Kegging newbie, please help!

[Jingram's_brews]

Afternoon gents,

This is my first post on the forum, although I've been a fan for a while after the success of my first home brews, I've decided to get a tad more serious and start kegging. Now I've managed to source a few bits and bobs, but I'm gonna need a bit of help with the other stuff. Here's what I'll be getting:

-19l corny keg
- party tap
- chrome tap
- tubing (not sure on the diameter)
- gas cylinder
-one in fitting

Now obviously I'll have to source an out fitting as well, but I'm a touch confused when it comes to the pressure gauges. I like the look of the dual ones, as I'll want to try and have different levels of carbonation for different beers and it'd be handy to know how much gas I've got left in the tank. Having said this, I'm seeing all sorts of different thread types and additional fittings required to use them for home brewing; if anyone has any advice on this, I'd be really grateful.

I'm also starting off with some grain brewing, as well as making yeast starters and controlling the temp of my fermentation vessels (inkbird), so any additional equipment you think might be useful or any tips you have would be wonderful.

May your brews keep you company in lockdown,

J

P.S. I'm a student, so I haven't exactly got the cash to splash on kit sets, hence why I haven't gone straight to some of the online retailers and just bought from them (If there's any discount codes going around though ).

 

[Banbeer]

Hi @Jingram's_brews, welcome to home brewing. Click Here (link) for discount codes. You will need a regulator and most have the two dials, one for the psi and the other tells you the pressure in the line and is not a gauge as such as it only starts to move the dial just before it runs out. The easiest way to check how much you have in it is to weigh the tank (when first bought) with the regulator on and that will include the weight of the C02 as a liquid. There's alot of kit but probably look at BKT beginner kits to see what is needed and what they include and look online for the same or similar. Kegland on Aliexpress are cheap (China) but not like they were due to Brexit and take a while to arrive.

 

[Jingram's_brews]

Thanks for the reply,

Honestly never thought about weighing the gas cylinder! Such a simple but brilliant idea! I'll have a look at the BKT kits, they seem like a great company so I'm sure they're equipment's pretty comprehensive. Is it worth getting a two dial regulator then? And will I need a male or female thread?

 

[Neil Whittaker]

All the regulators have a Type 30 female input. This will fit all standard 3 & 6 Kg C02 bottles. I think the BKT "Premium Single Keg Kit - choice of keg, tap and regulator" is a great setup with Nukatap for £146. Paired with a std 6Kg c02 bottle and you will have a top setup that will last the test of time.

 

[Banbeer]

Is it worth getting a two dial regulator then?

I use a single regulator and one of these in the kegerator Here (link) so I can blast carb one and keep the other at serving psi.

 

[crowcrow]

I highly recommend brew keg tap. I bought my bits all over the place but actually would have been cheaper in the end to get it all from them. Ah well, used them for everything ever since.
I have a single regulator that then goes into a 4 way manifold. This way I can shut off the gas to my kegs while I crank up the pressure to carb water (or burst carb a keg) and then drop the pressure back down to serving pressure.

I had thought I'd do my beers at different pressures, but so far I've done everything the same.

 

[Alastair70]

Ive just bought the BKT starter kit (keg, regulator, party tap and tubing). Just add CO2 tank and beer and your up and running!

 

[BrewMeHappy]

I have pondered over a corny keg for years, now just reading this I'm tempted again!
Thee BKT stuff looks great so I might have to treat myself/invest

 

[crowcrow]

For a bit thehomebrewshop had reconditioned cornies for £35 which was a bargain but they haven't had any for ages. My birthday gift was a 3rd corny and tap, but waiting until there is some money in my account to get one :p - I highly recommend corny set up, does mean it is harder to give beer to friends to drink elsewhere, but I think I need to invest in more carbonation caps and pass beer on that way.

 

[BrewMeHappy]

For a bit thehomebrewshop had reconditioned cornies for £35 which was a bargain but they haven't had any for ages. My birthday gift was a 3rd corny and tap, but waiting until there is some money in my account to get one :p - I highly recommend corny set up, does mean it is harder to give beer to friends to drink elsewhere, but I think I need to invest in more carbonation caps and pass beer on that way.

I guess at 19L there are still a few litres left over from a typical brew to put into bottles anyway, not that I donate much in the way to friends anyway

 

[Jingram's_brews]

I have a single regulator that then goes into a 4 way manifold. This way I can shut off the gas to my kegs while I crank up the pressure to carb water (or burst carb a keg) and then drop the pressure back down to serving pressure.

Is there any benefit to using a manifold? I've seen so many people using them, but couldn't see why you'd need one unless you're trying to pressurise multiple things at one time. Is it not sufficient to have a regulator on your gas tank with some John guest fittings, a quick disconnect and a check valve? That way you can just plug the gas into a keg when you want to dispense it or pressurise it. Might be viewing things too simply lol.

Also, just to be clear, when we say burst carbing are we talking about force carbing Or?

 

[Banbeer]

You need a regulator to be able to use a manifold and you can put your gas line on the manifold and then the separate lines off the manifold to the kegs, the separate lines then can be turned off or on at will and you can have one of those mini regulators I linked (post #5) on each output if you want to have them all at different psi's. I have 3 cornies in my kegerator with space for a fourth and I want different serving psi's on different beers. Blast or burst carbing is done quickly at high psi and force carbing as I understand is just using C02 to carb.

 

[crowcrow]

As banbeer says - I have a 4 way manifold, 2 kegs currently and room for one or two more. I'll probably add one soon when I have the cash, and I use the 4th output for water which I carb in 2lt bottles with a carbonation cap. We drink a lot of fizzy water in my house.

For less money I could have gone for a splitter - the manifold means I have a gas tap per connection. So normally I set the reg to 20psi for serving, but when I need to I turn the kegs off and crank the pressure to 60psi to carb water or quickly carb beer. I carb my beer fast - I don't (personally) believe it has a negative impact. If I had a splitter I'd have to take the gas lines off each keg - this way I just flick a tap. In the future I could add a regulator after each tap if needed - but I doubt I will. I turn my gas off after each use as I am afraid of a leak

 

[Jingram's_brews]

Thanks for your advice guys, at the moment this is all a sort of garage experiment, although I could definitely see why your setups would be ideal if I actually had enough space to set up a sort of bar area. Maybe one day in the future if I'm lucky

you can have one of those mini regulators I linked (post #5) on each output

For less money I could have gone for a splitter

Is there a reason I would need to have a regulator on my kegs at all times? I just assumed the point of having quick disconnects was so that you could swap between which ever kegs you wanted to dispense/carb? As I said, at some point I'd love to have that sort of man cave pub set up, but for now I just want to do a few brews, keg them and then dispense when my dad and I fancy a few beers.

I use the 4th output for water which I carb in 2lt bottles with a carbonation cap

I love this forum because of some of the simple ideas people have; does this work as well as the soda stream setups? We go through so much fizzy in my house, so if it's genuinely worth it economically then I might have to ask for your setup blueprints

 

[Jingram's_brews]

Apologies, I meant to say in the last post about the splitter set up. I think I know the sort of fitting you're talking about (not sure though), but again I don't see the necessity if you can just swap your gas disconnects between kegs? Obviously if you have multiple kegs then the manifold and splitter would make a huge amount of sense.

 

[Banbeer]

I have one line out from my regulator then I use a splitter Here (link) but only a two way one that feeds one keg at whatever I set the reg to and the other line from the splitter has the mini reg as in post #5. The other keg I add C02 when needed from either line as it doesn't need constant C02 to serve, as long as you have pressure in the keg it will pour.

 

[crowcrow]

And yes you can disconnect the keg whenever you want, it is easy to do. Mine in in a chest freezer (with a set up run it at 3c) so easier to leave it all connected and flick a tap. But yes should be no issue taking the gas connections off and on - they even sell kits to replace the internal parts if they do ever wear out.

This is the carbonation cap I use Carbonation Cap

I simply fill an 2 litre fizzy drink bottle with filter water - leaving about 2 inches gap between the cap and the top of the water - yuu don't want to too full. Then chill it to 3c and then connect to the gas at 60psi. I shake for a count of 30 and then turn the gas off and leave it to settle in the keezer. You can drink straight away - best to leave it to stand for at least 60 seconds though.

You can use any size bottle - I keep some 200ml little bottles for caring random drinks that people or the kids want to try fizzy. Cheap tart white wine makes a good fake champagne (have you ever drunk champagne flat it is vile). Pretty much anything can be carbed, but bits in it can make it hard to open - so real orange juice doesn't carb well. I've not (yet) tried fizzy milk.

So yes it is a perfect sodastream alternative but better and cheaper to run

 

[Jingram's_brews]

Amazing, cheers guys

 

[Cheyne_brewer]

If it’s any help I’ve just bought the BKT corny starter kit with a Sodastream adapter which is redundant at the moment. Whole lot cost £145 delivered, I went for the flow control tap which can mount direct to the keg. Put it all together yesterday filled it up and was sampling a cheeky half shortly after. If you are anywhere near Leicester/ Nuneaton I got my 6.35kg CO2 cylinder from Cheers Cellar Gas - £25, free delivery and no deposit or rental. That’s a full up & running outfit for £170 and I could have saved £10 by not having the adapter.

 

[Jingram's_brews]

It's funny you say about leicester, because I'm actually currently studying there as a medical student I'm down south ATM (with all my equipment) and there's a gas shop down the road; 25 does sound extremely reasonable though, so might have to have a look.

I've just got a job lot off another home Brewer that has pretty much got me everything I need aside from the regulator and gas (which as above I can easily sort out). Does anyone know where I can get a regulator for 30 or under that won't implode on me? Would use banbeer's suggestion of Ali Baba but I'd prefer it if it was from the UK at the moment for obvious reasons. I've scrawled through eBay but the lack of reviews/appearance of fake reviews made me cautious.