Keg Set Up Questions

[Rick_UK]

Hi guys

After one of my plastic kegs sprung a leak I've decided it's time to invest in a proper keg set up. I plan to buy a couple of either Corners or Crusader kegs but have a few questions which I'd appreciate any advice on from those who have ventured down the path.

Is there any significant difference between Cornies and Crusader kegs in terms of set up?

Will one CO2 tank and regulator serve more than one keg? If so how many?

Do I need to keep them in a fridge?

What parts do I need other than the kegs, CO2 tank, regulator, beer line and inlets?

Will all my beer be 'fizzy' (happy if it's a lager)

Any other advice tips or tricks?!

Many thanks

Rick

[DeadFall]

Cornies and crusaders take different fittings in terms of the gas and beer connects. Cornies have a removable lid that allow you to get your hand inside. Crusaders have a spear which I think it too small.

One c02 tank can serve multiple beers, you either need a manifold (all at the same pressure) or daisy chain up some secondary regs (different pressures)

A fridge helps with controlling the foam and absorbing c02 for more gassy beer, but isn't necessary. I don't use one and really wish I did. I'll be going down that path in a year or so.

You'll need taps, probably shanks or a beer tower. Beer line cleaner would be useful

Fizzyness depends on the temperature the beer is stored at, the length of your beer line, the pressure inside the keg and how long it has been stored at that pressure.

It seems complicated, but getting the correct parts is easy. The hardest bit is getting the serving pressure right so you don't end up with a pint of foam. I'm still struggling with this one after nearly a year of using cornies. I've given up until I get a fridge to put them in and just pour 3 times with a 1-2 minute wait between them. I've got flow control taps which does help a bit

[Rick_UK]

Many thank's for replying deadfall. That's really helpful.

I take it there isn't a simple pressure relief valve to reduce pressure and foaming as you would on a plastic keg?

Is there any advantage of Cornies over Crusaders (or vice versa)? I assume all systems work in a similar way with regard to CO2 pressure control and dispensing they just have slightly different fixings.

Finally, is there any difference in terms of cost for the parts/ sundries?

Sorry for all the questions!

[rpt]

I use Sankey kegs, currently a mixture of Crusader and plastic. I dispense from 1 keg in a fridge and 2 not, although they are in the garage so the temperature is cool. I serve 1 through a beer engine and 2 through taps. In the height of summer I mostly drink from the keg in the fridge although a hand pulled pint is nice at surprisingly warm temperatures. Foam control can be an issue, especially when the temperature is not constant. The key is a long length of 3/16" line to drop the pressure.
One of the problems with Cornies is they don't always seal at low pressures so may not be so good with a beer engine.

[Rick_UK]

Thanks. Is a Sankey a type of keg of which Crusader is a manufacturer?

I'm struggling to understand the different types of kegs and differences!

[alexlark]

Sankey is the socket type on top of the keg, it is the socket at the top of the spear. The Sankey type has become quite popular amongst home brewers due to its ease of removal of the spear. Crusader were one of the first suppliers to happily supply the 20L slim kegs to home brewers.

[Kev888]

One difference between sanke/beer kegs and corny/soda kegs is that beer kegs are designed seal at very low (or no) pressure. Corny lids are held shut with a sort of wire lever, and that may be sufficient if you are lucky, but by design it is the pressure acting on the lid that is really intended to make the seal.

I was finding that limiting for low pressure, low carbonation brews (at least with my used cornies, which needed between a few and several PSI to seal reliably) so have just got some sanke beer kegs for that reason. Though they aren't often (legitimately) available second-hand, which may be another key deciding factor - in fact brewuk are the only UK retailer that I'm aware of for new stainless ones too (at least in small quantities to private buyers).

So far I'm preferring the sanke spear, its less fiddly than dealing with the little poppets and posts of corny kegs. Though the combined bear/gas coupler is quite different to separate gas/beer disconnects, and normally a bit more expensive, so I'm sure people's preferences will go both ways.

[Rick_UK]

Sankey is the socket type on top of the keg, it is the socket at the top of the spear. The Sankey type has become quite popular amongst home brewers due to its ease of removal of the spear. Crusader were one of the first suppliers to happily supply the 20L slim kegs to home brewers.

Thanks Alex. Do you know what fittings come with the Crusader kegs? Are the spears, seals and inlet valves included or do these need to be bought separately?

Rick

[alexlark]

The prices from Crusader come with everything except the keg coupler. These are readily available on eBay.

I'm not too sure if Crusader are selling individual kegs now either. I know they use BrewUK as an outlet.

[rpt]

I've bought all my Crusader kegs from BrewUK. They come with the spear but it is separate. The first thing I do is hacksaw off the safety clip.

[Rick_UK]

Thanks for all the replies guys.

Other than Brew UK can anyone suggest any good places to buy Sankey or Cornie kegs? I'm leaning towards Sankey's but could go either way

[simon12]

If you phone crusader they have no minimum order, are cheaper than there online prices and free delivery. Its only there online shop thats 25 minimum.

[vacant]

My experience with second hand cornies (from The Homebrew Company); they all seal at low pressure. In fact my cleaning routine before kegging involves pouring in a kettle of boiling water, sealing the keg then because the air expands as it heats from the water I get pressure. I put a cloth over the out post and press it open with a small screwdriver to get very hot water come out through the dip tube.

All five kegs bought in April 2015 are using the seals they came with.

[Kev888]

My own experiences with second hand cornie/soda kegs were slightly different, unfortunately. I had 26 of them at one point, all from Norm so no cr@p - cornelius, aeb and britvic branded - in those days they were quite cheap and sanke kegs weren't easily available to home brewers so it was a no-brainer really. A few always sealed reliably without pressure, but the vast majority were unreliable below a few psi, and the weaker ones really needed several PSI.

Keg lube and softer seals helped, as did padding the lid lever feet to apply more mechanical pressure, but leaks were still a regular occurrence without reasonable pressure. I believe that the necks were not quite as true as they'd once been, and that the lids weren't necessarily the originals either - there are slight differences between different brands. They were all great at several psi, and used sanke equivalents are still as rare as hens teeth, I just would struggle to see old cornies as generally the best tool for low pressure use.

[Dads_Ale]

Ref Corny Kegs:
I have bought both new and S/H over the last couple of years with varying results:
New - Costs ore but seals with no pressure
S/H - Grade A* - Again costs a bit more but were supplies with new seals and no dents
S/H - cheap - cheaper but needed seal replacements (and in one case a new lid) to get the to seal under 5psi. Also looks used.

I have just bought 2 kegs off of this guy (see below) and they are top notch. In fact I don't think they have ever been used (at least the 2 I got). Also the seals have been replaced and they don't stink of lemonade.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/231669464490? ... EBIDX%3AIT