Barrels, Kegs, King Kegs - some advice from the professionals

[Tim1975]

I have finally got fed up with bottling after an evenings worth of bottling (again) and my office (come home brewery) smells heavily of hopped Pilsner this morning :lol:

So it suddenly occurred to me that I have a fermentation fridge and what sort of put me off kegs, barrels etc was being able to chill them but having looked at their various sizes all of them including a corny) will fit in a standard fridge so game on!! I would obviously love a Corny but getting hold of Co2 looks like a nightmare plus I haven't really got the space till I build my new outdoor brewshed.

What would you get to store 5 gallons of lovely beer without leakages or malfunction and also has a Co2 option? What's the advantages / disadvantages of a Pin fitting Vs S30? Any help would be great :thumb:

 

[Joeyriles]

Get a corny, lad! I think it's the way forward as far as having beer on tap and on demand goes. With a pressure barrel you have to put CO2 into it anyway in order to purge the oxygen and thus keep the beer fresh so, unless you're planning on a proper session, you can end up with wasted beer. A corny-kegged beer can keep for ages and you can drink it in as small/large quantities as you wish.

I have no DIY skills and I built a kegerator. I still bottle some beers but for a general easy-drinking beer I prefer the keg as it's just there on draft.
Naturally carbonated beer still tastes 'fuller' in my opinion but I like the kegged beer for convenience and saving space on bottles.

 

[Leon103]

I have used pb's in the past but never found them reliable. A good option would be 5l mini kegs, with or without a party star tap. You can still bottle some to take out and about whilst filling a few kegs is easy.

 

[Bigjas]

I use King Kegs, I have 3 of them and don't have any issues with leaks. There is a thread on this subject here http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=66597

I use Vaseline on the seals and don't overtighten the lid or tap. I also have pressure gauges on them too so I can monitor the pressure. One of my CO2 valves is fpor the S30 without a pin and the other two are with a pin. I prtefer the valve without the pin and use the Hambleton Bard gas canister to top up. I have a brew shop nearby that sells them so its easy. The little 8g CO2 bullets are ok, but can work out a bit more expensive. I get mine from here https://www.tyreinflators.co.uk/index.php?act=viewCat&catId=4273 this is about the cheapest I could find. I will one day get a corney, but this works well for the time being.

My beer storage fridge. It is controlled by an Inkbird temp controller and has a 45w tube heater in it.

 

[Dads_Ale]

Living in Romsey getting CO2 should be easy.
You have Andover Patio Centre nearby and I believe there is a supplier in Old Sarum (air liquide?). In both cases you buy the cylinder so no rental charges and they are some of the cheapest around.

 

[Graz]

As others have said go for cornys.

It's what I'd do if staring out again and I will upgrade from the King Kegs I currently have one day when funds allow.

Getting hold of a CO2 cylinder really isn't that difficult.

 

[Tim1975]

Thanks guys, I have just fired some emails off to local suppliers to see if they can help with Co2 and I suppose I will have to raid the old bank account and get a Corny or two, I'm going to need another fridge at this rate!!

 

[Tim1975]

Bargain, �£20 deposit and �£20 refill from my nearest supplier, just need to order that Keg now :mrgreen:

The missus is going to kill me when this lot appears :lol:

 

[Tim1975]

Would this be a good kit to go for?

http://www.kegkingdom.co.uk/collections/corny-keg-jits/products/premium-cornelius-keg-starter-kit-with-keg-faucet-and-co2

Comes with Co2 as well

 

[Graz]

Would this be a good kit to go for?

http://www.kegkingdom.co.uk/collections/corny-keg-jits/products/premium-cornelius-keg-starter-kit-with-keg-faucet-and-co2

Comes with Co2 as well

Expensive. Have a look here for the Cornys (4 for £120) http://www.thehomebrewcompany.co.uk/beer-wine-equipment-cornelius-keg-systems-c-2_25.html There's also a doscount code on the forum.

Malt Miller is quite good for the regulators, beer line, fittings etc.

 

[Cwrw666]

With a pressure barrel you have to put CO2 into it anyway in order to purge the oxygen and thus keep the beer fresh so, unless you're planning on a proper session, you can end up with wasted beer.

No idea where you've got this idea from. Can't remember when I had my first pressure barrel - sometime in the 80s - and all you do is fill them from your FV and prime with 3 oz sugar. Full stop.

 

[Tim1975]

As way of an update I thought "sod it" and bought a new Keg, regulator and tap from Keg Kingdom and a second hand Keg from The Homebrew Company plus a dual keg co2 splitter. Next up will be a Kegerator, not cheap this hobby is it?? 😳

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi!
For your Xmas or birthday list. Secondary regulators allow you to set a different pressure in each Corny keg.
http://cfbsonline.co.uk/index.php/secondary-gas-regulator-0-45psi-3-bar.html

 

[Tim1975]

Hi!
For your Xmas or birthday list. Secondary regulators allow you to set a different pressure in each Corny keg.
http://cfbsonline.co.uk/index.php/secondary-gas-regulator-0-45psi-3-bar.html

Oh dear God, more money :lol:

Just so I know, why would I need different psi in each tank?

 

[Bigcol49]

I have three Corny kegs; I am drinking stout from one and force carbing the other two. The pressure to force carb is much higher than the pressure for serving the beer.
Anyway, stop worrying - it's KIT.

 

[BarnBrian]

You'll soon realise you can't survive with just two Corny's. I've now got nine and about to get another three. I think I'll stop then.

Brian

 

[Tim1975]

You'll soon realise you can't survive with just two Corny's. I've now got nine and about to get another three. I think I'll stop then.

Brian

NINE?????

 

[BarnBrian]

Yep. One keg lasts around ten days. Conditioning a minimum of six weeks, some a lot longer. They soon add up.

Brian

 

[dweb]

Once you start using cornies,you`ll find it hard to use bottles again.I`m about to brew a lager and will bottle that,as I`ll use it for parties at xmas.

 

[Joeyriles]

I think I misspoke here; the CO2 would be added if you'd started serving and there was a loss of pressure.