Stainless Steel Mini Kegs

[RichardM]

Has anyone had experience of these Minikeg single Stainless Steel Keg
Until now I have been using Ghost Ship kegs from Tesco but after a few uses the beer develops a metallic taste, especially if it has been in the keg a month or two.
These look to be the ideal solution, is there a catch?

 

[aamcle]

I'd check very carefully that they are Stainless, most/all are coated tin. It's also too cheap for stainless.
Atb

 

[Leon103]

There is a massive thread on these already. In my experience they are crap.

 

[AnimatedGIF]

What @Leon103 said.
I had two. They were great first time round (in part due to the novelty).
I was very careful and gentle in cleaning, and then the second time I had the following issues:
Beer from one of the minikegs tasted metalic - a common problem I see people mention.
The other leaked and I hadn't noticed, and by the time I had noticed, there was a lot of mould. The only time to date I have had to ditch beer.

In terms of the leaky one, I don't know why it leaked. These do not hold much pressure, and I underprimed to account for this, but it still leaked.
With thinks like this, it's very much buy cheap, buy twice+. I have since bought actual stainless stell minikegs now (designed to hold more pressure and be re-used). Admitdedly by the time you've bought the attachment that allows you to use CO2, plus a mini reg, you're looking at close to £100. That said, those pieces of equipment will last much longer.

 

[terrym]

The 'repurposed' minikegs are OK for one re-use only in my experience, then the metallic taste kicks in.
But if the linked one is in fact SS, it probably is a good buy, even though you are going to have to buy a top assembly.
However if I were thinking of buying one, I would contact the seller to confirm they are SS, then if that was confirmed buy one if still interested, but on receipt test it with a magnet before putting into use. And if the SS turns out to be CS seek a refund.

 

[RichardM]

What @Leon103 said.
I had two. They were great first time round (in part due to the novelty).
I was very careful and gentle in cleaning, and then the second time I had the following issues:
Beer from one of the minikegs tasted metalic - a common problem I see people mention.
The other leaked and I hadn't noticed, and by the time I had noticed, there was a lot of mould. The only time to date I have had to ditch beer.

In terms of the leaky one, I don't know why it leaked. These do not hold much pressure, and I underprimed to account for this, but it still leaked.
With thinks like this, it's very much buy cheap, buy twice+. I have since bought actual stainless stell minikegs now (designed to hold more pressure and be re-used). Admitdedly by the time you've bought the attachment that allows you to use CO2, plus a mini reg, you're looking at close to £100. That said, those pieces of equipment will last much longer.

Are you (and many others) talking about re-using mini kegs purchased full of beer and then cleaned and re-used, or the "stainless" steel mini kegs that I linked to in the OP?

 

[Leon103]

Are you (and many others) talking about re-using mini kegs purchased full of beer and then cleaned and re-used, or the "stainless" steel mini kegs that I linked to in the OP?

Both the same. Use once and throw. They make the beer taste metallic and the lining starts to come away

 

[RichardM]

Both the same. Use once and throw. They make the beer taste metallic and the lining starts to come away

So have you tried the "stainless" kegs in the link?

 

[terrym]

Are you (and many others) talking about re-using mini kegs purchased full of beer and then cleaned and re-used, or the "stainless" steel mini kegs that I linked to in the OP?

Its quite simple really.
If you are interested you either confirm the OP ones are SS or not as I suggested.
If they aren't you have enough advice and personal experience to avoid.
If they are definitely SS they might be a good purchase, subject to spending £30 or more on a dispensing tap.

 

[RichardM]

Its quite simple really.
If you are interested you either confirm the OP ones are SS or not as I suggested.
If they aren't you have enough advice and personal experience to avoid.
If they are definitely SS they might be a good purchase, subject to spending £30 or more on a dispensing tap.

It's not clear in many of the replies if the experience is of stainless mini kegs or of reusing kegs from the supermarket.

 

[RichardM]

There is a massive thread on these already. In my experience they are crap.

There is a massive thread on mini kegs, I haven't found one on these supposedly stainless steel mini kegs

 

[Ashman]

after I built a bespoke tap for a mini keg metallic taste! So Where now? 9/10 litre corny kegs look interesting

 

[terrym]

There is a massive thread on mini kegs, I haven't found one on these supposedly stainless steel mini kegs

Minikegs are either SS or they are not. You can't have 'supposedly SS'
If not -avoid
If they are SS are would you be happy to store your beer in them? SS is used extensively across the brewing industry and nowadays cask beer is delivered and kept in SS casks.

 

[RichardM]

Minikegs are either SS or they are not. You can't have 'supposedly SS'
If not -avoid
If they are SS are would you be happy to store your beer in them? SS is used extensively across the brewing industry and nowadays cask beer is delivered and kept in SS casks.

Yes, but the thing is, the link is to something that says it is SS in some parts of the description and just steel in other parts. If it is SS then it is cheap at that price or is it to good to be true? Before I buy one to find out for myself I was wondering if anyone else had purchased one, and if so, how had they found it.
If no one has direct experience of this one then I will purchase one (to start with) and report back.

 

[Ashman]

I thought they were steel with lacquer. That’s what the manufacturer fass Frisch Lists

 

[RichardM]

I thought they were steel with lacquer. That’s what the manufacturer fass Frisch Lists

The ones in the link claim to be stainless and aren't the usual ones, no tap at the bottom.

 

[terrym]

Yes, but the thing is, the link is to something that says it is SS in some parts of the description and just steel in other parts. If it is SS then it is cheap at that price or is it to good to be true? Before I buy one to find out for myself I was wondering if anyone else had purchased one, and if so, how had they found it.
If no one has direct experience of this one then I will purchase one (to start with) and report back.

Why not just ask the supplier to confirm before you buy (which is what I said originally)and save yourself the hassle if they're not.

 

[RichardM]

Why not just ask the supplier to confirm before you buy (which is what I said originally)and save yourself the hassle if they're not.

I might well do that, but seeing as he advertises them as SS then I expect the answer will be that they are SS.
There are various grades of SS but I don't know enough about them to know the right questions.

 

[user 18729]

I might well do that, but seeing as he advertises them as SS then I expect the answer will be that they are SS.
There are various grades of SS but I don't know enough about them to know the right questions.

If the supplier won’t confirm the grade of stainless then they won’t be stainless. At that price I doubt they are stainless sadly. A reconditioned corny or sankey keg will be your way forward

 

[RichardM]

If the supplier won’t confirm the grade of stainless then they won’t be stainless. At that price I doubt they are stainless sadly. A reconditioned corny or sankey keg will be your way forward

You may well be right, but I would have trouble fitting a corny in one of these Klarstein Skal Single Tap Freestanding Beer Dispenser | Wayfair.co.uk that I already have and have been using with recycled Ghost Ship kegs from Tesco and then I would have to find space for a kegerator.