Hi all, my husband homebrews and I know that all the bottles (keeping, cleaning, filling, etc) drive him a little crazy. For Christmas, I would like to get him a setup so that he can keg his own beer. This would just be for a "normal" amount of homebrew. We do have a full size fridge that is set up for full size kegs with the CO2 tank and a tap on the door. My question is what do I need to buy for him to keg his own beer (or mini-keg I guess it is?). I am hoping this is not too expensive but I don't want "cheap" either. He works hard on the beer and I want something worthy of his creations. Is there a standard or recommended setup? What pieces do I need? Thanks a million!!!!
If you already have a commercial keg draft setup you just need a single 5 gallon ball lock cornelius (corny) keg and the appropriate hoses and disconnects to hook into your existing regulator. I would suggest giving the folks at KegConnection (http://www.kegconnection.com) a call 325-356-5204 and they can ensure you get all the right components for your existing system.
This is a tough one to answer. I could give you a long detailed list of parts and pieces but not sure that is the right approach. Basically you will need kegs, connectors, and faucets. What I suggest is to contact a customer service rep at a homebrew supply store (tons of them online) and outline your plan. But the nature of home kegging is usually a heavy dose of DIY . . . do not expect to unwrap a kit and start pouring beer. Although I would love it, some people don't react well to a "box of parts" that needs assembling. I do not recommend this course of action unless you're sure he is ready to tackle a sizable home project. That said, here are the basics of what you want: Most home keggers use 5-gallon Cornelius kegs (cornys) that are taken used from the soda industry. This sounds a little rough, but they are stainless and last forever with minimal care. Cost is ~50 bucks each and you want at least one more than the number of beers you expect to be serving at a time. Beer lines and faucets. A serious kegger will have more than one faucet on a fridge door, you really want a faucet for each keg in service. Lines and connectors are not terribly expensive and a skilled service rep can easily put together what you need. Overall expect ~100 dollars per keg/faucett set-up . . . that's with the end user (husband) doing all the assembly. A Google search for the parts above should give you some ideas and highlight some suppliers. You already have a CO2 tank/fridge so no extra expense there. Also, this addiction hobby is easy to add on to, you might start with two kegs and build it up as enthusiasm grows. Finally, if your husband isn't a skilled plumber now, he will be after he sets this up.
If you want the ability to use both commercial and homebrew kegs still this isnt a bad idea: http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/commercial-kegerator-to-homebrew-conversion-kit.html Youll need kegs, as others have said, used (reconditioned) is more than fine. I actually like my reconditioned kegs better: http://www.cornykeg.com/catalog.asp?prodid=674155&showprevnext=1 You will need 2 ball lock disconnects (1 gas in, 1 liquid out) for each corny keg that you want to serve simultaneously. If you have 2 beers on tap you will want 4 disconnects total (2 gas in and 2 liquid out). Edit: If you serve 2 beers at once, you will need a manifold for the CO2: http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/2-way-co2-distributor-w-5-16-barb-shutoff.html and the tubing: I would go with 10 feet of 3/16th inch ID hose per keg being served for the beverage tubing: http://www.kegconnection.com/beer-hose-clear-3-16-id-x-7-16-od-sold-by-the-foot/ I would go with about 3 feet, depending on the setup for each keg being served for the gas tubing: http://www.kegconnection.com/gas-hose-red-5-16-id-9-16-od-per-foot/ And finally, 2 clamps per section of tubing (one at the beginning and one at the end of the connection) to be on the safe side: http://www.kegconnection.com/worm-clamps-stainless-steel-choose-your-size/ I love editing: Make sure that any tubing and clamps will match up with the sizes of the hoses and barbs.
That's going to be a great gift for him! If you have a local homebrew shop near you, it may be worth going in and showing them what you got. They can help you in more detail. They usually have complete set ups that you can buy as well.
It sounds like you already have a keg-o-rater so upgrading from commercial beer to homebrew will be pretty easy. As stated above, 5 gallon Cornelius or "corny" keg that were once used to dispense soda are what homebrewers use to keg homebrew. If there is a homebrew shop nearby that is probably your best bet. You may pay a few dollars more but there will be no shipping and it is more convenient IMO. There are 2 different types of connections: ball lock and pin lock. Just make sure you get the correct connections for the type of keg and you will be fine. Aside from that it is just some tubing. I am using 3/16" inner diameter 7/16" outer diameter but yours may be different. He can probably pick up tubing pretty easily or already have it on hand if you have a keg-o-rater. Pick up a keg, maybe 2 and the associated ball or pin lock connectors and your will be set. Good luck.
a good homebrew store either local or online will have a complete kit, everything needed in one purchase. since your husband is a homebrewer, we can assume he likes gadgets, assembly and repurposed parts. I strongly recommend you get in touch with someone on sales. unless you want to learn a lot about kegging homebrew yourself. buy a used corny keg. new is shiny and expensive. it is not hard, but if you are not familiar you can get in the weeds quickly. an all in one kind of deal makes it a lot easier. good luck.
Thanks, you guys are awesome!!! I really appreciate your time to help me! PortLargo - My husband would be fine with the assembly I am sure, no concerns there so long as there are instructions available somewhere. He actually reads the damn things! Huge thanks for the specific items. Also appreciate the tip on sizing. We do have a good homebrew store around so I will go there with my new list and perhaps a picture of the inside of our current fridge with the keg/tubes/CO2, etc. Also appreciate the tip on the manifold thingy. WOuld be great to have options to have a homebrew on tap as well as a craft beer or two homebrews.
OK, just went to my local store's website and put everything I need in the cart. I can pick up so shipping is not a concern. Is this what I need? (I don't care if I don't need "lube", I have to get it on general principal! LOL) I think he can get his own tubes once all this is purchased. What's In My Cart? RemoveProduct(s)Qty.Price Per.Total 5 Gallon Corny Keg (Pepsi)$59.95$59.95 O-Ring Kit$4.75$4.75 Keg Post (gas/in) ball lock$9.65$9.65 Keg Post (liquid/out) ball lock$9.65$9.65 Keg Lube 1/2 oz. tin$2.29$2.29 Total: $86.29
The keg will come with keg posts so you can drop those two items. You still need connectors, here is a pick randomly chosen from google images. https://www.google.com/search?q=bal...sconnect-with-14-MFL---Ball-Lock.html;640;554
If you explain face-to-face with a supplier you should get what you need. As Nicefly says you will need a gas/liquid disconnect which your store will have. They will ask you the diameter of your gas/beer-line tubing (to match the disconnects) which you probably won't know. Either carry the tubing with you or buy all new (not expensive). Otherwise you are ready for a single keg . . . however I would recommend at least two kegs if he brews at least once a month. That would give you one to serve while one is conditioning. Easy enough to add on later, but you're almost sure to end up with more (and expect faucets to sprout from your fridge). Instructions for assembly are where you can find them, pretty good details can be downloaded here: http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/pages/zymurgy/free-downloads You'll want two downloads: A Bottlers Guide to Kegging (8 pages) and So I Married A Homebrewer (4 pages).
I agree with this. Although I don't know GoodWifey's local supplier, a good conversation with a floor rep at Midwest Supplies helped me get started with kegging. Great gift for GoodHubby.
It should. I will say though that when I was buying my first keg from the nearest LHBS, I asked the owner what O-Rings I would need, to change all of them out . After careful consideration, he send me home with the following... - 1 Lid O-Ring...Check! - 2 Post O-Rings...Check! - 1 Dip Tube O-Ring...Uhhh He even said something like "Yep, that's all 4." I will also say that this was my fault. I had learned long ago that the people at this particular LHBS know very little about homebrewing. So why should I have expected them to know about kegs?
Good point. Here is a link I have always found useful about O-rings from a member of the forum who used to be pretty active here before going pro.
If you already have a kegging set up for commercial kegs then you might want to look at finding 1/4 or 1/6 barrel sanke kegs. They will fit the equipment your husband already has, which means your only cash outlay is the cost of whatever number of kegs you want to buy him. Sanke kegs can be taken apart and put back together with ease.
