier solution. Keep in mind, ordinary pin lock QDs are somewhat higher in profile than ball lock QDs.
 
IslandLizard said:
Are Torpedo kegs lower in profile than ball locks?
Click to expand...

No....and yes. :)

Attached is a pic I just took of a regular ball-lock keg and a torpedo keg. As you can kind of see, the top of the handles are essentially the same. BUT the location of the posts on the Torpedo keg are about 1" lower than they are on the standard corny keg.

So, yes, switching to torpedo kegs would work, assuming all OP needs is 3/4" additional clearance.

Now, having said that--if the lid is conflicting with the handles, this isn't going to fix anything. If the lid is conflicting w/ the QDs, then yes, this should fix it.

kegheights.jpg
 
mongoose33 said:
No....and yes. :)

Attached is a pic I just took of a regular ball-lock keg and a torpedo keg. As you can kind of see, the top of the handles are essentially the same. BUT the location of the posts on the Torpedo keg are about 1" lower than they are on the standard corny keg.

So, yes, switching to torpedo kegs would work, assuming all OP needs is 3/4" additional clearance.
20190112_145559

20190112_145559

Now, having said that--if the lid is conflicting with the handles, this isn't going to fix anything. If the lid is conflicting w/ the QDs, then yes, this should fix it.

View attachment 606921
Click to expand...

My kegerator is horizontal (think dorm fridge, but built into our cabinets) with the door on the front, so it's actually the fixed ceiling of it that's the problem rather than the door/lid, and the reason why I can't make it taller. But yes, it's just the QDs that are the issue. The keg itself fits just fine, albeit snugly. Just not with the gas/liquid connectors attached.

20190112_145559

20190112_145559

 
Lax coach said:
My kegerator is horizontal (think dorm fridge, but built into our cabinets) with the door on the front, so it's actually the fixed ceiling of it that's the problem rather than the door/lid, and the reason why I can't make it taller. But yes, it's just the QDs that are the issue. The keg itself fits just fine, albeit snugly. Just not with the gas/liquid connectors attached.

20190112_145559

20190112_145559

Click to expand...

Whoa, that's a very tight fit for the corny!

I can't tell from @mongoose33's picture if the top rim of the Torpedo is at the exact same height or hopefully 1/8" or lower than the rubber handled corny.
 
Your new kegs are not wasted, you just can't use them for serving in your UC kegerator.
But you could easily jump beer from one keg into another, liquid to liquid.

Look into 100% liquid pre-purging too, and filling a keg through the liquid out instead of opening the lid. Reduces or minimizes air (O2) exposure and chance of oxidation.
 
Lax coach said:
My kegerator is horizontal (think dorm fridge, but built into our cabinets) with the door on the front, so it's actually the fixed ceiling of it that's the problem rather than the door/lid, and the reason why I can't make it taller. But yes, it's just the QDs that are the issue. The keg itself fits just fine, albeit snugly. Just not with the gas/liquid connectors attached.

20190112_145559

20190112_145559

Click to expand...

WHy don't you measure that and tell me how tall a space you have, and I'll measure my torpedo keg.

Couple of things: first, the torpedo keg comes in two form factors, a "slim" and a "normal". I have both sizes, the "normal" is wider but squattier. The normal would fit just fine and give you a couple inches of clearance. Judging by what I see, you'd have room for two of them in there.

Second, according to the morebeer site, the "normal" torpedo is 23" tall and 9 1/8" in diameter while the slimline is 25 1/2" tall and 8 5/16" in diameter.
 
So, it's a long shot, and will require serious searching, but if you can find a 90° street stainless elbow with 19/32"-18 threads, you can then have a horizontal post that would likely not stick up past the handles. Cost should be minimal, but locating such a thing might be really hard. Maybe @Bobby_M or @Jaybird might have some insight as to where this could be sourced.
 
mongoose33 said:
WHy don't you measure that and tell me how tall a space you have, and I'll measure my torpedo keg.
Click to expand...

The opening is 24 7/8" tall by 19 3/4" wide. Didn't measure the depth, but a tall quarter barrel (same height as a sixtel but much fatter) fits in there fine by itself, so that shouldn't be an issue.
 
imasickboy said:
So, it's a long shot, and will require serious searching, but if you can find a 90° street stainless elbow with 19/32"-18 threads, you can then have a horizontal post that would likely not stick up past the handles. Cost should be minimal, but locating such a thing might be really hard. Maybe @Bobby_M or @Jaybird might have some insight as to where this could be sourced.
Click to expand...
That would indeed effectively create a horizontal post!

It may need something to hold the diptube down, and on the other end, where the post screws on, definitely something for the spring or poppet feet to push against, since we don't have the flare from the dip tubes there anymore.
 
IslandLizard said:
That would indeed effectively create a horizontal post!

It may need something to hold the diptube down, and on the other end, where the post screws on, definitely something for the spring or poppet feet to push against, since we don't have the flare from the dip tubes there anymore.
Click to expand...
Indeed. Perhaps if the male end was something that a keg post adapter could fit it would solve that. I think they typically come in 1/4" flare, both male and female are available, IIRC.
 
Anything with a 19/32"-18 thread is going to be rare...I just did a check on McMaster-Carr and there's zip for 19/32"-18 threaded fittings that would allow practical relocation of a keg post with minimal height...
 
Lax coach said:
The opening is 24 7/8" tall by 19 3/4" wide. Didn't measure the depth, but a tall quarter barrel (same height as a sixtel but much fatter) fits in there fine by itself, so that shouldn't be an issue.
Click to expand...

The skinny torpedo won't fit then, but the wider ones will, and there's enough room to put two of them side by side.
 
The first one is definitely too tall. The second might just squeeze in. it'd either be hella tight or just barely too tall.
 
I think those are the same as the ones that are sold under the Torpedo brand, just dramatically more expensive ($30/ea instead of $20/ea).
 
Just ordered two of the original (fat) Torpedo Kegs from MoreBeer! Wish I had done so last week, as I would have saved like $28 with the 15% coupon. Oh well....
 

Similar threads

SanPancho
Direct-keg-taps: Nukatap MINI, Nukatap Flow Control, PicnicTap2.1, and PicnicTap OG
Replies
26
Views
2K
mac_1103
mac_1103
Hop
Ongoing Review: BrewHardware Premium Recirculating BIAB Package
Replies
4
Views
769
Bobby_M
Bobby_M
C
My first mechanical keg failure?
Replies
29
Views
2K
ChickenRob
C
B
Failing to Obtain Keg Carbonation in Beer
Replies
38
Views
2K
Bobby_M
Bobby_M
W
North Carolina Brewing Starter Kit / 2 Perlick Tap Keezer / Electric Brew Keggle / Counterflow Chiller / Electric Brewery Control Panel (needs to be rebuilt)
Replies
0
Views
667
wildeagles87
W
BrewSwag 300

Latest posts

Back
Top