This Kegging Caper Is Really Worth It

[mick8882003]

Just kegged my latest brew, simple two can coopers ale.

Well, it must have took me 20 minutes to keg the whole brew. That includes, cleaning, rinsing and sanitising the keg.
The whole deal, from empty keg to freshly cleaned and filled keg. I even spent time scrubbing up the outside of the keg, getting a nice shine to it!

And the best part of this was it was very easy work, I suppose I spent five minutes just baby sitting the keg while I was filling it, getting the old table spoon out to spoon out the starsan foam so I didn't over fill it. The hardest part was shaking the keg when I filled it with detergent and sanitiser, oh that and checking the inside of the keg for nasties.

So if your thinking of getting into kegs by all means go for it, take a look on ebay for starter kits.

Honestly I'm grinning from ear to ear, if I was bottling I would still be sweating over the sink by now, still cleaning those bottles.

Have a merry chistmas.

Mick

 

[quantocks]

Hey Mick,

it sure is. I bottled a few times and went straight to kegs, but it's just so easy. The only problem I have is not having enough room in the fridge to keep the kegs chilled, but I've invested in some thin 20L cubes that I can squeeze in and that way I've always got cold beer ready. If the kegs run out, just fill from the cube and force carb. 10 minutes later the brew is flowing again

 

[Sully]

2 words -

SHIT YEAH

I was never really happy with many of my brews whilst bottling... once going to kegging I noticed much cleaner tastes, and sooo much easier. I highly recommend if you do enjoy Stouts get Stout Gas.... mothers milk :icon_drool2: .... even makes Yukon Nut Brown palletable... be even better once I get into AG'ing

well my 2c FWIW... now wheres my beer....

Cheers

Sully

 

[kenlock]

Absolutely!

It was the only way I was going to get back into brewing, after a few years hiatus.

The novelty of pouring your own beer never wears off

The beers even better since going AG :super:

Cheers Ken

 

[Jakechan]

Yep, I'll second that motion Mick. After 20 years it was the thought of being able to keg that got me back into it. Now I need more kegs, and more taps etc...

What are you doing for gas? I got myself an Airup bottle, much better than paying rent on one.

Cheers,
Jake

 

[robbo5253]

I took the easy road and went straight to kegging from my first brew, never looked back since!!

Cheers

Robbo

 

[mick8882003]

Well for gas I bit the bullet and hired a cylinder from BOC, I know you pay the coin, but I am happy with it, as long as I don't empty it with a leak...

 

[Jakechan]

Well for gas I bit the bullet and hired a cylinder from BOC, I know you pay the coin, but I am happy with it, as long as I don't empty it with a leak...

Thats cool (although I thought biting the bullet would be buying one...)

 

[mick8882003]

Thats cool (although I thought biting the bullet would be buying one... )

Well BOC pressure test the tanks every so often. And trying to get a non-certified tank filled can be a small nightmare, especially since I am in the sticks.

 

[Fermented]

Wah - you keg buggers! Stop making me so jealous.

Kegging and AG together seems to be Paradise. Stuff the 72 virgins!

Cheers - Fermented.

 

[Jakechan]

Well BOC pressure test the tanks every so often. And trying to get a non-certified tank filled can be a small nightmare, especially since I am in the sticks.

Being in a remote area makes a lot of things pretty difficult. I doubt there would be an agent near you then, but just for the record Airup bottles are certified, and any Chubb centre can refill and service them.

http://www.air-up.com/index.html

Cheers,
Jake

 

[unterberg]

Wah - you keg buggers! Stop making me so jealous.

Kegging and AG together seems to be Paradise. Stuff the 72 virgins!

Cheers - Fermented.

I wouldnt mind looking at those 72 virgins while I drink the barley juice!

 

[mick8882003]

Wah - you keg buggers! Stop making me so jealous.

Kegging and AG together seems to be Paradise. Stuff the 72 virgins!

Cheers - Fermented.

72 Virgins eh? Imagine all the arguments and nagging, would never stop :blink:

Cheers Mick

 

[quantocks]

for gas I went straight up and spent 299 on a 6.8kg MKOL. I figure why not!

it's at least going to last me an entire year, havent even put a dent in it using 20 kegs of beer so far.

 

[rich_lamb]

Yeah, I'm jealous - always have thought kegging would be nice when it comes time to bottle.
But as I only have one fridge I 'spect I'd have issues.

So tell me, you kings of kegging; if you have 3-4 brews in kegs and you want to be able to drink any one at any time, do you need some serious kit to have them cold? Or can you run a beer line through an ice box or something.

 

[samhighley]

I keep my four kegs cold all at once in my converted chest freezer.

 

[jimmy01]

You guys are making me jealous too!!

I would love to keg but with my consumption I can not justify it. Would take me 4-5 weeks to get thru a 19l keg if I only drank the one style till the keg was dry. I much prefer to have several beer style in the fridge at once.

Also I usually split a 24l batch with my neighbour. I would need 9l kegs which are far too exxy.

All this logic doesn't stop me from dreaming though. I am a frequent visitor to the Sponsors' sites drooling over all that keg bling.


Merry Christmas
Jealous Jimmy

 

[wakkatoo]

It was kegs that got me back into home brewing. Hated the beer I'd originally bottled, put the gear away and a few years later bought a keg setup and haven't looked back. Now I'm starting to bottle some again as the kegging has allowed me to learn more about making the beer (by being more enjoyable and consistent).

So tell me, you kings of kegging; if you have 3-4 brews in kegs and you want to be able to drink any one at any time, do you need some serious kit to have them cold? Or can you run a beer line through an ice box or something.

I have an 'upside down fridge' which I can store 4 kegs in. Picked it up for $200 from cash convertors. Got it cheap as it was missing all the shelves I was just gonna chuck anyway. I have two taps which is more than enough for me atm, but could run four taps on the door. As for 'serious kit' well at the very basic level you could have 4 kegs (around $400, but highly variable), 4 bronco taps (total cost about $60), a keg charger ($40) that you can share amongst the kegs and a plastic tub from bunnings that would fit all 4 kegs in ($10 I guess). Ongoing costs would then be your gas bulbs ($20 for 5) and ice to keep the bottom of the kegs cold.

By the time you add those costs up, a cheap fridge and keg setup isn't all that much more expensive and well worth it. As said before, you never get sick of pouring your own, is a great conversation starter and adds some 'cred' amongst your mega-swill beer mates

 

[drsmurto]

You guys are making me jealous too!!

I would love to keg but with my consumption I can not justify it. Would take me 4-5 weeks to get thru a 19l keg if I only drank the one style till the keg was dry. I much prefer to have several beer style in the fridge at once.

Doesnt matter how long it takes you to empty a keg - its not like it goes off, most styles actually improve the longer they sit in the keg.

I have 4 kegs in the fridge and without help from mates they stay there for months at a time.

I also swap the kegs around if i feel like a change as there are another 4 kegs either inside or in the cc fridge.

And if you want to have several beers you can still bottle the occasional batch. Most keggers would still bottle the big beers (IIPA, RIS, barleywine etc)... or at least i do!

 

[jimmy01]

Is it possible to partially fill a 19l keg without any detrimental effects. I suspect that this might lead to overcarbonation