King Keg or Budget Barrel

[dan_olo]

Hi People,

Just getting together all the equipment to make my first brew. At the moment I'm trying to decide whether to go for a budget pressure barrel or a proper top-tap King Keg. Is it worth paying a bit more for the King Keg? I've also been told that I can ferment the brew in the King Keg and leave it to mature etc. without the need for a separate fermenting vessel. What do you good people think about this?

One more question - where should I get the stuff from? I'm split between going to my local brew shop (a little more expensive but about 15 minutes drive) or finding an online shop that can undercut on price but possibly not on service. Where do you people buy equipment / beer kits?

Thanks for your help,


Dan

[nicktherockstar]

I wouldnt ferment in the keg, you dont want your beer sitting on all that sediment as it will damage the flavour, I believe the yeaste starts eating dead yeast cells and producing off flavours. ... I may well be wrong though

as for the barrel, never used a king however I would prob suggest a budget barrel and float system for it, then if/as you get more into brewing maybe get a king. lets face it you are going to want more than one beer conditioning/on tap at a time or you will be going months with no brew!!!

[dan_olo]

Thanks for the advice.

I still can't get the idea of bottling my beers out of my head... creates its own problems I know but they're much easier to store, to transport and to chill in the fridge!

Any tips for a beginner?

[subsub]

Although King Kegs are nice with their wide neck imo they aren't worth the extra money.

But when you buy a budget barrel for say £17.99 and add £16.00 for a top that takes those 8gm sparklets you're in King Keg territory anyway, and get to use s30 canisters to boot You're right about the top taps though, utter crap imo, and HB barrels are much cheaper

[oxford brewer]

Just use a Hambleton Bard keg and fit a float to that worked for me

[e-brewer]

Hi All If i was starting out now i would go straight to corny..uncle norm on ebay seems to be the main man..fair enough its a bit dearer but will last a lifetime and will have a decent resale value if you find the brew game aint your thing...go corny or buy my plastic and i go corny!!

Q..
what do you want for Xmas darling?

A..
Cornies darling

wife retorts

F£4H O$$ you have enough brewing crap in my kitchen.

e-brewer

fife

[dan_olo]

Not sure I can quite run to a cornie system... not *yet*!

One other particularly stupid question... how do you chill your beer if you keep it in a keg? I don't have a converted fridge or anything so it would be kept under the stairs. Do homebrewers drink it warm or are there any better ways of doing it?

[ade1865]

it probabaly depends what yer brewing. all mine lives under the stairs and tastes luverly.

[CrownCap]

My kegs live in the garage and due to the glorious "summer" we've had they haven't really gone above 20°C and generally around 18°C. A bit on the warm side I know, but quite drinkable for an ale.

Thing is, they are at their coolest in the morning, and warmest in the evening when I want to drink from them. Maybe I should start having a pint with my cornflakes

[dan_olo]

Maybe I should start having a pint with my cornflakes

Or a pint on your cornflakes... milk is for wimps!

[brew mountain]

I have a Hambleton Bard keg that works really well and it takes the S30 CO2 canister if the pressure drops a little. I didn't know about the float system but might have a look for myself.

As for Internet or local shop - I'd go for local shop even if it is a bit more expensive you've always got someone on hand who you can talk to. They are small independents that need people to go in buy or else they go under, it's not like the big nationwide / global shops on the Internet (Amazon, Currys, Tesco etc.,) who don't care whether you shop instore or online they still make millions in profit each year. Hope that doesn't sound like a rant - I'm always shopping at Amazon!!

[dan_olo]

As for Internet or local shop - I'd go for local shop even if it is a bit more expensive you've always got someone on hand who you can talk to. They are small independents that need people to go in buy or else they go under, it's not like the big nationwide / global shops on the Internet (Amazon, Currys, Tesco etc.,) who don't care whether you shop instore or online they still make millions in profit each year. Hope that doesn't sound like a rant - I'm always shopping at Amazon!!

I totally agree, I always try to avoid the big supermarkets when possible (which is difficult living 2 minutes walk from Sainsbury's)... The thing with homebrewing is that it looks like most of the online places are small independent shops too, there aren't any big homebrew monopolies around (are there?)

[brew mountain]

As for Internet or local shop - I'd go for local shop even if it is a bit more expensive you've always got someone on hand who you can talk to. They are small independents that need people to go in buy or else they go under, it's not like the big nationwide / global shops on the Internet (Amazon, Currys, Tesco etc.,) who don't care whether you shop instore or online they still make millions in profit each year. Hope that doesn't sound like a rant - I'm always shopping at Amazon!!

I totally agree, I always try to avoid the big supermarkets when possible (which is difficult living 2 minutes walk from Sainsbury's)... The thing with homebrewing is that it looks like most of the online places are small independent shops too, there aren't any big homebrew monopolies around (are there?)

Come to think of it none of the Internet brew shops are big nationwide chains - now that Boots don't do it! & I've heard that some are shops that manage their own websites.

I suppose what it comes down to is shopping; whether online or instore with somebody that knows what they're talking about and has real enthusiasm for home brewing - how can you not be enthusiastic it's addictive

[sparky Paul]

The thing with homebrewing is that it looks like most of the online places are small independent shops too, there aren't any big homebrew monopolies around (are there?)

If you can find a helpful local HBS, they are well worth supporting - they are often staffed by enthusiasts. Unfortunately, there's none round here...

Most of the shops seem to be very small enterprises, but the wholesale side seems to be controlled by a few larger companies. One thing I have heard from a couple of sources now is that some of these wholesaler suppliers don't like shops selling products below RRP...

[Stumpy82]

I got a King Keg in a beginner's starter kit at Christmas for my first brew (Woodforde's Wherry) and it worked a treat. It's been used constantly since then - JB Masterclass Porter and now Geordie Lager have been brewed in it, and I've never noticed any funny taste. I have a lovely outhouse I can transfer my keg to once I'm done in the airing cupboard with it, and it means I can serve my ales at just the right temperature.

Personally, I also find that I get very good results from just using the keg as the beer continues to mature in the vessel. The Wherry I had continued to improve for around 6 - 8 weeks after the recommended brewing time, and tasted all the better for being served straight from the keg. There was hardly any sediment left at the bottom either. I've also not experienced any problems with the float system, as I have a top tap.

Never tried a Corny keg (I'm only a beginner!), but I've not had a problem with my King Keg. Highly recommended by me.