After some PM discussion with some members here, I am considering purchasing some 1.75 gallon kegs (2-3), CO2 setup, etc for a couple reasons.
1.) I’d like to be able to ferment in a Keg and have the ability to do closed transfers.
2.) I like having the flexibility of either kegging or using a keg as a bottling bucket and transferring.
I am looking at either the 1.75 gallon Kegs at AIH or the 1.5 gallon torpedo kegs at More beer.
Why the small size? Just like everything else on my setup, I’m trying to keep everything manageable. I am a light drinker and lots of beer around means I brew less.
Any advice or experience is welcome as I plan the transition.
That’s true. I’m thinking that I might get the 2.5 gallon kegs for my 1.5 gallon batches and the 1.5 gallon kegs for my 3/4 gallon batches.
The 1.5 gallon setup would be my bottling setup and the 2.5 gallon setup would be for kegging my “larger” 1.5 gallon batches.
Thanks for the insight though Frank. I’m in a bit of a transitional period as I don’t have the scratch to dump into tons of equipment right now but I see the need to upgrade in the near future. As such in in the planning stages.
That’s what I would suggest. I put together a small system to brew 1.75 gallon batches (winds up right at about 1.5-1.6 gallons with trub loss). I boil on the side burner on the back patio grill. I keg in 2.5 gallon kegs. That’s what I use for experimental or single competition recipes. I basically treat it as a pilot system for my regular rig where I brew 10+ gallon batches (I can brew up to 20 on it easily for average ABV beers for festivals and events).
I would recommend this. At something smaller than 2.5g I think they’re very limiting. At 2.5, you can easily split a 5 gallon batch if you ever do one. And for smaller batches, as long as you purge the kegs, headspace should not be an issue.
Of all the things you’ll be buying, gas is the cheapest.
Don’t buy a new tank. It’s a waste of money. Also, where I get mine filled it costs the same to fill a 5, 10, and 15 lb tank. Above that, there’s a price jump. I also don’t think there’s a price cut if you ask them to fill a paint ball tank, so there’s no big savings on going smaller with the gas tanks.
Look at the price point of the various kegs you’re looking at. Generally, there is little to no cost savings at the smaller sizes. In fact, a new 5 gallon keg often goes for the same price as a new 2.5 gallon one. You’re not saving much by going to the smaller size, and you’ll be kicking yourself the one time you need a 2.5 gallon keg and only have a 1.75 free. The only reason I’d want the smaller keg is if I was under space constraints and that was the only size that would fit.
As a matter of fact, if you’re planning on fermenting in them, then I’d just spring for a 5-gallon right now so that you could move up to 3 gallon batches at any time if you ever felt like it.
If you’re looking to pull the trigger right now, I think Austin Homebrew Supply has the best deal currently. New 2.5 and 5-gallon kegs are $79.99, which is the same as when AiH goes on sale. They also have a free shipping promotion for orders over $50. Kegs are excluded, but you can do what I just did and buy your kegs on one order, then place a second order for all your supplies - taps, hoses, disconnects, spunding valve, etc.
I’d also recommend one of the small portable CO2 chargers that runs off the 16g CO2 cartridges. One of the big advantages of small kegs is that they are easily portable. The mini chargers are great for bringing a keg to a party, tailgating, etc.
I think 2.5 gallon (about 3-4 kegs) is the way I’m going to go. I’m honestly not going to ever exceed 1.5 gallon batches. It’s just right in my wheelhouse.
Pics on AHS site show the same make/model as the ones I got from AiH last year, except the new ones are NSF 9001 certified. I didn’t know they were bought by AiH. That’s good to know.
So, buy the 2.5 gallon kegs off AiH and the supplies from AHS.
RPIScotty, we’re very similar in our brewing behavior (small batches, no interest in “going big”) and I agree on 2.5 to 3 gallon kegs. Should you ever step up in size, they’ll still be useful, and since you fill them with CO2, you don’t need to worry about too much headspace for even smaller batches. Just don’t do what I did and buy three different small kegs, as their parts may be slightly different. :-/ All three kegs have worked out great, though.
If your local CO2 source only offers exchange versus filling, then there is no point to buying a tank, so research that question first. I bought a new 5-lb CO2 tank after researching the local options. It’s only a little taller than my tallest small keg. I’m a little OCD about owning “my” gear when it comes to gases so I prefer to have my own tank and have it filled (I don’t exchange my propane tank, either, after hassling with a couple of bad tanks 15 years ago or so). The local stores fill by weight, and they also won’t fill paintball tanks, so that wrapped up my options pretty neatly. It’s on my “git list” to buy a second tank. I am thinking of a 2.5 lb tank simply to have one that’s super-portable; that’s the smallest size I can get filled locally, and with small batches, that’s still a lot of CO2.
I also bought a regulator gauge guard and some cheap bungy cords – the latter secure the tank and keg upright in the fridge in case the Big One hits. I then built a four-port gas manifold using parts from the LHBS. I leak-checked the manifold and it’s ready to go, but I’ve been so busy this spring I have only had one keg going at a time.
Kegging has its own challenges, but the first time I kegged my beer I realized that was the way for me. My “git list” also has a beer gun on it, for when I want to gift beer. Otherwise, goodbye messy bottling, and hello, the fun of kegging (and it is pretty interesting).
I have a 2.5G from AHS and a couple of 2.5G Torpedo Kegs (as well as some 5G Torpedo).
I’ve ended up standardizing on the Torpedos. I like the way the dip tube and bottom design maximize beer uptake. I also like that there’s no rubber residue from washing them (old soda kegs always left black streaks where I drug them. Finally, I like the stackable nature of the Torpedos.
See if there’s a difference in being able to stack two Torpedos vertically versus two of the AHS ones.
If there’s no stacking advantage I think the rest are minor design differences and probably more personal preference.
It would be hard from a bucket. You might be able to pull it off if you drilled a second hole in the lid. Racking cane goes in one hole and gas in the other. As long as it holds a good seal it could work.
