Looking For Advice On A Kegging Set-up

[Wolfy]

If you were to take a drive to KegKing in Springvale you can pickup most of the stuff that MyBeerShop has, at the same price but without paying postage, also don't forget to add a little more for Beer & Gas line, KK have 30m of their 'own' branded stuff for $25. I think that G&G have the cheapest per-keg-price just now, on their purchase of 3, however I don't know if they are reconditioned etc.

Most of the plastic items shown in this thread can all be obtained from Ebay/USA much cheaper than local HBS prices.
Examples: 4x black-jocky-taps (shown above) will cost $12, JG Speedfit connectors @ $2ea, and keg-disconnects @ $5ea.
You could use the plastic-taps for now and upgrade to the $200+ stainless later so that your initial outlay is less.

 

[Acasta]

Here's a way to save a fair bit on taps. These are like $7 each - and some scrap wood.

Also, I highly recommend adding a T and a spare gas QD for force-carbing kegs. I have one just after the non-return valve so I can roll the keg on the kitchen floor, or purge a warm keg for storage quickly and easily.

Nice on nick! I really like this idea, depending on the budget i may go with this idea. I really like how you mounted them.
Also, definitely a great idea about the extra line for force carbing, i was thinking of just making one of the in fridge gas lines extra long so i can use that. Would that throw out the balance?

View attachment 46462

So you aren't making the poor old divider do the splits, and it will all fold nice and flat on top of the kegs.

Ahh ok, nice one, this looks like a nice clean and easy way to do things, im looking at these gas line splitters that can be turned on/off and ganged up. http://www.mybeershop.com.au/index.php?mai...6de37e772349fc9
Thanks for the explanation, i never knew how those things worked but that makes alot of sense.

Hey mate, Like another poster said email farmhouse, my taps and shanks cost $14 in postage plus a 5% handling fee for OS orders.
Good luck with the Kegging :beerbang:

Jeeze, thats pretty good for postage! And I can't wait to get it all going!

If you were to take a drive to KegKing in Springvale you can pickup most of the stuff that MyBeerShop has, at the same price but without paying postage

Most of the plastic items shown in this thread can all be obtained from Ebay/USA much cheaper...

Yeah, i was planning on driving to mybeershop in clayton, which is right near springvale, i guess this gives me more places to look, thanks!
I've decided to get the disconnects from the USA store as well, there about half price for a pair, which its pretty damn good.

Another thing I had to ask. Tesco vs Micromatic? Opinions?

 

[Nick JD]

Would that throw out the balance?

I'm not sure. I would say no, that the beer out side needs to be balanced, but the gas in doesn't. Could be wrong.

Here's my bottle setup. Note the non-return valve, then the T with the handy floor-mounted QD for carbing kegs. All of this is normally tucked behind the fridge.

I fill a keg of crystal-clear 5C beer, roll it across the floor, click that gas post on (removing the ones inside the fridge!), turn the reg up to 150kpa and then roll it back and forth lying on its side on the floor for 80 seconds. Rolling it sideways on the floor increases the surface area and the splashing by heaps - the in post is closest to the floor . Then it can be stored warm, ready to go into the fridge.

 

[Dazza88]

If you were to take a drive to KegKing in Springvale you can pickup most of the stuff that MyBeerShop has, at the same price but without paying postage, also don't forget to add a little more for Beer & Gas line, KK have 30m of their 'own' branded stuff for $25. I think that G&G have the cheapest per-keg-price just now, on their purchase of 3, however I don't know if they are reconditioned etc.

Most of the plastic items shown in this thread can all be obtained from Ebay/USA much cheaper than local HBS prices.
Examples: 4x black-jocky-taps (shown above) will cost $12, JG Speedfit connectors @ $2ea, and keg-disconnects @ $5ea.
You could use the plastic-taps for now and upgrade to the $200+ stainless later so that your initial outlay is less.

Wolfy,

do you have a website where these plastic fittings are sourced from the usa? Just US Ebay?

 

[Wolfy]

Yeah, i was planning on driving to mybeershop in clayton, which is right near springvale, i guess this gives me more places to look, thanks!

MyBeerShop will not allow pickups, they didn't reply to 5 emails I sent about pickup, so eventually got a phone-number and was told no pickup anymore.

do you have a website where these plastic fittings are sourced from the usa? Just US Ebay?

I actually got 1/2 dozen @ $2ea via a seller based in Sydney, but Ana @ WaterSupply House (via ebay) has cheap JG speedfit fittings too.

 

[Amber Fluid]

FYI: KegKing offers free post for sales over $200

also

I just got a new Reg from MyBeerShop and it would almost be the best thing I have done since getting kegs. I was using the cheap reg that comes with the kegerator but now I'm over the moon with this one.

 

[Acasta]

I think i've decided on mostly what im going with, just wondering on some opinions on Tesco vs Micromatic regulators? For a $15 price difference im not sure which to go with.

As for Co2, im most likely going to get one of the cheap ebay kegking ones for $180 - http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Carbon-Dioxide-...#ht_3397wt_1139

One thing I have no idea about, is beer/gas line? How much I'll need to balance the system? Any advice on that?

 

[Amber Fluid]

I think i've decided on mostly what im going with, just wondering on some opinions on Tesco vs Micromatic regulators? For a $15 price difference im not sure which to go with.

As for Co2, im most likely going to get one of the cheap ebay kegking ones for $180 - http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Carbon-Dioxide-...#ht_3397wt_1139

One thing I have no idea about, is beer/gas line? How much I'll need to balance the system? Any advice on that?

They are pretty good cylinders, I have 2 of them.
With regards to beer line length, if you have no flow restrictors on your taps, you can get away with 3 meters of 5mm ID per tap and work back from there.

 

[seemax]

Wolfy,

do you have a website where these plastic fittings are sourced from the usa? Just US Ebay?

http://www.chicompany.net/ - huge range and great prices, $15 postage using small parcel USPS - arrived in 6 days


STAY AWAY FROM http://www.kegkits.com = scammer

Acasta,
Why not just start off with a KK 2.6kg CO2 bottle, basic regulator, 2 used kegs and 2 picnic taps, check valve and 10m of beer/gas line and see how it all goes. Then you can upgrade to SS taps, JG fittings, etc. Once the beer is carbed up you don't need to keep the gas on 24/7 so it's just a matter of moving your single gas disconnect to the other keg as needed at dispensing pressure.

Once you have brewed and fills those kegs you can spend time drinking and planning all your upgrades.

 

[stux]

I've dealt with kegkits, aka stir-plate.com and towercooler.com

And I don't think he was a scanner

 

[seemax]

http://www.bbb.org/northern-alabama/busine...le-al-900050886

Not to everyone perhaps but many have been burnt (payment made, goods never delivered).

Plenty of angry people on the US forums.

 

[glaab]

I think i've decided on mostly what im going with, just wondering on some opinions on Tesco vs Micromatic regulators? For a $15 price difference im not sure which to go with.

never had a tesuco but wayne at BB told me he stopped selling them because too many came back. go for a harris or micromatic

 

[Nick JD]

One thing I have no idea about, is beer/gas line? How much I'll need to balance the system? Any advice on that?

Someone might know where this is (I forgot) - but there's a thingo where you put in all your setup parameters, like hose diameter, and height of taps and temp of fridge etc - basically everything responsible for a great pour.

And it tells you how long your beer lines need to be.

I have a feeling it was a spreadsheet. It works a treat - thanks to whomever wrote it. My setup needed 1.8m lines IIRC.

 

[argon]

Someone might know where this is (I forgot) - but there's a thingo where you put in all your setup parameters, like hose diameter, and height of taps and temp of fridge etc - basically everything responsible for a great pour.

And it tells you how long your beer lines need to be.

I have a feeling it was a spreadsheet. It works a treat - thanks to whomever wrote it. My setup needed 1.8m lines IIRC.

Balancing A Draught System

 

[Pennywise]

Also, definitely a great idea about the extra line for force carbing, i was thinking of just making one of the in fridge gas lines extra long so i can use that. Would that throw out the balance?

Nope, the gas line going in to the keg can be what ever lenght you want, it's the line from the keg to the tap you need to worry about

 

[Acasta]

Ahh kk, great info there. Thanks guys. Its all pretty exciting!

John from Farmhouse brewing got back to me. For the order of 4 taps, shanks and pairs of disconnects, its going to have to go into a USPS medium box, meaning its going to be $55, as well as %5 ontop. The small box is only $16, but cannot be insured, which im not sure i want to risk $200+ worth of stuff shipped uninsured.
He also suggested I could add a pound or two of hops, but their prices don't look THAT amazing. I was also considering to see if anyone else in melbourne may be interested in getting something from there and splitting the postage to make it worth while.

 

[michael_aussie]

Ahh kk, great info there. Thanks guys. Its all pretty exciting!

John from Farmhouse brewing got back to me. For the order of 4 taps, shanks and pairs of disconnects, its going to have to go into a USPS medium box, meaning its going to be $55, as well as %5 ontop. The small box is only $16, but cannot be insured, which im not sure i want to risk $200+ worth of stuff shipped uninsured.
He also suggested I could add a pound or two of hops, but their prices don't look THAT amazing. I was also considering to see if anyone else in melbourne may be interested in getting something from there and splitting the postage to make it worth while.

IMO buying from a web site is safe.
IMO postage is safe.

Don't stress about no insurance.