What type of kegs are these?

[scaglikm]

Looking to buy a few new to me home-brew kegs and came across these. Are they corny's that have been converted to snakey kegs?
https://raleigh.craigslist.org/atq/d/carrboro-beer-sixtels-for-sale-516-gal/7162734980.html

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Look like sanke kegs to me.

Description even states "all are sankey D connections."

Now, the main question. What was previously in the kegs? Bug poison? Cleaning fluid?

 

[scaglikm]

Just never seen them look like that. What are the two black capped rubber things? Looks like old corny connections capped off or something. Could be that I just don't look for Sankey kegs normally too.

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Looks to me as if they took ball lock kegs and converted them.

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Too bad we are so distant. I have some unused ball lock kegs in my basement. I'd give them to you for the promise of some homemade beer.

 

[scaglikm]

Also, I'm assuming wine was stored in them based on the comment that tartrates are on the interior.

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Difficult reading the keg labels, but I believe, I see "brewery".

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Whom knows? IMO, there are kegs more suited for us homebrewers. Often, places have sales. Or, check online auction site.

 

[day_trippr]

Looks to me as if they took ball lock kegs and converted them.

Sure looks like a welded-in custom insert in place of a standard oval lid, doesn't it?

Cheers!

 

[Qhrumphf]

It's a sanke keg with a rubber chime like a corney keg has. They're not exactly common but they're not exactly rare either.

 

[Qhrumphf]

Looking at the zoomed in pic, yeah that may be a modded corney. Hmm.

 

[day_trippr]

Check this out from the HBT archives...
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/5-gallon-pubkeg-sabco-psuedo-sixel.197708/
Cheers!

 

[Qhrumphf]

At that point, as a homebrewer wanting to use sanke, you're better off getting one of the sanke kegs with a 6" TC ferrule on top (often used by pros as a yeast brink with or without 1-2 1.5" TC ferrules on the side) instead of a spear, where you can then get a sanke spear with a 6" TC lid on top. Would allow you to manually clean it or at least easily visually verify, without needing a keg washer/spear removal tools.

 

[Qhrumphf]

https://brewmagic.com/products/white-labs-ferm-flask-by-sabco/
One common version, outfitted with all the brink accessories. The shell alone can be had elsewhere for like $100

 

[Brewbuzzard]

I wouldn't mind having a couple. I have a few sanke connections.

 

[Spyderbyte07]

https://brewmagic.com/products/white-labs-ferm-flask-by-sabco/
One common version, outfitted with all the brink accessories. The shell alone can be had elsewhere for like $100

Where are you finding that deal? The best prices I’ve been able to find for a keg with any triclamp ports are between $200 and $300.

 

[Qhrumphf]

Where are you finding that deal? The best prices I’ve been able to find for a keg with any triclamp ports are between $200 and $300.

I haven't looked in a long time but I used to get the shell from ABS Commercial for $99 (not including shipping mind you...)

 

[Qhrumphf]

Yep, price has gone up there substantially.

 

[scaglikm]

Check this out from the HBT archives...
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/5-gallon-pubkeg-sabco-psuedo-sixel.197708/
Cheers!

Thanks!

 

[scaglikm]

Had pictures of the inside sent to me. Thoughts on if these are salvageable?

 

[Spyderbyte07]

I haven't looked in a long time but I used to get the shell from ABS Commercial for $99 (not including shipping mind you...)

Yep, price has gone up there substantially.

Thanks for checking! The current price from ABS is still the lowest I can find (other than when the kegmenter is on sale and has free shipping, but that only has the top tri clover port). I appreciate knowing I’m not overlooking a better deal.

 

[Spyderbyte07]

Despite what I thought was very thorough searching before, I just now stumbled across two better deals for a 1/2 BBL keg with 4” and 1.5” TC ports:
The Compleat Winemaker has a lower starting cost and shipping to my zip code happens to be about $10 cheaper compared to ABS.
Schaefer Container Systems also had a price including shipping that was lower than ABS’s base price, an extremely fast response to my request for that quote, and multiple sizes of kegs with tri clover ports. Only the 1/2 BBL and 100 liter kegs are available with the 4” TC port, but there are a few variations of the 1/2 BBL available.

(EDIT: on closer look neither is an entirely fair comparison, as it appears the ABS option includes the 4” to 1.5” reducer and may even include the TC clamps, gaskets and end caps. ABS may be willing to sell just the shell for a comparable price to the options above, it would be worth asking)

But I apologize for derailing the thread. Getting back on topic:

Had pictures of the inside sent to me. Thoughts on if these are salvageable? View attachment 691302View attachment 691301

For the asking price I’d certainly be interested in trying! My understanding is tartrates are precipitated tartaric acid so I would expect them to dissolve well in a PBW solution. If that wasn’t enough then line cleaner or another aggressive alkaline solution should take care of it.

 

[scaglikm]

I'm picking one up today to see if I can get it clean tonight. Turns out they are from a brewery that went out of business about 6 years ago. They have been sitting since. I'm going to try PBW first but ordered some beer stone remover as back up.

 

[Qhrumphf]

Pbw may not do the job. They probably need a full nitric acid job (and from the looks of it a strong one, if not multiple times). If you have a local brewery you're buddy buddy with, might see if they'd be willing to pop em on their keg washer for you, especially if they're gonna be acid washing kegs anyway.

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Despite what I thought was very thorough searching before, I just now stumbled across two better deals for a 1/2 BBL keg with 4” and 1.5” TC ports:
The Compleat Winemaker has a lower starting cost and shipping to my zip code happens to be about $10 cheaper compared to ABS.
Schaefer Container Systems also had a price including shipping that was lower than ABS’s base price, an extremely fast response to my request for that quote, and multiple sizes of kegs with tri clover ports. Only the 1/2 BBL and 100 liter kegs are available with the 4” TC port, but there are a few variations of the 1/2 BBL available.

(EDIT: on closer look neither is an entirely fair comparison, as it appears the ABS option includes the 4” to 1.5” reducer and may even include the TC clamps, gaskets and end caps. ABS may be willing to sell just the shell for a comparable price to the options above, it would be worth asking)

But I apologize for derailing the thread. Getting back on topic:

For the asking price I’d certainly be interested in trying! My understanding is tartrates are precipitated tartaric acid so I would expect them to dissolve well in a PBW solution. If that wasn’t enough then line cleaner or another aggressive alkaline solution should take care of it.

The BYO19 code still works at ABS.