Mini Keg (w/ Partystar tap)/KingKeg PB/Corny (other)

Ok so I may be doing a duplication here. Tried to find the info but couldn't so apologise if this has been done to death somwhere.

I mainly bottle. I have recently (last e or r brews) been mini kegging 5-10ltrs of a 23 ltr batch then bottling the rest.

I'm now leaning towards kegging in full and then drawing off bottles when req.

Would it be better to do which of the following. I am on a limited budget right now but will change come summer.

Buy this http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/acatalog/Mini-Keg-Stater-Kit.html

2 of these
http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/acatalog/Barrels.html

Or just wait until I can accommodate (both space and cost) a corny system later in the year. (This could be an option even if I go with one of the above as circumstances changing in the summer).

Is there something I should look at the I'm not currently?

Max budget right now would be around £100. Ideally the less I can spend and get a good storage/pour system the better however would put better quality over saving anyday.

Have at it gents!

If I was starting over now and provided I could find a local supplier 6kg CO2 cylinders it would be Cornys all the way. Quite cheap from the Home Brew Company, £40 each if you buy three.

I have King Kegs, they're generally a PITA as I seem to average about 1 in 3 brews where they don't seal properly and therefore don't prime. I then use quite a bit of CO2 dispensing the beer, this was costly when I could only get hold of the gas bulbs but at least now I have a local home brew shop that sells the Hambleton Bard cylinder refills.

I was thinking the PBs could be a PITA for sealing.

I may go with a party star tap and co time with my mini kegs for a while in that case.

Fortunately I'm not bottling/packaging until the weekend so I have a bit of time. 😁

i to used to bottle everything until very recently. The wife kindly bought me the party star starter kit for xmas as well as another keg. This has allowed me to keg up most of a brew with a few glass and PET bottles which are generally used for testing. I have to say it has really changed my view on bottling. It has made things quicker and easier. I did hate having to clean and sanitise the bottles, especially when doing a double brew. I do still like have a few bottles though, especially when friends are round. Also you get better carbonation results in bottles. I don't think you could carb up a larger in mini kegs properly. I have now decided to do 2-3 kegs for most brews and the rest in bottles from now on, which should lessen the burden of bottling day.

AlanManley said:

I was thinking the PBs could be a PITA for sealing.

I may go with a party star tap and co time with my mini kegs for a while in that case.

Fortunately I'm not bottling/packaging until the weekend so I have a bit of time. ������

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Got two KKs and never had a moments trouble with them,budget barrels on the other hand loads of issues and wouldn't have one if free
Cornies? Got 3 of them and the best kegs I've ever had,well reccomended

Graz said:

If I was starting over now and provided I could find a local supplier 6kg CO2 cylinders it would be Cornys all the way. Quite cheap from the Home Brew Company, ��£40 each if you buy .

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I'm with Graz on this one. Second hand corny's are OK, holding 19 litres and therefore cheaper than minikegs. (Although I like them too). The 6 kg gas cylinder works out much cheaper too, than the little 8g or 16g bulbs. If you have an Adams Gas delivering in your area a 6kg refill is about �£25 delivered and lasts for ages. No bottle rental, but you do pay a deposit of about �£60 on the first one.

Nearly forgot - you'll also need a beer line with a party tap, they're available ready made up in 3 metre lengths - about �£17.50 (or a proper tap at extra cost).

Save a little longer if you need to. :thumb:

marlon said:

I'm with Graz on this one. Second hand corny's are OK, holding 19 litres and therefore cheaper than minikegs. (Although I like them too). The 6 kg gas cylinder works out much cheaper too, than the little 8g or 16g bulbs. If you have an Adams Gas delivering in your area a 6kg refill is about �£25 delivered and lasts for ages. No bottle rental, but you do pay a deposit of about �£60 on the first one.

Nearly forgot - you'll also need a beer line with a party tap, they're available ready made up in 3 metre lengths - about �£17.50 (or a proper tap at extra cost).

Save a little longer if you need to. :thumb:

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And not forgetting a regulator

I got Easy Kegs and a Party Star for Christmas and have been impressed but the cost of the CO2 capsules is high. Then I bought an £11.99 beer protector from Leyland. I don't use the Party Star much now. The hand pump just pumps in air to help dispense the beer out of the bottom tap. To my surprise the beer keeps OK up to about 5 days or so. So I can open an Easy Keg on Friday and sup it over the weekend and finish it up early the next week. I think it works fine for draft bitters. In fact I think it tastes more like the beer I used to have from cask years ago. It wouldn't suit anything you wanted to carbonate greatly or chill. But for warm flat beer its fine. Less washing up, no capping and no CO2. To keep it overnight you pump a good pressure of air into the keg and this help keep the natural carbonation in the beer. I recon youcould keg 5 gallons for about £50.

Godsdog said:

Got two KKs and never had a moments trouble with them,budget barrels on the other hand loads of issues and wouldn't have one if free

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It's weird how we all have different experiences, I've had nothing but trouble with my KK, regular issues with seals and now the damn thing seems to have an infection that I can't clear (if I half-keg half-bottle a batch, only the kegged half gets infected). I've gone back to a 5-year-old Youngs budget keg which is fine.

Godsdog said:

And not forgetting a regulator

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Good point....! Forgot about the cost of that....sorry!:-?

Ok so I've gone for the party start to start with and will regroup at some point in the summer.



One question I should have asked before...

If I keg something Sunday will I be able to have a drinkable beer in 10 days time?

I only ask as I only have one keg (supermarket reusable) ready to drink at the moment and I'm keen to try out the tap.

AlanManley said:

One question I should have asked before...

If I keg something Sunday will I be able to have a drinkable beer in 10 days time?

I only ask as I only have one keg (supermarket reusable) ready to drink at the moment and I'm keen to try out the tap.

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It's possible - depending on the beer of course. I think my record was 4 days in the middle of summer. The same beer took the full 2 weeks in January, mind.

I would just buy some more kegs from the supermarket in order to play with the new toy. Then you'll have more kegs for more beer. Iceland has a reasonable selection.

AlanManley said:

Ok so I've gone for the party start to start with and will regroup at some point in the summer.

One question I should have asked before...

If I keg something Sunday will I be able to have a drinkable beer in 10 days time?

I only ask as I only have one keg (supermarket reusable) ready to drink at the moment and I'm keen to try out the tap.

Click to expand...

Sampled a sherry glass full of a blueberry blusher I kegged on the 25th only a few days back,nearly clear and would happily drink it if I had nothing else