Tired of bottling. Ready to keg.

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.

EricB

Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2011
Messages
8
Reaction score
1
Location
Morristown
Can someone suggest a good step by step guide to equipment and process to move from carbuncle and bottles to kegging?
 
Can someone suggest a good step by step guide to equipment and process to move from carbuncle and bottles to kegging?

Carbuncle? Anyone who doesn't know what that is, do NOT look it up.

I think you mean carboy, but even then....

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=43347

https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/attachments/0000/1312/Summerzym95-Kegging_How-To.pdf

https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/how-to-brew/an-introduction-to-kegging-homebrew/

To me, the biggest thing I had to learn was force carbonation and figuring out how much to carbonate the beer in relation to the temperature. I cold crash mine to about 32 degrees, put it on 30 psi for 24 hours, and it's about perfect.

YMMV. You're going to like kegging, especially being able to bottle already carbed beer.
 
There are a lot of threads on here that can help you out with a quick search.

This was the first big jump in home brewing that I made. I think I went with a refurbed system from Northern Brewer or Midwest Suppies but there are many others you could check out, especially sponsors on this site. Definately wait for a sale! Its quite simple though, all you need is a keg, a regulator, a bottle (for CO2) and lines/fittings. My personal suggestion is to go ball lock over pin lock. Find the most cost effective setup you can, whether it be Craigslist or some home brew forum/website. If you go the Craigslist route, just check that the keg can hold pressure and the pickup tube is not cracked (carefully inspect this).

NOTE: Please check out cornykeg.com (the corny keg tips section) is what I have found most helpful and read, read, read! Make sure you buy a corny brand/type keg. It seems to be the most universally accepted type. Don't make it difficult on yourself.

Then, as a safety precaution, buy a set of universal fittings for a ball lock keg.

This is just my personal suggestion. But I have been in your shoes and this is what helped me.
 
You'll need some kegs. If you're going to use ball locks like me it'll go like this:
Drop a couple of hundreds on:
- keg(s)
- co2 tank (5lb will do if you have 1-2 kegs)
- regulator (you can choose between dual gauge and single gauge)

Drop another ~25-50 on some other stuff:
- Some PBW or other CLEANSER (sanitization is no longer the only word you need to be familiar with)
- ball lock liquid and gas disconnects (a pair per keg)
- beer lines (be familiar with a good formula between the proper temperature, co2 pressure, and length/diameter of beer lines before buying 2 feet of lines and thinking that's okay)
- new gaskets and o-rings (if it's a new keg)
- keg lube (optional but highly recommended - there a few other alternative lubricants but research them before tossing them on)
- getting your co2 tank certified and refilled by your local welding shop
- a two (or more) way splitter to share your co2 to multiple kegs (if you have multiple)

I have my dream setup. I have the 2 ball lock kegs, a dual gauge regulator for my 5lb co2 tank, a 4 way splitter for if I want more kegs, and all the above equipment minus the lube. My kegs have been sitting around doing nothing. I bottle my brews still because my bottles will fit in my refrigerator. I cannot afford the fridge/freezer to cool my kegs nor the electric bill one would require (newly wed, supporting my wife through school, building my resume at a lower paying job, keeping said wife happy, etc., etc.) but I don't regret purchasing my system. all that being said, plan on how you'll cool your kegs.

There are ways to do it. You could buy and temperature control a fridge or freezer or buy those cooler bags you fill with frozen water bottles, similar to fermenter cooling bags. Beyond that, I don't know how to use kegs unless you plan on icing them down inside your 10 gallon cylindrical cooler for a couple days to use for a party or, in my case, wedding.

That being said, I'm very proud of my kegs.

Edit: forgot to add that I found my system on Craigslist for cheap. I searched for kegging equipment in the nearest, biggest, homebrewingest city (Austin, tx) and bribed some friends to pic it up for me.

While I'm editing, can anyone offer a general comparison into how long it takes (in manual labor) to bottle 5 gallons via natural carbonation vs. bottling from a keg using a counterpressure setup? From my research, it seems inefficient timewise. I know it's a bit off-topic, but it may aid the OP in deciding whether to convert to kegging?
 
I don't find a huge difference in time. But I can carbonate in a couple days usually rather thank two weeks in a bottle.

The filling is practically the same.
 
I would say definitely check craigslist for deals. I was able to score a dorm fridge sized kegerator with 5lb co2 tank, regulator, and 5 gal keg for $85! Only problem is it is missing the tap, but I figure for $85 the parts are worth more than that.

I purchased a Perlick Faucet with 4" shank because I have an old chest freezer that I might eventually convert to a Keezer. But it looks like I cannot just use this on the existing tower. Does anyone know what tailpiece and fittings I would need to use the faucet with a tower, without using the included shank?
 
When you get a regulator get a GOOD one. Don't buy that cheap crap from NB. Buy once Cry once
 
+2 on check out craigslist. While I did not have to go that route, it's a good idea to get one that's done, and then you don't have to worry about missing something.

Depending on how fast you go through beer, having a dual reg set up is good if you want one keg to serve while force carbing the second. I find my wheats and IPA's (and all others) are just fine if i put them in my fridge (which is set to 38-40) and set the psi to 30. come back 48 hours drop it to 10 and either store and drink. if it needs to age I "cellar" it at 70 degrees for 1 week and it's still carbed.
 
While I'm editing, can anyone offer a general comparison into how long it takes (in manual labor) to bottle 5 gallons via natural carbonation vs. bottling from a keg using a counterpressure setup? From my research, it seems inefficient timewise. I know it's a bit off-topic, but it may aid the OP in deciding whether to convert to kegging?

For me, it's pretty similar. When I'm filling bottles from the keg, I try to get a little foam on the top of the beer, in the neck of the bottle; that displaces oxygen and I put a cap on top immediately. Those caps sit in the vinator, in Star-San.

When I get going, I can fill about two bottles a minute. It's all in avoiding wasted motion. I put a bottle on the vinator, give it a couples squirts of Star-San, pull it off and swish the mouth in the Star-San, then as I hold it in one hand, I grab the next bottle, swish the mouth in Star-San, put it on the vinator, squirt-squirt, then fill the first bottle. When that's done, the bottle on the vinator is done draining, I grab pull it off, grab another, swish the mouth, squirt-squirt, then fill the one in my hand.

I've chilled the bottles so there's not a big temp change as the beer enters the bottle.

When I have about a dozen filled, I cap 'em. The enemy of speed is doing each bottle one at a time from beginning to end. I've found there's a kind of a rhythm to doing this, and the more efficient I can be at each stage, the better.

One more thing: I have filled bottles off my taps using a growler filler--it works well, I can get that little bit of foam on top, and cap 'em. As long as the bottles are chilled, and I can control flow rate (I have flow-control faucets), it's very fast.
 
Can someone suggest a good step by step guide to equipment and process to move from carbuncle and bottles to kegging?



It also depends where you want to go with it. Initially I just wanted a keg in a fridge. Which was fine and ive used that for maybe 2 years off and on switching between bottling and kegging. Its really easy to set a 10 or 5# co2 bottle and a keg in a fridge you arnt using. Hell mine has a picnic tap on it still.



Eventually you may want to go do a full on kegerator or keezer build. Thats where I am at now with my kegging addiction. So im doing a full on keezer buildout.



As far as carbonating? eh there are a LOT of ways to go about it...seriously there is no one way to approach the way to carbonate your beer.



I will say that from all I have read the american standard for most beers is 38* and 12psi (roughly). Thats what the majority of beers are served here in the US. And frankly this is fine. It provides good head and cold beer. Its suitable for most styles outside of stuff like wheat beers which tend to be much more carbonated, and stouts which typically are less.



But this is the fun part about kegging. You can enjoy your kegged beer any damn way you want. You like a lot of head? Carb that ***** up. You like less? turn the pressure down. Its that simple and awesome.



http://www.mikesoltys.com/2012/09/17/determining-proper-hose-length-for-your-kegerator/



Know this calc, use this calc, love this calc. Its all you need for line length. My 12ish psi and 5feet of line on a picnic tap, tends to have a bit more head than I would like. I know the line is too short, but im just dealing with it till my keezer is ready to go.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1476195458.541506.jpg
 
Things I learned:
1) Getting cheap ass-used kegs is a nightmare!
a) you need to really, really tear them down to get them clean. I didn't know how and spoiled a lot of beer.
b) the parts are NOT interchangeable. the leaks will never stop.
c) if you are aware of a and b, it's much much cheaper - but not worth it IMO.
2) complete disassembly is really important, and for that I recommend getting deep sockets to take the posts off.
3) pay close attention to which way the washer between the CO2 tank and regulator goes - I lost a lot of gas that way.
4) damaged regulator gauges leak - get a guard.
 
Back
Top