Need schooling on kegs
Moderators: BlackDuck, Beer-lord, LouieMacGoo, philm00x, gwcr
Need schooling on kegs
Hi
I'm looking to try kegs instead of bottles for 2.5 gallons without a ton of new equipment just a basic keg and whatever I need to make it work no bells and whistles
I'm still a rookie at all this stuff so sorry if these are dumb questions
1. Do they have kegs that you can do carbonation in with sugar and a hand pump to get the beer out?
2. Do you have to use CO2 for the beer to make it come out the keg?
3. What's the best starter keg kits?
4. What all is needed besides the actual keg basic equipment to make it work
Thanks Clayton
I'm looking to try kegs instead of bottles for 2.5 gallons without a ton of new equipment just a basic keg and whatever I need to make it work no bells and whistles
I'm still a rookie at all this stuff so sorry if these are dumb questions
1. Do they have kegs that you can do carbonation in with sugar and a hand pump to get the beer out?
2. Do you have to use CO2 for the beer to make it come out the keg?
3. What's the best starter keg kits?
4. What all is needed besides the actual keg basic equipment to make it work
Thanks Clayton
Re: Need schooling on kegs
There are small patented kits that carb and serve beer on the counter top, I've never used one.
You can carb kegs with sugar, like bottles. There are small CO2 cartridge attachments that can provide serving pressure. I don't know about hand pumps.
When I first started kegging, I bought two 2.5gal kegs and put them in the 4.4 cu.ft. fridge with picnic taps. After carbing I would just hit them with enough gas to serve, topping off as necessary. Later I built out the kegerator. 2.5 and 3 gallon kegs cost more than fives, probably because more fives are made and reused.
You can carb kegs with sugar, like bottles. There are small CO2 cartridge attachments that can provide serving pressure. I don't know about hand pumps.
When I first started kegging, I bought two 2.5gal kegs and put them in the 4.4 cu.ft. fridge with picnic taps. After carbing I would just hit them with enough gas to serve, topping off as necessary. Later I built out the kegerator. 2.5 and 3 gallon kegs cost more than fives, probably because more fives are made and reused.
Making beer and stew for the Zombie Apocalypse.
Never mind, there it is.
Never mind, there it is.
Re: Need schooling on kegs
Last edited by clay5769 on Thu Mar 11, 2021 1:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Need schooling on kegs
Would this be everything I need? Also would I be able to do carbonation in this keg.
https://beveragelements.com/beverage_el ... jaEALw_wcB
https://beveragelements.com/beverage_el ... jaEALw_wcB
Re: Need schooling on kegs
I just bought this.
https://beveragelements.com/beverage_el ... party-kit/
I contacted them and they are saying the Co2 bottle that comes with it does the carbonation
This website says that the Co2 only moves the beer and does zero carbonation
https://www.northernbrewer.com/products ... em-new-keg
https://beveragelements.com/beverage_el ... party-kit/
I contacted them and they are saying the Co2 bottle that comes with it does the carbonation
This website says that the Co2 only moves the beer and does zero carbonation
https://www.northernbrewer.com/products ... em-new-keg
Re: Need schooling on kegs
Whether you're using a kegerator or a system like you bought, you can "force carbonate" using co2 canisters or you can naturally carbonate with sugar.clay5769 wrote:I just bought this.
https://beveragelements.com/beverage_el ... party-kit/
I contacted them and they are saying the Co2 bottle that comes with it does the carbonation
This website says that the Co2 only moves the beer and does zero carbonation
https://www.northernbrewer.com/products ... em-new-keg
I have 5 gallon kegs. I purge them with my co2 canisters, then add sugar and naturally carbonate (it's cheaper that way).
Re: Need schooling on kegs
The small co2 cartridges are meant to dispense the beer (once it's already carbonated) for the most part. The smaller like 5L mini kegs could probably carb up using a few of those. I would imagine if you had enough of them you could carbonate 2.5 gals but there's no telling how many of the cartridges it would take to do that though and it would probably get expensive and perhaps wasteful. Going this route you probably need to carbonate in the keg with priming sugar like you do with bottling...the keg is nothing more than a giant bottle at that point.clay5769 wrote:I just bought this.
https://beveragelements.com/beverage_el ... party-kit/
I contacted them and they are saying the Co2 bottle that comes with it does the carbonation
This website says that the Co2 only moves the beer and does zero carbonation
https://www.northernbrewer.com/products ... em-new-keg
Brew Strong My Friends...
Re: Need schooling on kegs
I think you made a good purchase. You can carb using sugar and serve with the small cartridge. Later you can add to your system as you like.
Making beer and stew for the Zombie Apocalypse.
Never mind, there it is.
Never mind, there it is.
Re: Need schooling on kegs
Thanks all I just couldn't get a straight answer from the company selling the keg. They kept insisting that the CO2 was what carbonates the beer with the tiny bottle.
I thought you could carbonate the keg like a giant bottle with sugar but wasn't sure worry that I would screw up and blow up the keg or something. I found another site with same setup and they say for 2 gallons of beer add 3 oz corn sugar carbonate 2 to 3 weeks
Off topic just had my first baby mini zebu see how small next to the chicken
I thought you could carbonate the keg like a giant bottle with sugar but wasn't sure worry that I would screw up and blow up the keg or something. I found another site with same setup and they say for 2 gallons of beer add 3 oz corn sugar carbonate 2 to 3 weeks
Off topic just had my first baby mini zebu see how small next to the chicken
- Attachments
-
- IMG_13032021_011848_(461_x_480_pixel).jpg (119.07 KiB) Viewed 8165 times
Re: Need schooling on kegs
Wow! Very cool!
Making beer and stew for the Zombie Apocalypse.
Never mind, there it is.
Never mind, there it is.
Re: Need schooling on kegs
Ty it my first baby tiny like the size of a small dog.
Re: Need schooling on kegs
I had (have somewhere) one of those charger/dispensing CO2 handles. I bought it when I first started kegging and wanted to take a batch to a party. It is absolutely for dispensing, but be aware that you can pour without touching it for a while.
After the keg is carbed, you can pour until the CO2 in solution runs out - which means you'll have flat beer at that point.
So...pour, hit it with a quick charge to replace the CO2 lost, and repeat.
Sharing this just so you know that if you keep pouring without charging the beer will get flatter and flatter.
Make sense?
After the keg is carbed, you can pour until the CO2 in solution runs out - which means you'll have flat beer at that point.
So...pour, hit it with a quick charge to replace the CO2 lost, and repeat.
Sharing this just so you know that if you keep pouring without charging the beer will get flatter and flatter.
Make sense?
Re: Need schooling on kegs
Kealia wrote:I had (have somewhere) one of those charger/dispensing CO2 handles. I bought it when I first started kegging and wanted to take a batch to a party. It is absolutely for dispensing, but be aware that you can pour without touching it for a while.
After the keg is carbed, you can pour until the CO2 in solution runs out - which means you'll have flat beer at that point.
So...pour, hit it with a quick charge to replace the CO2 lost, and repeat.
Sharing this just so you know that if you keep pouring without charging the beer will get flatter and flatter.
Make sense?
Perfect in other words you'd be using the carbonation in the beer for dispensing the beer and it will go flat as your using it without charging each time..
Thanks for the heads-up I wouldn't have known that ...
Re: Need schooling on kegs
Will one of the little CO2 Cylinders do all 2 gallons of beer?
Clayton
Clayton
Re: Need schooling on kegs
To carb it? I never tried.
I don't remember if I ever used one to pour all two gallons either, sorry.
I don't remember if I ever used one to pour all two gallons either, sorry.
Making beer and stew for the Zombie Apocalypse.
Never mind, there it is.
Never mind, there it is.