Ok, I’m looking to expand my brewery and start kegging more. I have a 3.9 gallon sanke keg, but it’s not ideal. I’m in the market for maybe 4 corny kegs. I’m sure that has been debated and discussed and everybody has a personal preference…But, is there a significant advantage or disadvantage of either a ball lock or a pin lock corny?
If you already have a sanke tap system set up, have you thought about just acquiring some 1/6 barrel sanke kegs?
I have. I have one 1/8 keg. The kegorator is rather small. It might hold two, but I only have a one tap system. I’m looking to build a keezer, but I don’t want it to be giant either. I basically only want it big enough to hold four kegs. I haven’t gotten too far into the dimensions yet. I was hoping a five cubic foot freezer would be large enough, but I’m thinking the 7 cubic foot models would be closer to what I want.
I’m also tired of M-fing the washer as I try and get it back into place on my sanke lol
You will need to go with at least a 7CF freezer to fit in 4 cornies (pin or ball). I have ball locks because I bought those first.
Four ball lock kegs fit in my 7.5’ Lowes special snugly.
Pin lock kegs are slightly shorter and have a bit wider circumference. I am not 100% sure that 4 would fit in my freezer but every model is a little different.
Both kinds will do the same job but I think it helps to standardize on one type to save work and expenses.
Paul
A friend has mostly pin lock, but has a couple of ball locks. If you have the swivel nuts on the gas and beer line, you just need to change the keg disconnects and you are good to go.
If I were to start out now, I would be pin lock.
Ball lock are a few inches taller but an inch smaller in diameter, so if you’re cramped for space either vertically or horizontally that is an issue.
I think I read somewhere that used sixtels would start floating out into the market sometime soon but I think the market for used cornys will continue with all the homebrewers with corny set ups and prices will keep going up. So whichever you decide to use I would buy as many as you will need or as many as you can afford to buy now.
Due to availability? Or some other reason?
Just curious.
Price.
I haven’t seen such a huge price difference at least locally. All kegs seem to be hovering around $50.
Definitely, though, I agree that there’s no reason to pay more just for the ball lock connections.
$50 for ball lock, $35 for pin at my LHBS.
Well folks, if you are in the Western Washington area, keep on eye out on the AHA Classified board. By the end of the summer I will be selling about 50 ball lock Corny’s. Time for us to move to Sanke’s.
Well, I picked up 4 ball locks for $170 that I found on Craig’s List. I had to drive an hour to get them, but it also gave me an excuse to stop at my LHBS that’s in that area. There happened to be a 25% off grain sale at Label Peelers. So I picked up a 50 lb sack of Briess 2 Row for $37. Double score!
Would you be able to give me your inside dimensions of your freezer? Well dimensions of useable space… don’t count the area that boxes in the compressor. I don’t think a keg would fit on top of that. I went to home depot the other day and I don’t think their 7.5CF freezer will work.
I got my freezer at Lowes a few years back. Not at home right now so I can measure it. I made keg templates (fancy name for circle cut out of card board) to make sure 4 of my kegs would fit. My unit only has the back right corner bumped out, not a whole shelf. If there where a whole shelf 4 kegs would not fit.
My freezer handles 4 ball lock kegs. I haven’t had the need/chance to try 4 pin locks.
I’ll get the measurements tonight.
Paul
Sweet! I appreciate it. That’s a good idea to take 4 templates. Yeah, the one at home depot has an entire shelf. So it really only has about 15" X 23" to work with. I was running about 5 inches short on the length. If the compressor box is just one corner, it would definitely work.