Looking for info as to what I need to keg instead of bottle.
Equipment, cost, how to, options, etc...
Anyone have a link to a good writeup?
Anyone have some used equipment for sale?
TIA
David
Kegging vs Bottling
Moderator: Officers
-
Greenblood
- Brewmaster
- Posts: 944
- Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2006 2:22 pm
- Location: Lawrence
Welcome to the forum Livewire!
A google search for kegging returned this article:
http://brewingtechniques.com/library/ba ... eming.html
It is pretty accurate. Your expense realy depends on how elaborate you want to be. You can simply server your beer with a picnic tap from a frige you already have, or you can dedicate a frige to a kegerator set up and use real beer faucets through the door or side, or you can build a bar with undercounter keg fridges, or a walk in cooler with two temp zones and faucets going through the walls.
The most simple set up would be to get:
keg
CO2 tank
regulator
beer/gass line
ball lock quick disconnects
picnic tap
throw all this into a fridge and you are golden.
All of thes ethings can be picked up online at shops like
http://www.northernbrewer.com/
OR
http://morebeer.com/
A google search for kegging returned this article:
http://brewingtechniques.com/library/ba ... eming.html
It is pretty accurate. Your expense realy depends on how elaborate you want to be. You can simply server your beer with a picnic tap from a frige you already have, or you can dedicate a frige to a kegerator set up and use real beer faucets through the door or side, or you can build a bar with undercounter keg fridges, or a walk in cooler with two temp zones and faucets going through the walls.
The most simple set up would be to get:
keg
CO2 tank
regulator
beer/gass line
ball lock quick disconnects
picnic tap
throw all this into a fridge and you are golden.
All of thes ethings can be picked up online at shops like
http://www.northernbrewer.com/
OR
http://morebeer.com/
Cheers!
John Monaghan
"If your feelings were grapes I would crush them. And then, after fermentation, drink them down. And quite possibly later, throw them up again."
John Monaghan
"If your feelings were grapes I would crush them. And then, after fermentation, drink them down. And quite possibly later, throw them up again."
I started kegging only a couple months ago, but I'm still on my first 5# tank and I have done probably 5 or 6 kegs (forced-carbonated at 20lbs for 3 days and pressured around 5lbs to serve) along with using CO2 to move sanitizer from one keg to the next when cleaning my kegs up.
I think the tank was at 800psi when I got it and I think it is between 100 and 200 psi now, I'm not sure exactly but it's in the Red. Your CO2 use will vary by what you are using it for. I'm pretty lose w/ the CO2. I'll use it to flood carboys and kegs before doing transfers to purge the O2 from the containers.
It's cheap to fill. I also have a 20# tank that was filled for around $22.
I think the tank was at 800psi when I got it and I think it is between 100 and 200 psi now, I'm not sure exactly but it's in the Red. Your CO2 use will vary by what you are using it for. I'm pretty lose w/ the CO2. I'll use it to flood carboys and kegs before doing transfers to purge the O2 from the containers.
It's cheap to fill. I also have a 20# tank that was filled for around $22.
Thanks!
--Bill
all your mash are belong to us
--Bill
all your mash are belong to us
Heres my insight on tank size.
Remember the smaller the tank, the more expensive it is even tho the initial deposit is a little cheaper.
It costs just a few bucks more to refill a 10-20# bottle. So over a course of a year or less, a 10# bottle deposit just paid for itself in refill savings alone.
Bill is really pushing the limits on what hes been able to do w/ a 5# bottle, Go Bill. But,
a 5# bottle will fit inside a kegerator more easily, thats about the only advantage i can see of a 5#er. But if the smaller bottle fits your brewing volume, then go for it, you can always throw the small bottle back at the shop for the deposit for a larger bottle down the road.....
Remember the smaller the tank, the more expensive it is even tho the initial deposit is a little cheaper.
It costs just a few bucks more to refill a 10-20# bottle. So over a course of a year or less, a 10# bottle deposit just paid for itself in refill savings alone.
Bill is really pushing the limits on what hes been able to do w/ a 5# bottle, Go Bill. But,
a 5# bottle will fit inside a kegerator more easily, thats about the only advantage i can see of a 5#er. But if the smaller bottle fits your brewing volume, then go for it, you can always throw the small bottle back at the shop for the deposit for a larger bottle down the road.....
Just call me Andy!
Lupulin Threshold Shift
lupulin threshold shift \lu·pu·lin thresh·old shift\ n
1. When a once extraordinarily hoppy beer now seems pedestrian.
2. The phenomenon a person has when craving more bitterness in beer.
3. The long-term exposure to extremely hoppy beers; if excessive or prolonged, a habitual dependence on hops will occur.
4. When a "Double IPA" just is not enough
Lupulin Threshold Shift
lupulin threshold shift \lu·pu·lin thresh·old shift\ n
1. When a once extraordinarily hoppy beer now seems pedestrian.
2. The phenomenon a person has when craving more bitterness in beer.
3. The long-term exposure to extremely hoppy beers; if excessive or prolonged, a habitual dependence on hops will occur.
4. When a "Double IPA" just is not enough
Ditto what has been said above. I've been using kegs about 5 years and you won't regret the change. Just an FYI on bottle size; bigger is better with regard to the (seemingly) eventual evolution to bigger batches and greater volumes and the economy that comes with that. However, I got a 5lb tank with my first kegging set-up from B3 (a gift) and it has been sufficient for me. Granted, I brew about 40 gallons a year on average (hell, Andy and the boys brew more in a day), but a 5 lb bottle lasts me about a year. Bottom line, it all depends on where you are and where you are going with your brewing.
Dave Godfrey
Don't worry, be hoppy.
Don't worry, be hoppy.
I'm glad that I have a 5# and a 20# tank. The 5# is much more portable but like Andy said, they cost more to use. I think it's the Sam Walton theory... Bigger really is better, well.... cheaper anyway.
One thing I've learned from the VERY helpful people here in the LBG is to always look down the road when doing anything. I don't know if you are an extract/partial/all grain brewer, but never say "I'll never need that", cuz you will probably be wrong! Build and buy things that are scaleable. I got a 60qt mashtun that I have yet to do a 10 gal batch in. I know I will some day, but to get the larger mashtun only cost me an extra $10 dollars at the time vs having to purchase a larger cooler later on.
You seem to be willing to do the research and ask the questions, now it's down to having to process all the info you get and filter out the crap and go w/ what is left.
Go to Google and search out names like John Palmer, Greg Noonan, Ray Daniels, Randy Mosher and tons others. These are all guys that have done a lot of the work and research and compiled it all together for us to use.
Google is your friend
Go to http://www.howtobrew.com (if you haven't already) and read up on what Palmer has to say. I've read the entire web-book (whatever you want to call it) a few times, and each time I read it, I understand more and more of the beer-geek-speak in it. Though there is nothign in regards to kegging but has a nice reference archive at http://www.howtobrew.com/appendices/appendixF.html
If you are geeky enough to use news groups, I keep tabs on the rec.crafts.brewing news group.
One thing I've learned from the VERY helpful people here in the LBG is to always look down the road when doing anything. I don't know if you are an extract/partial/all grain brewer, but never say "I'll never need that", cuz you will probably be wrong! Build and buy things that are scaleable. I got a 60qt mashtun that I have yet to do a 10 gal batch in. I know I will some day, but to get the larger mashtun only cost me an extra $10 dollars at the time vs having to purchase a larger cooler later on.
You seem to be willing to do the research and ask the questions, now it's down to having to process all the info you get and filter out the crap and go w/ what is left.
Go to Google and search out names like John Palmer, Greg Noonan, Ray Daniels, Randy Mosher and tons others. These are all guys that have done a lot of the work and research and compiled it all together for us to use.
Google is your friend
Go to http://www.howtobrew.com (if you haven't already) and read up on what Palmer has to say. I've read the entire web-book (whatever you want to call it) a few times, and each time I read it, I understand more and more of the beer-geek-speak in it. Though there is nothign in regards to kegging but has a nice reference archive at http://www.howtobrew.com/appendices/appendixF.html
If you are geeky enough to use news groups, I keep tabs on the rec.crafts.brewing news group.
Thanks!
--Bill
all your mash are belong to us
--Bill
all your mash are belong to us
The high preasure gauge will show around 800# as long as there is liquid still in the tank. Once it starts to drop the liquid is all gone and you only have gas left. Better schedule a refill.Bill wrote:I think the tank was at 800psi when I got it and I think it is between 100 and 200 psi now, I'm not sure exactly but it's in the Red.
Wow! I really appreciate all of the excellent info. Ive done a few google searches but never turned up what I was looking for. Thanks for all the links, its looks like I have a lot of reading to do!
I've done 25g since July when I started but am wanting to start doing bigger batches, so I will probably spring for the bigger equipment as budget allows. Ive only done extract as of yet but will probably go partial soon. I think I will end up with a 20# C02, as my brother can use it also for his saltwater fishtank.
Thanks again!
David
I've done 25g since July when I started but am wanting to start doing bigger batches, so I will probably spring for the bigger equipment as budget allows. Ive only done extract as of yet but will probably go partial soon. I think I will end up with a 20# C02, as my brother can use it also for his saltwater fishtank.
Thanks again!
David