Keg Do's and Dont's?

Have a question on how to keg your beer or just want some tips on bottling! Don't stick a cork in it until you ask the Borg!

Moderators: BlackDuck, Beer-lord, LouieMacGoo, philm00x, gwcr

User avatar
Mcmurdo Mike
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 18
Joined: Fri Nov 03, 2017 5:01 pm
Location: WYUT

Keg Do's and Dont's?

Post by Mcmurdo Mike »

I am thinking of kegging my beer
Is there a "BEST" system to get? Ball lock, Pin, or Sanke?

I hit the jackpot a couple years ago and had a really nice True Kegerator given to me if I hauled it out of the bar, so I helped them out. (Resistance was Futile) :wow:
It was complete with a regulator, LARGE CO2 bottle, regulator, draft tower and lines. :wow: :wow:

Any suggestions would be appreciated
We are now officially "HOOKED ON BREWING"
Started Brewing on 10/29/17


So far this year.... 30 Gallons Brewed

Drinking - Fresh Squished IPA, American Porter, Rasberry Wheat and Baltic Porter
Bottled/Aging - Calvera Chili Stout, Apricot Wheat
Brewing - Caribou Slobber (Moose Drool Clone)
User avatar
berryman
Brew Guru
Brew Guru
Posts: 3279
Joined: Tue Aug 20, 2013 5:16 pm
Location: Western NY

Re: Keg Do's and Dont's?

Post by berryman »

Glad you posted this Mike because I was thinking about a post something similar. I have been making beer for around 10 years and always bottled, because I like the variety of different beers that bottling can do. I have one or two that I drink most every night now and would be good on tap and would be a good idea for me to keg. I have really never looked into it much, but some advice from the Borg would be good. And you got some good questions where to start.
Happy Hound Brewery

“I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.”
― Thomas A. Edison
User avatar
BlackDuck
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 5156
Joined: Wed Aug 07, 2013 7:49 am
Location: Canal Winchester, Ohio

Re: Keg Do's and Dont's?

Post by BlackDuck »

I'm not sure if one type of keg is better than the other. It's probably going to be a personal choice. However, pin locks and ball locks are a different size. I think the ball locks are a little narrower, therefore they are a touch taller. If I have that backwards, someone will chime in and correct me. So it might depend on what type of kegerator your using. Size might matter!!!

I use ball locks. Not for any particular reason either. I saw a great deal on some refurbished kegs so I jumped in. Looks like you also got a great deal on some equipment...good for you.
ANTLER BREWING
Drinking
#93 - Gerst Amber Ale
Conditioning and Carbing

Fermenting

On Deck
User avatar
Beer-lord
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 9634
Joined: Mon Aug 05, 2013 2:48 pm
Location: Burbs of the Big Easy

Re: Keg Do's and Dont's?

Post by Beer-lord »

PABs Brewing
Planning
Brew good beer and live a hoppy life
Fermenting

Drinking
Disfucted
Smelly Hops
(split batch) A Many Stringed Bow
Up Next
Men In Black
bpgreen
Uber Brewer
Uber Brewer
Posts: 1974
Joined: Wed Aug 05, 2015 9:50 pm

Re: Keg Do's and Dont's?

Post by bpgreen »

Your kegerator is probably currently set up for Sanke kegs. I don't think you want to use snake kegs for home brewing, but you may want to be able to use Sanke kegs or pin/ball lock kegs. I think there are adapters that will allow that, but when I bought a commercial kegerator, I knew I'd only be using it for home-brew, so I just chopped out the Sanke parts.

As BlackDuck mentioned, pin locks and ball locks are different sizes. Some people have kegerators that will fit an extra keg if they're all ball lock kegs. That's not an issue for me, since I only have a single tap tower (actually, I've got a dual tap tower, but haven't gotten around to hooking it up, yet; but even with the dual tap, I'll have room with pin locks).

Another difference is that ball lock kegs have a pressure relief valve in the lid. Most pin lock kegs don't. If you need to vent, you need to open the gas-in. There's actually a special tool for this, but you can also just use a screwdriver. One drawback to this is that if you overfill the keg, the gas-in dip tube may be partially submerged and will spew beer when you depress it to release the pressure (yes, I did learn this through experience and not through reading; and yes, it was messy). The lids are a standard size, and you can always replace them at a relatively small cost. After a little research, it looks like there are a couple of standard sizes. Some pin lock kegs ship with lids that have pressure relief valves, but that's unusual.

One thing that's nice about ball lock kegs is that it is impossible to accidentally connect the gas to the liquid line and vice versa. One has three pins and the other has two. With ball locks, although the posts are a slightly different size, it's possible to connect them incorrectly, and I've read that it can be difficult to disconnect them when this happens (no personal experience). It's probably unlikely that this will happen unless something happens like a keg running out while you're drinking, but I'm not sure when a keg would run out unless you're drinking.

Ball locks seem to be more popular, but pin locks seem to be less expensive (maybe because they're less popular).

I posted a link recently in the steals and deals section about a deal on a 4 pack of kegs, but that was a first-come-first-serve sale and it's over.

However, I just checked Keg Connection and they've got a couple of sales going on. Their kegs are pressure tested and cleaned and also include a set of new o-rings (always a good thing to replace on kegs that previously held soda), unlike the ones at Northern Brewer. They have a 4 pack of ball locks for $189.95 and a 4 pack of pin locks for $119.95. They've also got "Grade B" ball lock kegs for $44.95. That makes them slightly cheaper than the 4 pack ball locks but more expensive than the pin locks. Note that these have cosmetic damage, which may include damage to the handles that can make them harder to move around, especially inside the kegerator, unless you do some repair work. In my opinion, it's not worth the small savings.

I'm a cheapskate, so I'd probably buy the pin lock kegs. You could buy a reconditioned lid for each keg and the pin lock 4 packs would still be less than the ball locks. The only reason I'd go with the ball locks is if I needed to fit more kegs in the fridge and the pin locks wouldn't fit. On that note, you may also want to check the dimensions to make sure your kegerator has enough height for the ball locks. If it's too short for ball locks, you don't really have a choice.

If you have the budget for it, buy two of the pin lock 4-packs. You can replace the lids at a later date if you decide it's necessary. But I think 8 kegs is kind of a sweet spot, and this is a great deal. To give you an idea of how great this deal is, I got to a point where I had too many kegs and sold some off for $45 apiece.

One thing to consider is that prices on used kegs seem to be rising pretty steeply. The first two kegs I bought had damage to the handles (probably similar to the Grade B kegs above listed for $44.95). They cost me $17 each. I think the "normal price" on used kegs back then (2011?) was about $35-40 ($35 for pin lock and $40 for ball lock). I haven't priced in a while, but I think it's more than double that now.

I don't have any affiliation with keg connection, other than having bought things from them in the past. When I bought from them, the had $7.99 flat shipping. They may still have that, but I haven't bought from them in a few years.

If a vendor doesn't state their shipping and doesn't have flat rate, make sure you check shipping before you buy. The first kegs I bought were $34, and the shipping was almost $30.

A few other things to consider is that you'll need some other things to keg.

You'll need connectors (either ball lock or pin lock). I'd advise getting quick connect connections so that you have the flexibility to use either type in the future (although almost everybody I know sticks to either one or the other).

You'll also want keg lube. If you're buying from one place with flat shipping, get a bunch. You'll use it all the time.

There are keg and line cleaning kits and I bought one, but I honestly just use an Oxiclean or BPW soak and run through the lines and never use the kit.

Consider Perlick or Intertap taps. They're less likely to clog and leak. Perlick taps are kind of the gold standard, but I recently bought an intertap and it seems to be pretty similar. If your current taps work for you, there's no reason to change, but if you travel a lot and end up with taps that don't pour, those two are worth considering (I think I got the best deals on taps from rite brew).
bpgreen
Uber Brewer
Uber Brewer
Posts: 1974
Joined: Wed Aug 05, 2015 9:50 pm

Re: Keg Do's and Dont's?

Post by bpgreen »

I just found something from Keg connection with a code for free shipping on a first order for friends and family, but they specifically stated that it should not be shared on forums.

If you consider me to be friend or family, send me a PM for the code.
User avatar
Mcmurdo Mike
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 18
Joined: Fri Nov 03, 2017 5:01 pm
Location: WYUT

Re: Keg Do's and Dont's?

Post by Mcmurdo Mike »

This is the best deal I found for kegs!

https://www.homebrewsupply.com/refurbis ... ndles.html

Refurbished 5 Gallon Keg | Ball Lock Keg
KG101
$49.89
They do have Flat Rate shipping - 8.99
Started Brewing on 10/29/17


So far this year.... 30 Gallons Brewed

Drinking - Fresh Squished IPA, American Porter, Rasberry Wheat and Baltic Porter
Bottled/Aging - Calvera Chili Stout, Apricot Wheat
Brewing - Caribou Slobber (Moose Drool Clone)
User avatar
John Sand
Brew Guru
Brew Guru
Posts: 4310
Joined: Wed Aug 07, 2013 9:01 pm
Location: Long Island NY

Re: Keg Do's and Dont's?

Post by John Sand »

That's not bad at all. Keep an eye on craigslist too.
Making beer and stew for the Zombie Apocalypse.
Never mind, there it is.
bpgreen
Uber Brewer
Uber Brewer
Posts: 1974
Joined: Wed Aug 05, 2015 9:50 pm

Re: Keg Do's and Dont's?

Post by bpgreen »

Mcmurdo Mike wrote:This is the best deal I found for kegs!

https://www.homebrewsupply.com/refurbis ... ndles.html

Refurbished 5 Gallon Keg | Ball Lock Keg
KG101
$49.89
They do have Flat Rate shipping - 8.99
That's not as good as the 4 packs at keg connection. I'd go for a 4 pack at those prices. I don't think you'll beat that deal unless you find it on Craigslist.
bpgreen
Uber Brewer
Uber Brewer
Posts: 1974
Joined: Wed Aug 05, 2015 9:50 pm

Re: Keg Do's and Dont's?

Post by bpgreen »

Another thing to consider getting if you go with pin lock kegs is a socket for removing the posts. It has notched cut into it to fit over the pins. I think there are people who have made their own, but I bought one to save myself the hassle. If you're handy, it would be cheaper to make one.
User avatar
mashani
mashani
mashani
Posts: 6743
Joined: Sat Aug 10, 2013 11:57 pm

Re: Keg Do's and Dont's?

Post by mashani »

Ok, since that keg deal is actually temping, and I haz no kegs, because they are scary... I will ask about the scary bit.

Just how often do you have to do things that involve using tools and/or your fingers, especially in cramped spaces (disassembling stuff, changing gaskets, messing with pins/poppets whatever the hell they are/blah/etc.)? One of the reasons I have never looked into kegging is I look at a disassembly diagram and that's just too much crap for me to mess with with my hand issues if it's not really easy to get at and it has to be done often. I wouldn't mind once a year or something, but if you gotta take stuff apart all the time, then it's just (for me) going to be more of a PITA then sticking with the PETs I use.
bpgreen
Uber Brewer
Uber Brewer
Posts: 1974
Joined: Wed Aug 05, 2015 9:50 pm

Re: Keg Do's and Dont's?

Post by bpgreen »

I've been kegging for 7 years and have only had to disassemble kegs a couple of times.

It's probably less stress on my hands than bottling was.
User avatar
John Sand
Brew Guru
Brew Guru
Posts: 4310
Joined: Wed Aug 07, 2013 9:01 pm
Location: Long Island NY

Re: Keg Do's and Dont's?

Post by John Sand »

I remove the out post every time. It requires a wrench, a deep socket is easiest. Then I run a long pipe cleaner though the dip tube.
Making beer and stew for the Zombie Apocalypse.
Never mind, there it is.
User avatar
Beer-lord
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 9634
Joined: Mon Aug 05, 2013 2:48 pm
Location: Burbs of the Big Easy

Re: Keg Do's and Dont's?

Post by Beer-lord »

John Sand wrote:I remove the out post every time. It requires a wrench, a deep socket is easiest. Then I run a long pipe cleaner though the dip tube.
I pretty much do the same. Only takes me 10 minutes max and gives me the chance to check the rings. Just simple maintenance.
PABs Brewing
Planning
Brew good beer and live a hoppy life
Fermenting

Drinking
Disfucted
Smelly Hops
(split batch) A Many Stringed Bow
Up Next
Men In Black
User avatar
Kealia
Brew Guru
Brew Guru
Posts: 5588
Joined: Thu Aug 08, 2013 10:52 pm

Re: Keg Do's and Dont's?

Post by Kealia »

I run PBW and Starstan through the lines/tubes between each keg and only tear down for a full breakdown once a year.
I also change my lines yearly now.

So mashani, in terms of hand dexterity, I would say once immediately (when you get them, replace the o-rings, pull apart and clean) and then 1-2 times yearly depending on your tolerance for NOT pulling things apart and cleaning every nook and cranny.
Post Reply