Kegerators. Good investment? Im New

Most of the better (read: expensive) beers are available around Chicago in 1/6 bbls. Something to consider, though, is that 1/6 is about the same price as bottled, so, financially, there's no benefit. You have to ask yourself if the cool factor is worth the price (I have 4 faucets of homebrew, so the answer is a resounding yes!)

 

welcome to BA.
a kegerator is a good idea if you like to drink a decent amount of beer or have a few friends who will gladly help out.

a kegerator is a bad idea if you don't drink all that much or if you always like to have different beer available.
that's it.

simply put, don't get a kegerator if you are not willing to invest the time and effort. there is more to it than just plugging it in and expecting a perfect beer a few times a night.

as for having nitro and regular dispense, it can be done. but again, you must like nitro beers, because a sixtel of a mediocre beer is both expensive and tiresome fairly quick. and the nitro setup requires some effort and more money.

I know that PA has some difficult distro rules, but you are surely mistaken or being misled. you will not finish a sixtel in 4 to 7 days, and many bars wont either. keep records and you'll get your deposit back. also, as you get to know your beer man they will know you are not going to screw them and they will gladly take your sale.

you can get plenty of beers in sixtel. maybe not as many as in half barrel, but you wont get bored either. also, sixtels are only marginally cheaper than bottle and sometimes not even; the value of draft beer is in half barrels.

lastly, do NOT buy your kegerator with the lowest price point in mind and do not bother with any store that also sells grass seed and furniture along with kegerators. you WILL need some hand holding, and those stores will not have any help for you, zero. a good web retailer and a reputable brand are just about required.
Cheers.

 

I got a double tap, mid range unit. It needed some elbow grease to make it perfect which was fine with me. I used the hell out of it for three years with sixths (no cost savings), but my drinking habits changed and 5 gallons at a time got to be a burden. I haven't had anything in it for 4 months now and I'm loving the variety.
Never heard of having to return a keg in days, I've had them months. Plenty of choices in sixths, although just because a brewery packages in sixths doesn't mean your distro will carry it.

 

Listen to billandsuz.

Economically? Expect around a $500-600 investment before you can dispense beer if you plan on building one yourself and more (maybe twice that?) if you purchase a prefabricated model.
Theoretically: A 1/6 barrel is about 50 (12 oz) beers, so if you're trying to beat the $10/6-pack market you'll have to find sixtels under $75. If you homebrew and already have Cornelius kegs you can probably hit the $40-50 mark, or if you shop for kegs from the breweries directly I've found them for $65.
Here's an example: assuming my girlfriend and I drink an average of 50 beers per 14 days, if we're drinking $65 sixtels we're saving about $260/year--or if it's all homebrew, we're saving around $650/year. So, the simple payback period for us should be something a little over a year or two depending on what we're drinking, and then it's just straight profit!
In reality: We still drink a lot of other beers rather than the house draft (mostly at other people's houses or bars). We also tend to not buy the basics (the $65 kegs) from breweries when we get sixtels, because when you have beer on tap in your own house why not have a huge imperial stout or double IPA that costs twice as much?... although we might save a bit on those kegs as well, of course. The homebrewing capital investment is significant by itself. And there's a lot of work involved. Hopefully, the kegerator pays itself back within its lifetime.

There are other perks as well. In Ohio, some really interesting beers can be found only in kegs; there are even quite a few local breweries that don't bottle at all. I think it makes homebrewing easier, and it's fun to serve your own beer on draft, etc. Hopefully, my experience helps you out.

 

we should also mention that keg beer is fresh beer, and when done right it is the absolute best way to enjoy almost any beer. that in and of itself is one of the best reasons to have a kegerator around. .

and 2,
you almost never run out of beer. until you do all at once. but then you have some bottles handy until you can get a new keg.

get a kegerator. nobody has ever ranted on this board that it was a bad idea.
Cheers.

 

I want to get one too. I know you can keep the keg and when it is empty you can return it and get a new keg.

 

There really isn't any cramming, they fit right in. If you get a Haier you can fit three with a triple tap.

 

I have had one since mid-2000's. It has paid for itself and then some. I deduce, off the cuff, that the stuff I have run through it has saved me on the order of 1000 dollars for sure. Not the primary reason for buying it, but it certainly does have that appeal if you're going to invite 30 people over for some game day celebrations and you can supply a good base beer for mass consumption.

It is currently my cellaring refrigerator until I outfit it with a double tap, longer lines and a tower cooler. If you tire of 1/2's or sixtels you can always clean & cap & reclean the lines later and put cans and bottles in it. It's nice to have options!

I never had a 4-7 day imposition placed on my returns. Not sure if that's because I am not taking a rental tap with me or whatnot.

 

I don't think I've ever shopped for a commercial beer in a corny keg. Are most of these ball lock, or pin, or various?

 

A corney by definition is a ball lock or pin lock. Commercial sixths are sankey tops just like halves and quarters.

 

Commercial beers aren't available in cornies. As Doug said, the 1/6 bbl kegs have Sanke taps. That said, many small breweries will fill your corny for you.

 

We have several local breweries that will fill a corney keg around here. Just have to give them a call and ask. Usually best to ask to speak to a brewer when you call as they are typically the ones filling up kegs from the tanks.

Also, to the OP, regarding places that have a 4-7 day return policy... most do this because they typically sell kegs of Bud Light or the likes for weekend parties and they just want to get the keg back in a timely manner so they don't have to keep a bunch of paperwork on file and/or have a ton of deposits on hand. This policy is typically set by the store and not by any law. Every single retail store I have purchased from has had a similar policy. I spoke to a manger and explained that I have a kegerator at home, and this is for personal consumption, and asked if they would be able to be flexible on that policy. Without fail these stores have always told me that is no problem if it takes me a few weeks or months even, to return a keg. Hell the one place I go to, even with their policy, has deposits on file from over a year ago.

 

Isn't a 1/6 and a corny the same...GOOGLE SEARCH.

 

nope.

a Sanke is a specific type of connection. it is sanitary as it has only one entry and exit for beer and gas. virtually all commercial kegs, worldwide, use a form of a Sanke connection.

the terms Sanke and Cornelius are not interchangeable. see also Firestone keg.

also, not all Sanke kegs are 1/6 barrel, nor are all Corny kegs 5 gallons. but there are no 5 gallon Sankes and there are no 1/6 barrel Cornelius kegs.

if it gets confusing, it is. there is very little that is standard in the world of draft beer, and what has been standardized has many exceptions.
Cheers.

 

It has to be true, I read it on the Internet.

 

I absolutely love my kegerator - I have mine because I home brew and I much prefer to keg than to bottle. I also like to have a few Sierra Nevada beers on tap during the winter months when I don't brew as often. Once spring comes arond and I start brewing again, I usually have a couple homebrews on tap at all times. Nice to have a rotation going with the seasons.