Help me Keg

[sockmerchant]

I like bottles. I really do. I mostly brew belgian beers, and they seem to benefit from bottle conditioning. 

But damn it, I have been brewing too much lately. Getting hold of more and more bottles has become a major pain in the ass.

So I reckon i need to get into kegging. Not for the belgians mind you, but the session beers would be good.

There are a few kegging discussions that showed up in the search, but they seem to be from a year or more ago. 

My fermentation fridge fits two fermenters easy so I am sure i can fit one or more kegs in there as well (fridge is only for pilsner/lagers etc, so 10C max).

So...whats the best deal at the moment? Probably wont put taps on the fridge at this point so gun is fine. 

Thanks guys!

[Pilgrim]

I number the lids so they always go on the same kegs and always orientate the lids so that I push the handle away from me with the gas inlet on the left. That way the lids are always on the same way around. I lubricate the lid O-ring with a small amount of CRC food safe spray-on grease to stop the O-ring sticking and tearing when the lid comes off (these O-rings are quite soft) and twist the lid from side to side a bit to settle it in the middle position. I then pull up on the lid as I push the handle down. Once settled I purge the air out by connecting it to CO2 and pulling on the safety valve 5 times for about 1/2 second each time. Then disconnect the gas line and put the keg away for storage in the cellar.

Hope that helps.

[Kelly Milligan]

Decided to invest in a kegging set up this week too

Got my gear from Brewshop. Keg, regulator, disconnectes, beer/gas line (2m each) for ~230. Added a tap for $70. Gonna try pick up  a suitable fridge for ~$50, then sort out a CO2 bottle from one of the many sources mentioned above (Cheers for that!). Then I'll get kegs as I need them in the coming months :)

Gracias amigos! Have a blast if you're going to the beer festival tomorrow, I'll be rocking my SOBA T

[Marlo]

Check the lids carefully, they may have a slight twist in them which causes them to only seat properly in one direction, turning it 180 degrees may help. Also the O-rings do seal better with a small amount of food grade grease. Un-lubricated O-rings on metal generally does not seal well. I have some premium 3/16" ID x 7/16" OD thick wall beverage/gas line rated at 250 psi for $1.00 per foot if you are interested. If you need to add restriction some of these (see pic) work really well. Up to four of these can be placed in the diptube and do not cause any foaming.

[John H]

Almost sorted now. Just need some more CO2 hose and some more connectors so i can hook up another 2 kegs then my fridgie is chockas. I've got 3 kegs, 2 blingy Perlick taps and a picnic tap for keg no 3. I just loooove kegs - taken me 2 years to get to it and really enjoying the experience. PROST!!!!!

[Tilt]

Congrats John - thats looking sweet.  Green as with envy.

[TBone]

That looks really cool man!

Did you import the Perlick's? If so... how much? 

[John H]

I got the taps and drip tray from Morebeer.com. Also got some keg o-rings and gas/beer disconnects along with some other bits - their freight was quite reasonable and it got here within a week and a half - so pretty stoked.

[sockmerchant]

How much was their shipping?

[John H]

I used their shipping calculator on the checkout screen - you can place items in your cart and do the freight estimate without registering. Their cheapest rate for USPS was around US$40 for my order.. That was for 2 taps, drip tray, 3 keg o-ring kits, some brushes, a spanner and 4 gas/liquid disconnects. The freight cost seems to climb pretty quick but stabilises if you have quite a few items.

It took them 2-3 days to process the order and about a week for the goods to arrive.

The Tap (or faucet as they call it - without handle or shank) was US$39. Gas/liquid disconnects were around US$5 ea - flare or barb. Full Cornie Keg O-ring kits were around the US$3 mark - would definitely recommend a bulk buy at those prices.

[sockmerchant]

Even with $40 shipping and currency conversion their prices seem substantially cheaper than here. Need to get some taps on my fridge I reckon :)

[TBone]

Perlick stainless steel seems to be the way to go. From what I've read as well the "creamer" model is not worth it. 

[John H]

Yeah - my research suggested the same. If I want a bit more head I do a top-up in the glass with the tap open just a crack and hey-presto - instant head.