Going to Swap to a Corny Keg

[Geoffinthewilds]

Hi All,
Im still reading up on the benefits of the Corny and it is the way I will go, one question for my CO2 supply I will have to bite the bullet and get a large cyclinder as I imagine this is the best option v cost, but how do the little CO2 bulbs or the soda stream work out cost wise?
Thanks in advance for any replies and happy brewing
Cheers
Geoff

 

[Cyberjip]

Genrally speaking the smaller the dispense method the more it costs over time, bulbs more expensive than Soda stream, in turn more expensive than large bottle.

You also have to consider the faffing, once you have a big bottle set up it should last month's before you have to replace it, smaller bottles will need replacing much sooner and you would need a constant supply of bulbs (Not even sure you get the full benefit of cornys by using bulbs)

Last thing to consider is pollution/waste be it lots of discarded bulbs or the amount of miles covers to keep getting new CO2 etc

All in all I think big bottles are vastly superior.

 

[Geoffinthewilds]

Thanks Cyberjip, that was the way I was thinking, we used to run pub and it was easy enough getting Beer Gas in Wales, not so sure in Aberdeenshire but the pubs must get them from a local place so will go down the replacablle cylinder route, thanks for your informative reply

 

[Cyberjip]

Things can be tricky in remote Scotland.

However I live in the highlands, I get my CO2 bottles from a company called west highland gas, pretty sure they don't service Aberdeen area however it demonstrates that there is always a demand for CO2 weather for pubs welding or something else.

I get a good deal with great service I'm sure you can find similar in the Aberdeen area.

 

[Geoffinthewilds]

Ah worked in Wick for a bit loved it, Im from Wales originally but lived in Rural Aberdeenshire for the last 3 and a half years so still finding suppliers for everything from car parts to everything in between, but will find a localish supplier, stay safe up there.
Cheers
Geoff

 

[Drunkula]

how do the little CO2 bulbs or the soda stream work out cost wise?

Cockinn shockinnn, presh.

Wilko £4.50 10 x 8g = 5.6p/g
Gas £18.99 6350g = 0.003p/g = 19 times as much.

Cost to force carb and serve a corny keg to 2.3 vols with big cylinder := 41.7p, with bulbs.... £7.83

 

[Geoffinthewilds]

Cockinn shockinnn, presh. , Now that made a little bit of wee come out :-)
Great costings so thanks for that big bottle the way to go then its a no brainer, cock in hell

 

[Ashley]

I had to pay a £70 deposit on my 6kg bottle but I have the receipt in a safe place so wont have to pay it when I swap it over in god knows how many month. Started using it in October last year and there's loads left! Only gone through 6 kegs though. 6 more to come 2 being kegged next weekend

 

[Geoffinthewilds]

Sounds the best way to go, finally found some 19l Kegs that need new seals for £40 a pop, then she wont post so that was the end of that, the search continues, can't believe what some of the chancers are trying to sell some for lol, enjoy those other kegs once ready

 

[foxbat]

[deleted]

 

[Brew_DD2]

Brewkegtap sell them for £55 full refurbed. Great service from them too.

 

[Geoffinthewilds]

Brewkegtap sell them for £55 full refurbed. Great service from them too.

What a great site, thanks for that, far cheaper than Ebay, I was finding them for around £75 to £95, so a refurbed one for £55 is a steal, so thanks so much Brew_DD2 for the info

 

[Brew_DD2]

What a great site, thanks for that, far cheaper than Ebay, I was finding them for around £75 to £95, so a refurbed one for £55 is a steal, so thanks so much Brew_DD2 for the info

No problem. That's where I get all of my kegging stuff.

 

[Geoffinthewilds]

Strange how you navigate on some things on their website, if you go into A rated kegs I think it says they as you told me are £55 for a 19l if you go straight to kegs they are £75 unless its me?. Cracking website and while on the subject was told of another cracking website called Brew2Bottle, Im probably late to the party but some great prices on various kits I looked at. How did we ever manage before the web eh?

 

[Brew_DD2]

Strange how you navigate on some things on their website, if you go into A rated kegs I think it says they as you told me are £55 for a 19l if you go straight to kegs they are £75 unless its me?. Cracking website and while on the subject was told of another cracking website called Brew2Bottle, Im probably late to the party but some great prices on various kits I looked at. How did we ever manage before the web eh?

£75 are for the brand new ones. They do great deal on the keg kits too. I got one with regulator, tubing, connections and Intertap faucet. Brilliant.

Be warned though, kegs have a habit of multiplying.

 

[Ashley]

£75 are for the brand new ones. They do great deal on the keg kits too. I got one with regulator, tubing, connections and Intertap faucet. Brilliant.

Be warned though, kegs have a habit of multiplying.

So true! I thought 6 would be enough... already considering a couple more

 

[Geoffinthewilds]

So true! I thought 6 would be enough... already considering a couple more

Wow you boys like to stockpile ha ha. I will probably go with a kit, but on the Kegerator build not sure if to go with the taps in the kit, or fit a python to feed the old taps I have from our pub days, but think I will start with 2 and see how I get on.

Stupid question alert, as most of the kits are 23l, not sure how many actual litres of beer this converts to, but as the kegs are 19l what do you do with the rest, or do you brew short?

 

[Ashley]

Wow you boys like to stockpile ha ha. I will probably go with a kit, but on the Kegerator build not sure if to go with the taps in the kit, or fit a python to feed the old taps I have from our pub days, but think I will start with 2 and see how I get on.

Stupid question alert, as most of the kits are 23l, not sure how many actual litres of beer this converts to, but as the kegs are 19l what do you do with the rest, or do you brew short?

I'm lazy so usually throw it away but I do bottle sometimes.

I brew AG in 50l batches and use 2 different fermenters with different yeasts and dry hops so I get 2 full kegs and about 6-8 bottles. During these difficult times I dont want to waste them

The taps you get with the kits need moving at least every couple of days because they stiffen up and freeze. I have flow control taps on my kegerator which can be left for however long without having the free them up

 

[Ashley]

In fairness, I went all hell for leather on my switch to kegs. I bought 6 new AEB kegs, 2 secondary regulators, a 6.3kg bottle of gas, a 2nd hand fridge, loads of x-gen line, JC fittings, stop flow line connectikns and flow control taps. I think all in, it cost me about £1200.

I know it was a lot but I dont need to buy anything else now.

Apart from a bigger fridge/keezer build, more secondary regulators, more kegs and more taps

 

[Kuabi]

I've just started brewing again and though I would take the corny route. So got the kegs and the kegerator but didn't realise how difficult it would be to source a co2 supplier for the home brewer. In the East Midlands if anyone knows of a supplier.