Kegging 101

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Page 2 Force Carbonation Procedure - Carbonation Table

Most homebrewers start by bottling their beer. Most will agree that after the first few bottling sessions, the luster is gone and it seems more like work than fun. Kegging homebrew is the best alternative to bottling for saving time and speeding the process of being able to drink your beer. Let's take a look at some of the aspects of building a system.

In nearly all cases, homebrewers opt for the 5 gallon Cornelius (Corny) style soda keg. These kegs were originally designed to hold the syrup for soda dispensers and are slowly being replaced by bag-in-a-box syrup systems which has made many used kegs available to homebrewers. The size is perfect for a standard batch of beer and the keg dimensions allow multiple kegs to be stored in a standard sized refrigerator. The two basic Corny keg styles are pin lock (Coke) and ball lock (everyone else). The designation refers to the method by which the keg connectors attach to the keg. The pin locks used by Coke, use radial pins to secure the connector, and the ball locks used by all the other soda manufacturers use spring loaded ball bearings similar to quick disconnect air fittings.

Ball Lock Fitting Pin Lock Fitting

Ball Lock Connector Pin Lock Connector

The pin lock kegs are slightly shorter and slightly larger in diameter than the ball locks. If you are short on horizontal storage space such as an upright fridge, the ball lock might be a better choice. If over-all height is the issue, perhaps the pin lock may be better suited. It is worth mentioning that ball lock kegs are more readily available, and therefore easier to find than the pin locks.

When you buy a keg, remember that's it's just like a big bottle. It's got to be clean and sanitized. Chances are you will buy a used keg. It probably spent it's previous life holding soft drink syrup and may not have been cleaned out, which means there can be quite a clean up job in front of you. I recommend buying a reconditioned keg where someone else has done the work for you. Having cleaned a used keg, I can tell you that it isn't easy and well worth the extra $20 or so to get someone else to do it right. Plus, a reconditioned keg will have all new O-rings and will have been pressure tested so you can be assured that there will be no leaks. Most kegs come with a manual valve so that you can depressurize the keg. It's located on the lid with a pull ring and also acts as a pressure relief valve just in case the keg becomes over pressurized.

Just like bottled beer, kegged beer needs to be refrigerated. If you decide to keg your beer, you really need a refrigerator to put the keg into. It's possible to make room in your food refrigerator for a keg, but this can be a hassle, especially for a family person with small children in the house. It is best to find a dedicated refrigerator which has the added benefit of being able to store multiple kegs. Check out you local classifieds or visit a used appliance store and you should be able to find a reliable refrigerator for $50 - $75.

The next thing you will need is a CO2 tank. This will be the pressure source to keep the beer carbonated and provide the dispensing pressure needed to get the beer out of the keg. These come in various sizes and depending on how you will be using your keg, each size has it's pros and cons. The home brew suppliers typically sell a 5 lb tank. This is fine in most cases because the tank is small, portable, and fairly light weight. It's small size also makes it easy to store inside the refrigerator along with the keg. However, it's small size means that there is not very much CO2 inside. Larger tanks like a 15 or 20 lb, although bulkier and harder to lug around, last much longer and are more economical. Personally, I prefer the larger types because I don't like to lug the tank down to the weld shop to get it filled. Plus, if portability is a real issue, there is a really cool gadget available that can be used when you take your keg on the road that allows you to leave the tank at home. It's a small injector that uses a 12 gram CO2 cartridge and can fit in your pocket.

CO2 Injector

When you buy your CO2 tank, you can save money by buying a used one. This is good to remember because when you get your tank filled, it's likely that the weld shop will just exchange it for a full one, so you won't even get your own tank back most of the time.

Kegging 101 Continued ------------->