Beginner Kegging

[Paul Cannell]

Hi guys,

I have had a bit of a poke around on here looking for some advice and answers to my questions. Haven't had much luck so far. Maybe someone can help.

I am relatively new to brewing with about 6 months under my belt. I've had some success and some disaster, namely exploding herbal tea experiments, extremely fizzy beer and also the opposite extreme of flat beer. I have been experimenting with different extract kits as well as a few batches of wine.

I have a crude setup that I got off an older chap who hadn't used it for a while. Its sufficient, but I am growing a little tied of the bottling process, getting fed up with sediment and I'm keen to solve my carbonation issues.

Thus I am determined to switch to a kegging system, from what i have heard, this seems the likely way to solve all of my issues.

My local brew shop does not stock anything in regards to this and i am having trouble finding out what I need and how to get it.

I have been on trademe but as i don't really know what I am looking for, it's a little hard.

My aims are: 

- Have the ability to have 3 kegs on the go (most likely start with 1 due to financial constraints). 

- Adapt an older fridge (still to be acquired), to house these 3 kegs, with taps on the side or door.

- Possibly the ability to attempt brewing from scratch one day down the track

If anyone out there can help me out with the WHERE FROM and the HOW TO, it would be greatly appreciated.

[Paul Cannell]

Hi Hamish,

Thanks for that. I was hopping for something a bit cheeper but we will see. I think I'll just start with 1 keg and a picnic tap, that should make it a bit more affordable. What's the significance of havering different pressures in your kegs? Could you not just use the same reg and have a same pressure in all?

Also I know a guy who has loads of old co2 fire extinguishers for sale fairly cheep. Hit me up if you are interested.

[Kelly Milligan]

Hey Paul :)

You'll also need to take a look at this: http://www.byo.com/stories/techniques/article/indices/39-kegging/16... 

Balancing your lines is really important because if they are out of balance, you can end up with a pint full of foam, a pint full of flat beer, or flat beer in the keg (e.g. if you have to crank down the CO2 pressure just to pour a beer properly). Beer line is cheap as though, so when you purchase it, just grab a good 10m of it so you can play around with balancing. Picnic taps work fine, but theres definitely something sexy about pouring your own beer out of a chrome tap ;) 

[Hamish Jones]

thats exactly why I went to the three regs, its pretty crazy that they sell two kegs one reg and one tap in the kit, do they think man can only drink one beer at a time,

shame freight from Aussie is so expensive as you can get corneys there for about $30 odd bucks each and the whole setup for about $200

[Paul Cannell]

Thanks bro,

Looks like a bit of light bedtime reading lol. Wish I payed more attention in science.

I will get chrome taps eventually, trying to keeps initial costs down. I see there a quite a few methods of force carbonation? Opinions?

[Kelly Milligan]

Yea the math is a bit tricky, especially trying to figure out what 'resistance' values to use for the particular beer line you're using. 

I force carb all the time. Usually though what I'll do instead of cranking the pressure right up to 20+ then shaking for 15 mins, I'll leave it at my appropriate pressure:CO2 vols level, transfer cold beer from my ferm fridge into the kegs, then keep gassing them through the out-valve (so i can hear has bubbling up from the bottom) while rocking until no more will dissolve. This does about 1/2 the work in that first 10 mins, then I'll just leave the keg hooked up in the fridge for a few more days. Works a treat :) 

Some people will tell you it's cheating.. but tbh, dissolved CO2 is dissolved CO2..

[Hamish Jones]

Heres some reading for you, hope its of some use.

[Paul Cannell]

http://www.trademe.co.nz/home-living/food-beverage/other-beverages/...

looking at this, not sire what the gas check valve is for though?

[Hamish Jones]

looks like a one way valve so you don't get liquid in the regulator if you have feed back in the line

[Kelly Milligan]

The check valve is like a 1 way valve. It stops beer for coming back up the gas line into the regulator (in theory ;P ). This can happen if you have a very full keg, and the beer is above the gas in dip tube level, then the pressure in the keg becomes more than the pressure in the line, like if you turn off the gas bottle or vent the regulator while it's connected to the keg.

[Paul Cannell]

is it possible to store the co2 cylinder in the fridge to save drilling any holes in it?

[Kerry Gray]

Hi Paul, is your co2 man still selling cheap?

[Gary McConnochie]

Hi Paul

I store my bottle in the fridge with my two kegs, works a treat. I dont have flash taps just the good old picnic taps, ideal if you are looking for a cheap way to start out. And if I was you I would go with the double regulator, wish I had.