Looking For Advice On A Kegging Set-up

[hoohaaman]

It's not expensive when you buy the right gear once only. You'll get advice, the right stuff and committed staff backing your purchase up. That's what CB do.

Go to Aldi if you want.

This^

Ross will beat most prices anyway,if he doesn't his aftersales beats anything else hands down.

 

[mmmyummybeer]

I know you want a cheap set up but my advice is what ever you do go stainless. I brought some of the cheaper chromed ones and there pretty crap, ok for small portable jobs but you don't want to leave your beer sat in it. I got some Craft Brewer Celli taps for that and I recon they should last a life time. Also if you buy stuff in from the states make sure you buy plenty of spare dissconnects as you will be sure need them later on when you come up with more projects (I a keg to keg transfer hose ect), and better of getting them at that price.
Cheers and Good luck once you go kegging you never look back.

ps great link stux

 

[The Giant]

I'd get on eBay for the taps. I recently purchased 2 long shank ones as well.

Paid $21 plus $10 postage for one and $10.60 plus $10 postage for the other. There ate heaps on there just keep watching for a bargain

 

[davo4772]

I bought my CO2 bottle from here. I did a fair bit research and that was the best value by far I could find.
Plus, with that bottle you can swap and go (or swap and stay to talk about brewing for an hour) at Greensbourough Homebrew just around the corner from you. 2.6kg is plenty of gas for the average brewer.

Kegging is an expensive initial outlay. I think it's worth spending only once on quality stuff and then not have to worry about it again. To keep costs down I am using a pluto gun and picnic taps but I am looking to buy some proper taps. I was tempted by those My Beer Shop jobbies but I Imagine they would not go the distance.

Dave

 

[Logman]

No thought of just looking for something that is set up already? There is always great deals in the Forum here if you are patient. Have a look back at some of the setups that have sold and the price. That way you might get quality taps etc...

 

[jayandcath]

Mate kegging is definately the way to go and I agree with most of the advise that you've already received. I have spent good money buying cheap taps so that I could have lots of variety for mates but now I'm building a new kegerator and am up for new stuff again. Long story short, comprise and go for 1 or 2 taps but get full stainless stuff then add another couple later on.

Taps/shanks and barbs I would get Perlick 525's from Morebeer.com in the states, heaps cheaper and reasonable shipping but as for anything else I would get local. CO2 reg's for instance have a different fitting in the US (a mate got one cheap, $40US landed, but when it got here it was useless). CB are great blokes who sell good quality gear that you know will work and if you have problems they will sort it out.



It's one thing to be cheap but you'd be far better off buying wisely.


Jay

 

[Acasta]

Ok, it seems like getting the taps from the states is the way to go, however, when i added 4 taps, shanks and handles and did a shipping estimator it came up as $200 for shipping. No idea whats going on there.

 

[Acasta]

t-joint : http://www.gryphonbrewing.com.au/store/pro...products_id=242

Whats the T joint for?

5/8" BSP shank adapter : http://www.gryphonbrewing.com.au/store/pro...products_id=240

And what are these for?

 

[Bribie G]

Freight is what kills buying from the USA, even high value stuff like hops, you need to be in a bulk buy and split the postage to make it worthwhile. Despite the squealing of the likes of Harvey Norman etc, heavy items often cost more to post than the money you save on the purchase - unless they have a special deal on international sales. However most USA sites don't need to sell overseas as they have a huge market (over a million brewers) so they tend to only offer "contiguous USA postage", i.e not Hawaii or Alaska or P.R.

 

[Acasta]

Freight is what kills buying from the USA, even high value stuff like hops, you need to be in a bulk buy and split the postage to make it worthwhile. Despite the squealing of the likes of Harvey Norman etc, heavy items often cost more to post than the money you save on the purchase - unless they have a special deal on international sales. However most USA sites don't need to sell overseas as they have a huge market (over a million brewers) so they tend to only offer "contiguous USA postage", i.e not Hawaii or Alaska or P.R.

Yeah i guess so, but im surprised, BeerDrinkingBob said he was able to get them over here pretty cheap? Or maybe i misunderstood.

 

[stux]

Ok, it seems like getting the taps from the states is the way to go, however, when i added 4 taps, shanks and handles and did a shipping estimator it came up as $200 for shipping. No idea whats going on there.

Email the guy from farmhouse

Alternatively consider doing a mini group buy. He does those all the time

I might be up for another two taps, and I reckon a mate of mine will want some too

 

[stux]

t-joint : http://www.gryphonbrewing.com.au/store/pro...products_id=242

Whats the T joint for?

This is for splitting your gas line if you want to run more than one keg. You can also get Y joints instead

5/8" BSP shank adapter : http://www.gryphonbrewing.com.au/store/pro...products_id=240

And what are these for?

This screws onto the back of the tap shank so you can connec your beerline. You won't need the beernut/ hosetail etc the Americans use on their shanks

 

[Acasta]

For the 2 piece, does each hose end need something to get them to connect, or do they connect straight into this?

 

[seemax]

Small and light stuff from USA (eg chicompany) almost half the price for disconnects, etc and only $15 shipping. Danstar yeasts from around $1.

For the other stuff.... depends if you're happy to get it shipped to your house, if so give CB or GB a shot.

If local... G&G will probably be most expensive... kegking cheapest (buy the lot and pay cash and expect very reasonable price).

If you're happy to naturally carbonate you could save with Diemen 540g CO2 bottle ($40-60) on ebay pickup Moorabbin.

As for regulators, most of cheap ones are all the same from China (kegking, dorado, etc). Micromatic or Tesuco if you want it to last forever.

Enjoy - I couldn't imagine bottling all that beer now.

 

[Acasta]

Ok, well i just did a re-total following stux's advice that everyone seemed supportive of and came up with this:
4 taps, shanks and handles from farmhousebrewingsupply.com - $200 (not including postage)
all the connects and stuff from gryphonbrewing.com.au - $252 (not including postage)
4 keg deal + Micromatic CO2 reg from mybeershop.com.au - $261 (with discount, not including postage)
Total - $713 + hosing and i still need a gas bottle.


I was thinking I could cut some costs with all the disconnects and stuff, sure its a pain in ass getting them on and off, but i may just have to deal with it.
If i was to do that i could get:

4 taps, shanks and handles + 4 disconnect sets + 4 stainless tailpieces from farmhousebrewingsupply.com - $245 (not including postage)
4 keg deal + Micromatic CO2 reg + Gas splitter + Check valve from mybeershop.com.au - $310 (with discount, not including postage)
Total - $555 + hosing and i still need a gas bottle.

By going with this second option, i have gone with the better quality taps, and stayed pretty close to my previous price estimate.

Thoughts?

 

[pk.sax]

I've got a question here..

this happens to me all the time. I order beer on tap from a pub and it just doesn't taste the same as from the bottle. I expect some difference but its kinda big. I've been figurnig out a way to get set up to keg up here but wanted to give naturally aging the kegs a go (hoping for better flavour).

If so, how long would one of those small bottles of CO2 last, i.e., just to dispense.

If you're happy to naturally carbonate you could save with Diemen 540g CO2 bottle ($40-60) on ebay pickup Moorabbin.

Also, with serving pressure, how much difference does serving pressure make to the beer in the glass if the carbonation pressure is naturally driven?

I'm kind of bending towards getting 2-3 kegs ($55 each, local), picnic tap/s & a small bottle (there is a scuba place locally that refills them) and the cheapest regulator that would reliably maintain enough serving pressure while the cylinder tap is open. I'm really not keen to force carb beer. Have experimented with aging beer in a cube, just releasing the pressure every so often to keep it from blowing up and then a mate bottled it. The beer was bloody delicious, compared to my last try with 1 different hop in the same beer, it was cloudy but the mouthfeel was much nicer. Pity I can't just serve from a cube but kegs sound good, just need advice on what is ACTUALLY required for dispensing naturally carbed kegs...

Also, the deal with non-return valves.... what do I need there. So far, from reading up on it, micromatic doesn't come with one, tesuco does. Cheap chinese - who knows. I suppose if I don't have the gas turned on and turn the keg side on there is a chance I'll get beer shooting up the line to the regulator.

 

[glaab]

Ok, it seems like getting the taps from the states is the way to go, however, when i added 4 taps, shanks and handles and did a shipping estimator it came up as $200 for shipping. No idea whats going on there.

if you contact brauman59 he'll quoteyou for combined postage, ebay don't do it automatically so youre paying five times over probably

 

[Nick JD]

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

They work perfectly, are very easy to clean, and to be honest, are easy to just replace if they get crusty.

Takes 2 seconds to remove them.

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.

 

[Bribie G]

For the 2 piece, does each hose end need something to get them to connect, or do they connect straight into this?

I take it you mean the "Equal Tee".
The lines slide straight in, where little teeth grasp them. The end ring on each branch actually moves in and out and you can disconnect as well.

There are two types of "splitters". The yields two lines running in the same direction and is useful for your first "split" as the line goes into the fridge. However, downstream you may need lines that go out the side, for example if gassing two kegs where there is limited headspace, in which case you would go for:

So a typical arrangement might be:



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.

 

[beerdrinkingbob]

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: