Noob Looking Into Kegging

[blakie21]

Hi guys

I have been doing some searches and have seen a fair few keg systems in the huge thread.
Now you guys have made me want to keg my beer! I have a couple of questions though before I just go in blind. I apologise if some of this has been asked before.

1. Do you guys suggest trying to source a fridge or buying a kegerator setup? (I have been looking at http://crazystu.com.au/Kegerator_Mark_III_...w-p-324646.html and the craftbrewer kegerator)

2. I am not sure about the CO2 bottle also since they seem quite expensive. Renting has been suggested a few times but am not sure where in perth does it and is good to go to.

3. Would you guys suggest I spend money on some AG brewing gear instead? (I will be trying a stovetop BIAB soon since it seems cheap)

4. I guess just any general tips for looking for a keg setup. My budget would be close to 700-800 dollars at the moment but I want something decent so if I have to wait and save I would rather have a good setup.

I appreciate any help, using this forum I have already made beer I would consider better than some store bought beers (just using k+k and hop additions).

Cheers

 

[IainMcLean]

As someone who's on my third generation brewery and in the midst of setting up a kegging system, I'd say my advice would be to go experiment with all grain in BIAB first if that's on your mind. Once you've gotten the knack of making killer beers and impressed everyone you know and everyone they know with how awesome your beer tastes, save up a little and then buy/acquire a cheap fridge from gumtree or ebay and buy some kegging gear. I'd get my head around AG brewing first if it's on your mind as it'll be cheaper/bigger rewards for your $ .... once you're on the road with that I'd be saving up and working out what type of keg system you want.

 

[jbowers]

As a newbie to kegging I thought I'd chime in on this.

1. I got a fridge for free, so can't comment on that. If I couldn't find a fridge for VERY cheap, then I might look seriously at a kegorator so long as it had enough room for 3 kegs minimum. 3 beers on tap is ideal for me in terms of my brewing/drinking rate before they start getting pretty old. (Who wants to be drinking 8 months old apa).

2. I'd recommend buying a gas bottle. Renting generally seems to be a little under half the price of purchasing a gas bottle. You do the math. Unless money is REALLY tight at the moment, it's just going to pay off in the future. Even if you get out of the hobby in 2 years, you will have spent a lot less money than having rented. Gas bottles can be had for the 200-300 range brand new quite easily depending on size.

3. Do you really like the beer you make? If not, then I wouldn't personally get in to kegging. I'm just brewing fresh wort kits at the moment but with yeast choice, temp control and dry hopping/small boils/tea hopping I feel I have enough control over brewing my favourite styles to get by with that, and it tastes really good. My plan was always to make good beer consistently first, then start kegging.

4. I got 4 kegs, a tesuco reg, 2.6kg co2 bottle, line and fittings, 3 way line splitter with on/off valves, some spare o rings, keg lube, 3 sets of disconnects and 3 bronco faucets for around $600. This was all bought either from mybeershop.com.au (and the related ebay stores cnc cupcakes/silvers) and my local homebrew store. I could have gotten the co2 and reg for less than I did, but I wanted to buy those locally for a few reasons.

It sounds like you are making reasonable beer with a good sanitation regime already. That was my only concern before moving to kegging, didn't want to have a fancy set up serving shithouse beer.

The initial outlay is pretty high, and more so if you don't have a fridge, but it's MUCH better than bottling. I bottled in 700ml/1.25 litre bottles and I really appreciate the flexibility of just being able to pour one glass and then not have to drink any more of the same beer for fear of it going flat. Also having beer on tap is really, really, really sweet.

 

[Hippy]

Mate you could set yourself up with a decent kegging system for $800 if your willing to do a bit of the work yourself. Look into a "keezer" set up where you convert a chest freezer into a fridge. You can buy the thermostat conversion on ebay for around $70. The next thing you do is buy yourself a digital temp controller for around the same. There is a bit of work in setting it all up, but if you've got the time and patience it would be well worth it. Obviously you need to install the lines and taps yourself if you do it this way, but the beauty is if you buy a big enough freezer you can also fit a fermenter in there for temp controlled ferments.
Having said that I also have the craftbrewer kegerator as well which is great but you'll blow your budget just on the fridge. The gas bottle is worth the investment as rental is expensive in the long term and once you own a gas bottle all you pay for is the refills.
I would spend the money on getting a decent kegging set up before you start spending money on an ag rig as it will save time on bottling and believe me Ag breing is time consuming.
I'm in the Perth northern suburbs also so feel free to pm me if you,ve got any questions.
good luck

 

[jbowers]

If using a freezer I'd just use this for temp control - http://tiny.cc/p4jlr

I use a really similar one on my chest freezer as a fermentation temp control - works a charm. One thing, Hippy, I'm not sure I see how doubling the keg fridge as a temp controller for ferments works? Kegs are generally stored at 2-5 degrees. Not sure what yeasts enjoy that kind of temp range?

 

[keifer33]

+1 for building your own. They end up suited to your needs and built to a higher standard. You also learn it inside out as your building it. I mucked around with a basic kegging setup before purchasing a completed keezer from a fellow ahber. I have changed and continue to change a few things to suit my needs.

 

[ShredMaster]

Hi Blakie!

I recently acquired my very own keg setup and they are worth the effort of getting! I scored a bargain out of the local paper where some bloke was offloading a simple 1-tap fridge/freezer and a couple of kegs, gas bottle, reg etc etc.

When I was initially looking around, there are plenty of HBS offering a "draught kit" which is usually 2 corny kegs, some beer/gas lines, a tap or gun and a regulator for about $300-$400. All you need then is to find a fridge and gas bottle, fit the tap or stick with the pluto gun and you're away! With a kegerator, you just need to find the gas bottle. Compare the prices of what you find and your space requirements.

I went for the path of getting my delivery system for my beer sorted out properly before I spent the money converting to all-grain. I reckoned that I'm already making drinkable beer so whack that into kegs and I can spend time mashing and brewing rather than all that time which I would have been spent bottling.

Good luck!

 

[ledgenko]

Blakey ... drop in and see the guys in Brewcraft in Ozzie Park ... good guys and they will do the righty by you ... getting into kegs is an expense but a worthwhile one .... so buy the cylinder and reg with lines and taps .. life will be worth while ... dont buy a fridge wait out for a council pick up .. drive around .. pick a few up .. one has to work ... then use that until your funds allow you to buy good taps etc ...

Its how I roll .... and with 5 kegs on the go at the moment I am a fan of kegging!!!

 

[Bizier]

Hey mate, if you are keen, you are more than welcome to inspect my home made setup in Maylands, just PM me.

I suggest that it is something you want to get right, because it is unlikely you will replace it for a long time. Perhaps you can do it in stages, such as perchasing 1 keg + picnic tap and have that in the fridge you would ultimately like, and add the right taps, good consistent fittings throughout and extra kegs when you are ready. I like my micromatic reg, especially after exposure to some shitty regs, cheap reg will still work though.

Cheers
Dan

 

[Amber Fluid]

Regarding fridges...
I went the Keg King kegerator but now have just completed a keezer so have both. I would recommend you go the keezer way if you can and have a little time to do some work yourself and depending how many, and type, taps you want and the gas bottle will be your biggest expense. You can definately build one on your budget and upgrade it as time goes on if you like. i.e. add one tap etc at a time.

imo if you are happy with your beer at the moment, go BIAB in an urn after you sort out the above. You can still do "Nicks stove top method" if you feel like a change during this time.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

As someone who's on my third generation brewery and in the midst of setting up a kegging system, I'd say my advice would be to go experiment with all grain in BIAB first if that's on your mind. Once you've gotten the knack of making killer beers and impressed everyone you know and everyone they know with how awesome your beer tastes, save up a little and then buy/acquire a cheap fridge from gumtree or ebay and buy some kegging gear. I'd get my head around AG brewing first if it's on your mind as it'll be cheaper/bigger rewards for your $ .... once you're on the road with that I'd be saving up and working out what type of keg system you want.

Great advice, as all of it is.

I force carbonated (for the first time) a batch of APA. Didn't quite work, but I had a tiny taste and can't stop burping cascade & citra.

That's the sort of obsessiveness that makes a kegging system worthwhile.

Get your AGing downpat. BIAB is the cheapest method (Stovetop method especially). Kegging ester filled, twangy kit bit will not only cost a lot of money, it'll make you hate brewing (and the cost of getting the keg system). FWK is another option, if temp control is okay.

I've been AGing for 2 years (or so) and I'm still using an amended version of the stovetop method, as it remains cheap and produces a fantastic drop of beer. Money saved = more on kegs (given the tight budget I have).

On to the kegging itself. For me:

1. Free fridge + $16 temp controller from HK.
2. (ATM) 2 kegs from a bulk buy.
3. Purchased gas bottle from ebay - $180 delivered (took 2 days for delivery).
4. Bought Harris reg, good quality fittings (including Non-Return Valve, John Guest for ball lock gas/beer fittings), etc from CB (whom I live close enough to). Quality fittings make it worthwhile.
5. Curly hosed plastic faucet. Fantastic pour and brings the rig well into a budget range. Also means that there is little hosing tangling up in the fridge.

I've since purchased a tiny, shop ice-cream chest freezer from ebay for $30, and coming into summer, it serves as a temp controlled brewing freezer/cold conditioning freezer.

Budget, but between the quality of my beer on ghetto equipment, plus pouring tap beer - it impresses anyone who comes around.

This rig also converted a kit brewer to an AG brewer - he's kitted out better than I am now. I'm not sure if that's a glowing recommendation for my stuff, but certainly budget doesn't mean rubbish beer - in fact, great beer. Doesn't mean that I'm not a laughingstock for some of the more kitted out brewers here (nicely).

Good luck, there is no "right" answer, just what makes you happy.

Goomba

 

[DU99]

Take a look on Ebay/gumtree for a fridge..should be able to get one for about $100..
Something like this should get you started
http://www.mybeershop.com.au/index.php?mai...;products_id=64
Also Try keg king for a CO2 bottle
http://www.kegking.com.au/stores.html

 

[michael_aussie]

research, read here you will learn heaps, .... check many suppliers for prices .. they vary a lot.

watch ebay .. . there are many bargin complete systems out there
buy your CO2 bottle if you can afford to at the start.... CO2 fire extinguishers will do the job, but you need to know what you are doing.
some people use the soda-stream bottles... I think this is an expensive way to go.

make sure you know your kegs ...pin lock are slightly cheaper but ball lock are far more common

if you don't already have a fermenting fridge .. a cheap fridge that you first use for kegging can be your fermenter fridge when you want to upsize

 

[MarkBastard]

Hi guys

I have been doing some searches and have seen a fair few keg systems in the huge thread.
Now you guys have made me want to keg my beer! I have a couple of questions though before I just go in blind. I apologise if some of this has been asked before.

1. Do you guys suggest trying to source a fridge or buying a kegerator setup? (I have been looking at http://crazystu.com.au/Kegerator_Mark_III_...w-p-324646.html and the craftbrewer kegerator)

2. I am not sure about the CO2 bottle also since they seem quite expensive. Renting has been suggested a few times but am not sure where in perth does it and is good to go to.

3. Would you guys suggest I spend money on some AG brewing gear instead? (I will be trying a stovetop BIAB soon since it seems cheap)

4. I guess just any general tips for looking for a keg setup. My budget would be close to 700-800 dollars at the moment but I want something decent so if I have to wait and save I would rather have a good setup.

I appreciate any help, using this forum I have already made beer I would consider better than some store bought beers (just using k+k and hop additions).

Cheers

1 - kegerators are really nice and sort of 'turn key' solutions however if you have the space, a bigger fridge or even a converted chest freezer can be cheaper and definitely hold more kegs. When I was starting out a lot of people were telling me to get bigger gear than I needed (example brewing pots) so I could do double batches. In hindsight I believe that wasn't the best advice, however one piece of advice I can give is that you WILL want to have more kegs available at any one time, unless you only really like one beer style. For example I have four taps in my setup and can keep 6 kegs cool, however I definitely plan in the future to increase this to many more. Maybe 8 taps and 10 kegs? Dunno.

Depends how 'nice' you want your setup to be at the start. You can buy a second hand 300L chest freezer that can hold 6 kegs without a collar, put a temp controller on it, and then use 'bronco taps' to dispense beer. Really easy to balance for newbies too, and maybe later on you convert it into a bar?

3 - I personally went kegging before AG and I don't regret that at all. I have never had to bottle beers and I'm proud of that. You can do partial-mashes on the stove top and the quality is almost as good as all grain, and when you serve it through a keg system I believe you'll be 'hooked' on the hobby more than if you were using bottles.

4 - I'd start with a 4 keg deal from craft brewer, one gas disconnect, a non return valve, a regulator, a liquid disconnect / bronco tap setup with the black flexible tube and some gas line. A fridgemate if you go for a freezer too. A grain bag, a 19L big w pot and ingredients for two partial mash batches (to start with).

You can move the gas disconnect between kegs when serving and same with the bronco tap.

Keep at this basic setup and read more and you'll start to realise what you actually want from your system. If you try and jump into a 'final solution' early you may get the wrong one and want to change it later anyway.

I went through a few different setups before settling on my current one, which I think will last me a decade in total.

 

[Tanga]

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...p?showtopic=235

Worth it for the eye candy alone Blakie, but also good to get an idea of some of (the many) ways this kegging setup biz can work, from the bootylicious sports bar to the rusted ghetto fridge out the back. Personally is keep an eye on gumtree and eBay and grab the stuff I need as cheaply as possible over time. Though the cheap new freezers folks grab from eBay seen an awesome start too.

 

[blakie21]

Hi guys

Wow lots of responses appreciate the help alot!

I think I know exactly what to do now. Will look for a chest freezer primarily but if a cheap fridge comes along ill grab that and use as a fermenting fridge later if need be.
Then ill buy a gas bottle and the kit.

Good advice on getting a larger freezer since now that you point it out I already have 3 different beers made which I love and am going to be making many more types so room for expansion will be a good idea.

Also I already enjoy my beers alot and my mates do (or will take anything free and say they like it so I keep brewing haha) so no need to go AG just yet (though I would like to). I am actually surprised at how great my kit beers can be, since using decent yeast and adding hops I really would prefer my beers over many of the commercial beers now and have in my mind created something close to Leffe blonde which would cost me $100 a carton.

I have been checking out the large thread and drooling over some of those setups so I really can't wait. I am so sick of bottling!

I am sure I will have some questions down the track but thanks heaps for the help.

 

[blakie21]

Might be getting a donated chest freezer which would be awesome.

Seriously considering this

http://www.mybeershop.com.au/index.php?mai...;products_id=64

I have a couple of questions though.

Do both kegs get connected at the same time and stay carbed?

Do you need to swap the gun from keg to keg when you want a different beer?

Would it be easy to add new kegs to this setup? I don't want a redundant setup as I am sure I will to install more taps and more kegs and also maybe get a font to attach on top of the freezer.

Sorry if they are nooby questions but I have actually found it quite hard to find info on these things.

Really appreciate all the help here, turning a noob into an obsessed noob and hopefully one day an obsessed pro

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Might be getting a donated chest freezer which would be awesome.

Seriously considering this

http://www.mybeershop.com.au/index.php?mai...;products_id=64

I have a couple of questions though.

Do both kegs get connected at the same time and stay carbed? They can, though you need a splitter fitting to get the co2 to both kegs. Both your kegs will be carbonated at the same pressure (once done), so you'd have difficulty running, say an English bitter (low carbonation) with a Weissbier (high carbonation). If you want different pressures, then you are going to need a dual pressure regulator, which is more expensive. With the QD's, you can connect one, both or none and remove or add kegs on the fly - such as when you brew a new batch, you pour it into your spare keg and reconnection the QD to the keg. It's really simple.

Do you need to swap the gun from keg to keg when you want a different beer? Check whether it has 2 guns. Otherwise, a cheap plastic picnic faucet is another option. I got 2 from craftbrewer and I'm extremely happy with them.

Would it be easy to add new kegs to this setup? I don't want a redundant setup as I am sure I will to install more taps and more kegs and also maybe get a font to attach on top of the freezer. Yes, just keep adding splitters.

Sorry if they are nooby questions but I have actually found it quite hard to find info on these things.

Really appreciate all the help here, turning a noob into an obsessed noob and hopefully one day an obsessed pro

Just as a side point, look in the "what's in the glass" thread - my last few piccies are of kegged beers, if you want an idea of how they look once finished.

I STRONGLY recommend getting non-return valves, or your beer might accidentally end up backwards through your gas line and stuff your regulator.

Goomba

 

[keifer33]

Beer guns are good but for the price of one you could get a few party taps and disconnects and not have to change taps. Have a look at the kegging setup thread as someone did have a full 4 kegs setup like this. The site sponsors have them and are a cheap investment.

Getting a manifold for the gas is handy but you can get some john guest y slpitters that will act the same as double adapters. 1 gas line split into 2 and the gas will then go into both kegs allowing you to carb and dispense multiple beers at the same time.

 

[blakie21]

So i think instead of going for a kit ill buy it individually.

*Having said that.. it seems it is only 10-20 dollars more to get a kit, so i might as well do that and buy more taps later?

More questions (sorry :/).

Would you guys recommend getting a dual pressure regulator now? I mostly brew lagers and ales/wheat beers. Or should I cut costs now and get everything running and upgrade maybe later? is it possible to add anything on to make it a dual reg? I noticed craftbrewer had something but is it easy?

Depending on the overall cost I will either go for the party taps (do you mean the plastic ones btw?) or some semi decent metal taps.

Appreciate the help guys and I hope you dont mind but I am sure I will have even more questions, though I already have learnt alot from this thread/research.