Where and how to fill a 5 gallon keg with commercial beer

[dispatcherz]

I recently converted a mini fridge into a kegerator for the purpose of home brewing. I only have enough space for a single 5 gallon keg which I just purchased. I also want to fill this keg with popular commercial beers for large party situations. The only other way I have purchased keg beer was by placing a deposit on a 15 gallon keg that I did not own. Are there places I can go to that will fill my 5 gallon keg with commercial beer? I am from the SF Bay Area and I would also appreciate it if anyone could let me know of some good places to do this (if possible).

Thanks!

 

[carnevoodoo]

I would think you'd have to contact local breweries and see what they can do. I know I am having Alesmith fill a keg for me soon, and they'll gladly do it if your keg is clean and sanitized and all that. Just write emails. Most breweries are super awesome about that sort of thing.

 

[EuBrew]

Here in Ohio they sell some commercial beers in 1/6 barrels (5gal roughly) but you would need a sankey coupler for your kegerator. Bud for example, haven't seen any "lite" beers available this small. I'm pretty sure you won't find any commercial beers that will fill your keg, but I've been wrong before.

By commercial I mean Bud, Miller/Coors, smaller local places may be an option as stated by someone.

 

[Poindexter]

The only way I can think of to o that is with some kind way to keep the beeer pressurized during the transfer.

How about when you use a 15 gallon for parties you transfer the last five gallons ro whateveris left into your cornelius after theparty?

You'll want to keep the rental keg cool and out of sunlight until you are ready to go.

You could use a bleeder valve or a spunding valve to keep the pressure real steady, or you could set your CO2 tank to say 20psi, hook that to the rental keg, and then tap the pressure relief valve on your target keg every little bitto keep the beer flowing.

You are going to need some way to get from Sanke (commercial beer) keg fitting to Cornelius (Pepsi/ Coke, depends on what you bought).

I don't know of any place that will fill a five gallon keg with beeer for you, but you can buy almost anything in San Francisco. Maybe one of the microbreweries will think of your keg as a big growler, fill it from a tap, put the lid on and then you (having thoughtfully brought your CO2 tank with you) can pop 20-30psi into the keg right away so the beer doesn't go flat. I would be looking for a joint with 700 gallon fermenters walking distance to a college, and hoping they make a beer you like.

M2c

 

[carnevoodoo]

The only way I can think of to o that is with some kind way to keep the beeer pressurized during the transfer.

How about when you use a 15 gallon for parties you transfer the last five gallons ro whateveris left into your cornelius after theparty?

You'll want to keep the rental keg cool and out of sunlight until you are ready to go.

You could use a bleeder valve or a spunding valve to keep the pressure real steady, or you could set your CO2 tank to say 20psi, hook that to the rental keg, and then tap the pressure relief valve on your target keg every little bitto keep the beer flowing.

You are going to need some way to get from Sanke (commercial beer) keg fitting to Cornelius (Pepsi/ Coke, depends on what you bought).

I don't know of any place that will fill a five gallon keg with beeer for you, but you can buy almost anything in San Francisco. Maybe one of the microbreweries will think of your keg as a big growler, fill it from a tap, put the lid on and then you (having thoughtfully brought your CO2 tank with you) can pop 20-30psi into the keg right away so the beer doesn't go flat. I would be looking for a joint with 700 gallon fermenters walking distance to a college, and hoping they make a beer you like.

M2c

They would just fill it like they fill any other keg if they have the ability to do so. There's no way they'd fill it from the tap. You'd lose carbonation and the beer would be very unstable.

Otherwise, a sanke adapter is a good way to go. Lots of 1/6th kegs are commercially available.

 

[dispatcherz]

Thanks for the comments. I sent out some emails to some local breweries. I have a Pin and Lock tap for my 5 gallon keg and I also own a Sanke tap. I guess I will look into an adapter so that I can switch between my Pin/lock tap and the Sanke tap.

 

[LordHedgie]

Thanks for the comments. I sent out some emails to some local breweries. I have a Pin and Lock tap for my 5 gallon keg and I also own a Sanke tap. I guess I will look into an adapter so that I can switch between my Pin/lock tap and the Sanke tap.

When I switched from commercial kegs to homebrew cornies, I noticed the corny taps had a barb adapter with a female screw that screwed onto the taps. I bought two barb adapters with male screws, and attached them to short pig-tail tubing, the other end of which I connected to my Sanke. Now if I want to use a Sanke tap, I just unscrew the lines from the corny taps, and screw them into my Sanke adapter, and I'm good to go.

If that doesn't make sense, I can post some pictures.

 

[eelpout]

I just found out that TitleTown brewery fills cornies for ya.

 

[Bowtiebrewery]

How many Corny's do you have... I've done this a couple times...

I just take the Sankey and depressurize, because most of the time they are so over pressurized you end up getting all foam anyway...

Set my regulator to 2-5psi

I chill both my Sankey and my Corny and push from the beer out on the Sankey to the Beer in on my Corny... I keep the pressure release valve closed until I visually see the beer stop flowing... then slowly but surely i release the built up C02 and when I'm done I have 5 gallons of beer that was previously in a Sankey now in my Corny... and neither were introduced to air...