Which keg to purchase?

[RoatanBill]

I'm looking for opinions on kegs. I intend to ferment in them as well as use them for serving.

I've found the following 5G NEW kegs for sale:
Torpedo
Amcyl NSF (866) 249 8196 Made in India
AIH NSF
AEB Made in Italy

I want to purchase several kegs over time and will always purchase the same unit so I have to decide on which to buy.

What Brand?
What on line site to purchase from?

Do I want the plastic bumpers, if available, or go with all SS.

 

[Newsman]

Why buy new? You can get refurbished MUCH less expensively than new. Generally about 1/2 to 2/3 the cost

 

[pshankstar]

I've bought all used kegs (except for one 2.5 gallon). Keep a look on Craigslist or from a local home brew club. I've received two 5 gallon ball lock kegs for free and the rest I have picked up for $20-25 a piece. I buy o-rings in bulk so they come out to about $1 for each set the a thing of keg lube is necessary and will last for some time.

I agree with @Newsman, buy used or refurbished! They are so much cheaper and just as good!

 

[WarEagleBrewer]

I have both a Torpedo and AMCYL. The Torpedo is MUCH nicer IMHO, but the AMCYL is JUST as functional. I also have a used keg my father gave me. I have not yet used it, but if it works, I doubt I'll buy new again. If you are new at kegging, try all three option, but I wouldn't spend more than what the Torpedo costs.

 

[govner1]

I prefer the AEB kegs when buying new.
I also have used Firestone.

 

[Yooper]

You don't have to stick with one brand of kegs- you can get a mix of them.

What do probably want to stick with is the type- pin lock or ball lock or sanke style. Those are still ok, but you have to have some MLF disconnects to switch them out. Lots of people will have a sanke connection and just change it out to a ball lock, to go from a commercial keg to a homebrew keg for example.

But it's easiest, like in my system, to have all ball lock style kegs. I have them in cornelius and firestone brand mostly, but I do have a couple of challenger kegs as well. I like having a mix of 2.5 or 3 gallon kegs as well, for soda or specialty beers or to put in my smaller kegerator at my lake house. They all have the same connections, but are different brands.

You may have trouble sourcing what you want in Honduras but any brand will be fine. I would stay away from new kegs made in China- they seem to have quality control issues with some of the welds. The Italian made kegs are fine, as are used kegs that formerly held soda syrup. It's also very easy to source o-rings, posts, diptubes, leds, poppets, etc for the used kegs.

 

[madscientist451]

The only new kegs I have are 2.5 gallon torpedo. My used kegs are a mix of pin lock and ball lock and my average cost is $25-30. Some of my kegs came to me with recent O-rings, some have needed them replaced, but you can get them on Amazon prime pretty cheap.
I got all mine off of craigslist.
Yooper mentioned you are in Honduras? Perhaps there are some soda kegs still in circulation? Check with the local Pepsi and Coke distributors and see if they can offer any assistance.
Depending on your budget and what it would cost to have things shipped in, you may want to consider using commercial Sanke kegs that you can find used locally. There are several products available for converting commercial kegs for fermenting and serving home brew.

 

[RoatanBill]

I'm on an island off the cost of Honduras. There's no Craigslist here. There's nothing here related to beer brewing.

I bring everything in from Medley, Florida and getting spare parts for anything is awfully expensive. That's why I want new kegs all of the same kind and quality so I don't have to deal with customs brokers, lawyers for paperwork, etc for some nickle and dime part. Trust me on this; the premium on new is well worth it given my location. We run a production bakery here and I've learned that importing from the US, although expensive, is much better than trying to deal with the mainland.

I'm going to modify some of the kegs (TIG welding) for a project I'm contemplating. If it works I'll post the results but that's probably months away. That's also why I want all the same kind as I know what I'm working with.

I encountered the names Cornelius and Firestone while Googling, but can't seem to find anyone that sells them. That's why I listed the ones I did find as that's what appears to be available. I purposely omitted the Chinese kegs I stumbled upon.

What about the plastic bumpers - are they worth it? The Torpedo kegs don't appear to offer them and that was the one I was most interested in. The Amcyl kegs seem to be the most popular, followed by the AEB brand.

 

[Yooper]

Seriously, if you don't want to be nickle and dimed, buy some used cornelius and/or firestone kegs.

They are indestructible, and a $1 pack of o-rings will keep them going for your lifetime. I mean, $1 pack for 20 kegs.

http://www.kegconnection.com/cornel...llon-ball-lock-pepsi-style-for-homebrew-soda/

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

If your in Honduras just get whatever type keg they use there for as cheap as you can....if it works for every beer they serve down there it will work for you....no need to overthink it

If they can open it and fill it...so can you

 

[NSMikeD]

I'm on an island off the cost of Honduras. There's no Craigslist here. There's nothing here related to beer brewing.

.

The corny kegs are actually soda kegs. Check around, I bet Coca-Cola shipped a lot of them in before switching to the boxes .

 

[RoatanBill]

JONNYROTTEN:

I have never seen a keg here. All soda comes in bottles or cans. All local beer is in bottles or cans. All bars, hotels, restaurants serve everything in bottles or cans. The only place on the island that was bringing in kegs of Guinness quit after a few months.

I've tried dealing with mainland businesses and gave up many years ago. It's not worth the aggravation.

Yooper:

Do you purchase your kegs sight unseen? If I could see some of these used kegs, I might buy them, but I'm not buying used stuff that I've never laid eyes on. Besides, the price differential I've seen via the on line sites isn't that encouraging given the caveats that there could be things not working on them such as the pressure relief valve, etc. It's more than just O rings.

 

[mongoose33]

I have four Torpedo kegs; two of the wider 5-gallon, one of the slimline 5-gallon, one of the 1.6-gallon.

They're so terrible I just ordered two more 5-gallon slimlines from Morebeer.

Seriously, I think they're great. They don't have the rubber feet, which can mark things up, and you may get that schmuck on your hands when you handle them. Not so w/ the Torpedoes.

I never seriously considered the Amcyl kegs. I don't like the single handle on top--makes it much easier to lift over my keezer collar and lower the keg down using both handles. It also bothered me that the QD posts are exposed like they are; on a normal corny keg or a Torpedo, they're protected by the handles.

And the Torpedoes are built to stack. They come in 1.5, 2.5 and 5-gallon sizes.

I've actually thought about selling off the remaining cornelius kegs I have and put the proceeds toward Torpedo kegs.

 

[Yooper]

Yooper:

Do you purchase your kegs sight unseen? If I could see some of these used kegs, I might buy them, but I'm not buying used stuff that I've never laid eyes on. Besides, the price differential I've seen via the on line sites isn't that encouraging given the caveats that there could be things not working on them such as the pressure relief valve, etc. It's more than just O rings.

Yes, I've always bought them sight unseen, due to the rural area where I live. I live 150 miles away from a 4-lane road.

There is NOT much that can go wrong- they are stainless. They have o-rings. The pressure relief can't go wrong- I mean, it's there. It works or it doesn't. If it doesn't, replace it. It's super easy, and super cheap to fix. There are no loose parts, or anything like that. A few o-rings, a few parts (maybe), and that's int. I've never replaced a lid or a pressure relief valve, ever. I've replaced a couple of o-rings. I've been doing this a LONG time.

You are WAY overthinking this. These are soda kegs that have been decommissioned. They work great. They are indestructible, unless you take a hammer or a sharp object to them. The are sold holding pressure. That's really all you need. A few spare parts, and you're in business.

They even come in 10 gallon size- perfect for fermentation vessels.

There really is no down side. If you can get a pallet for a good price, that's awesome. I bought many of mine for $20/each way back when, and because they are no longer used or being made they are harder to come by and the price has gone up. Still, better than some of the new ones with poor manufacturing and bad welds. This really is a great option, and some of the ones with rubber handles even stack well.

 

[jekeane]

If you go to Florida regularly there is a distributor in Edgewater Mcever I believe that has a giant pile of used kegs you can choose from. I own a half a dozen of the smaller sized torpedo kegs and like them. All of my 5 gallon kegs are used.

 

[day_trippr]

If the OP has some re-engineering plans for these prospective kegs it makes sense that he'd prefer new. My 16 cornys are decidedly a collection of mutts - not a hella lot of standardization going on here, with sets of 3 or 4 pretty close to each other but still different from the rest.

Given shipping to the Greater Roatan Area will likely swamp out the difference between used and new, I'd get a reading on which new keg is the most reliable and go with that...

Cheers!

[edit] Where does one refill a CO2 cylinder on Roatan? I'd think international travel with a loaded tank of any gas is problematic...

 

[ChelisHubby]

For what it is worth I also have a couple of Torpedo kegs and they are trouble free, and for new the price is good!

 

[madscientist451]

Where does one refill a CO2 cylinder on Roatan? I'd think international travel with a loaded tank of any gas is problematic...

That's a good point, and probably the reason the bars in the area don't use kegs.

 

[RoatanBill]

I weld MIG and TIG and need CO2 and Argon. Not so long ago, I ordered a 125 of CO2 and a 125 of Argon from Airgas in Fl; cylinders plus gas plus hazardous materials paperwork, plus, plus, plus = $600 in Fl. I'm going to repeat that order in another month for backup cylinders.

I can get the CO2 cylinder refilled on the Honduran mainland but it takes a month. I've had a 40 of CO2 refilled a few times and the cost was $90 plus the month. I have no idea what they'll charge me to refill the 125 or what they charge for Argon or if they even have Argon. I may end up shipping cylinders back to Fl to get them refilled. Everything is expensive here.

 

[RoatanBill]

I've actually thought about selling off the remaining cornelius kegs I have and put the proceeds toward Torpedo kegs.

Coming from you, that's good enough for me.

 

[Morrey]

I'm looking for opinions on kegs. I intend to ferment in them as well as use them for serving.

I've found the following 5G NEW kegs for sale:
Torpedo
Amcyl NSF (866) 249 8196 Made in India
AIH NSF
AEB Made in Italy

I want to purchase several kegs over time and will always purchase the same unit so I have to decide on which to buy.

What Brand?
What on line site to purchase from?

.

I have had good success with AEB kegs from Italy. The version with the rubber top handle instead of the metal band is much easier to handle in my opinion.

Kegconnection usually has these but recent demand has limited their supply. I ordered my last 2 kegs from More Beer.

 

[day_trippr]

[...]Everything is expensive here.

No real surprise here (though that $600 exceeded even my expectation ).
We've traveled the Caribbean extensively, from the Abacos through the Virgins down as far south as Antigua, and if there's any commonality on all those islands it's that everything is expensive as heck, and anything even close to exotic will come at near-astronomical cost.

Living in Paradise doesn't come cheap

Cheers!

 

[mongoose33]

Bill, a thought on the Torpedoes, should you decide to go that way. I'd talk with MoreBeer, tell them it's imperative they hold pressure and are good quality given your situation, and ask them to test and then pressurize them for you.

If you buy several or a bunch, I'm sure that would be something they'd work with you on.

 

[Yesfan]

If you go to Florida regularly there is a distributor in Edgewater Mcever I believe that has a giant pile of used kegs you can choose from. I own a half a dozen of the smaller sized torpedo kegs and like them. All of my 5 gallon kegs are used.

I agree with Jekeane. Go with McEver Distributor. (LINK)


I've bought all my kegs sight unseen like Yooper and many others. None of mine leak. I got all my Orings from McMaster Carr. The lid Orings, I need to order more, but the dip tube and post O rings, I have enough to replace the seals on another 50 kegs.

If I were buying new, I'd go with the Torpedos or the new kegs from Adventures in Homebrewing (homebrewing.org)

 

[RoatanBill]

mongoose33:

When I start placing order with MoreBeer, it's going to run into some serious money and I definitely want them to understand that they have to get everything right the first time.

Warranties are worthless here because of what it takes to get the part back to the source. Whatever the price is in the US, by time I get it here it's typically 50% more.

I'm still designing on CAD and when that's done I'll start putting together the shopping list in detail.