Setting up Corny Keg System

[mancer62]

Like advice for the following please.
After years thinking about it I am now all set to finally go the Corny Keg route.
I have recently sourced a co2 supplier relatively close to me.
I can get a hobbyweld 10L cylinder filled and delivered for £102.....(with a £50 deposit if I decide to return it)
Is this a decent sized cylinder? How long would I be expecting it to last maybe on average pouring between 12 to 20 pints per week?
I plan to house my corny kegs in a 2nd hand under counter sized fridge....how many kegs do these normally hold?
I presume my co2 cylinder will sut outside the fridge..
If I decide on 2 or 3 kegs do i then need a 2 or 3 way regulator?
Also what kegs are better ball lock or pin threaded or barbed?
Whats best size of beer line to use and length?
Are picnic taps ok do they do the job as my fridge will be housed.under the stairs so dont need fancy taps or faunts.
Is there a superior low froth picnic tap available?
If I have 2 kegs in fridge and.I want to drink both on the evening do I need 2 picnic taps or will the 1 do?
Can you just transfer it onto other keg pint to pint or would that involve te pressurising etc?
Best prices best places to obtain the above any comments be appreciated ty

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi!

I can get a hobbyweld 10L cylinder filled and delivered for ��£102.....(with a ��£50 deposit if I decide to return it)

Including delivery - doesn't sound too bad. You're not on the Members' Map, so I don't know where you are in the UK. I can get a 6.35 kg bottle (10 litre) for �£45 deposit and �£20 per recharge, collection only'

Is this a decent sized cylinder? How long would I be expecting it to last maybe on average pouring between 12 to 20 pints per week?

I understand that it should do about 50 cornies.

If I decide on 2 or 3 kegs do i then need a 2 or 3 way regulator?

If you are serving from both cornies at the same serving pressure, a splitter in the gas line will do fine. If you are wanting to force carb one corny you will not be able to serve from the second until the first is fully carbed.

Also what kegs are better ball lock or pin threaded or barbed?

I use ball lock; I think that they are the most readily available. I bought the disconnects with John Guest push-on fittings - very easy to use.

Whats best size of beer line to use and length?

How long is a piece of string? You need to balance your keg - there is plenty of advice out there. I have short lengths of 3/8 line on the disconnect and the party tap; these are connected by a length of much longer, narrower beer line. The narrow bore helps suppress foaming of the beer at the pour.

Are picnic taps ok do they do the job as my fridge will be housed.under the stairs so dont need fancy taps or faunts.

It's all I use - they are fine.

If I have 2 kegs in fridge and.I want to drink both on the evening do I need 2 picnic taps or will the 1 do?
Can you just transfer it onto other keg pint to pint or would that involve re pressurising etc?

The disconnect can be disconnected (!) without loss of pressure. You are best to have two picnic taps as there will always be beer from corny 1 in the beer line when you connect to corny 2. However, you will get away with one picnic tap.

 

[henteaser]

I presume my co2 cylinder will sit outside the fridge..

More than likely, the 9kg is about 3-4 feet tall.

 

[sdt7618]

Just to add to the questions,

if you force carb at say 18 degrees, will Chilling the beer drop the carb levels i.e is it better to carb at serving temp?

 

[marlon]

Just to add to the questions,

if you force carb at say 18 degrees, will Chilling the beer drop the carb levels i.e is it better to carb at serving temp?

NO..! Is the short answer. Always better and quicker to chill your beer before force carbing

 

[Fore]

Like advice for the following please.
After years thinking about it I am now all set to finally go the Corny Keg route.
I have recently sourced a co2 supplier relatively close to me.
I can get a hobbyweld 10L cylinder filled and delivered for ���£102.....(with a ���£50 deposit if I decide to return it)
Is this a decent sized cylinder? How long would I be expecting it to last maybe on average pouring between 12 to 20 pints per week?
I plan to house my corny kegs in a 2nd hand under counter sized fridge....how many kegs do these normally hold?
I presume my co2 cylinder will sut outside the fridge..
If I decide on 2 or 3 kegs do i then need a 2 or 3 way regulator?
Also what kegs are better ball lock or pin threaded or barbed?
Whats best size of beer line to use and length?
Are picnic taps ok do they do the job as my fridge will be housed.under the stairs so dont need fancy taps or faunts.
Is there a superior low froth picnic tap available?
If I have 2 kegs in fridge and.I want to drink both on the evening do I need 2 picnic taps or will the 1 do?
Can you just transfer it onto other keg pint to pint or would that involve te pressurising etc?
Best prices best places to obtain the above any comments be appreciated ty

Price sounds OK. I pay about 30 pound for 5l. I guess most common sizes are 5l & 10l. After going through a few tanks probably quicker than I should have, I'm learning to reduce my CO2 use during cleaning. you need to pressure up to push through the cleaner, then water, then sanitiser, so it all adds up. If you have a jug waiting nearby, you only pressure up just enough to start a dribble. Previously I was well overdoing it. I think mine lasted 15-20 cornies, so 50 for 10l sounds about right.

Pin lock are more difficult to find. I think safer to stick with ball lock.

People use 3/16 line simply to reduce the total length of line needed to the bare minimum. Personally I have 1m of 3/16 line, plus an instant chiller and a flow restrictor tap. I know you asked about party taps, but the more I use it, the more I appreciate the flow restrictor option.

I have 3 kegs and only 1 tap. Last night I switched from one keg to the other; I run until it splutters (the end of one), then start in a new glass (the start of the next). Of course it would be nice to have a tap for every keg, but not essential. I also only have one CO2 in. This means I normally drink from one keg while the others are ageing. Simplest option is to use a 3 way splitter, but then you have the same pressure in every keg (OK if similar style). In my case there are times when I need to carb up a new brew while still pulling an existing. But it works fine; the existing beer continues to flow for quite some time and losing carbonation from that bulk of beer into a lower pressure air gap would take ages, much longer than it takes to semi-force carb the new beer.

Good look. I've had many types of serving kit, and these are best by far.