So im starting to do research on kegging equipment. The first real choice i seem to come across is pin lock vs ball lock. Does anyone have an opinion to voice on this matter. Id like to start with a few 2.5-3 Gallon kegs.
i have read Cornelius Kegs: Ball-lock vs. Pin-Lock but am looking for people experiences.
Jeff
Either is fine. I have all ball locks because that’s what i started with but they’re getting harder to come by these days.
Personally I wouldn’t bother with 2.5 or 3 gallon kegs unless space requirements absolutely require it. you can put 2.5 or 3 gallons of beer in a 5 gallon keg but not vice versa.
Generally, at least from what I have seen they are comparable prices wise.
+1
The 2.5/3 gal ones are almost 3x the cost of a 5. Get mainly 5’ves and 1 or 2 smaller ones. I typically use the smaller ones for barleywines and high gravity beers.
Well i want to play with a 2.5 gallon keg first and then when i have the correct setup(keezer etc) 5s will be the name of the game. but for now 1 or 2 2.5ers is more economical space and quantity wise:)
I stopped by “The Home Brewery” in Springfield MO today. I wanted to pick up a few more ball lock kegs. The 12 I have are full. They used to sell them (Last Fall) for $35. Today, they were $49.99 and really beat up. I didn’t buy any because I thought it was crazy to pay for kegs that looked like they were in a tornado. The owner’s wife told me that most people will have to switch to pin lock because that is all they can find now. So why is that?
Thats very strange. all the literature ive read suggests that ball lock kegs where created in a far higher quantity then pin lock. While the soda industry doesnt use them any more i guess we can assume that homebrewers have eaten up all the ball locks.
The deal is Coke is still getting rid of pin locks, so they are more available. Quality doesn’t matter, when is the last time you saw a homebrewer selling their ball lock kegs?
Steve, I think it’s just supply/demand. Ball locks seemed to be the first choice for homebrewers, and now that Pepsi doesn’t use them anymore, the supply is just drying up. When I first started only 3 years ago, you could find them on Craigslist all day long for $25-30. Now people want $50 for them.
You know what that means? Time to stock up! 
I have both kinds, in roughly equal quantities. Pin locks are short and wide, ball locks are tall and skinny so that may matter when you design a kegerator for them. I can put 6 of either in my 12.5 cu ft chest freezer. My 18 cu ft fridge will hold 5 pin locks or 6 kegs if at least 2 are ball lock kegs.
You cannot force the wrong connector onto a pin lock keg, but you can with a ball lock. With pin lock you don’t even have to be able to see the post to put the proper connector on.
I use flared threaded connectors so that switching from one type to the other is simple.
I suggest you buy whatever you find and can afford.
Of course, you can also get converted pin locks. Ball lock connections, pin lock dimensions. I see these more and more.
I like my 3 gallon kegs, but the price of those things is crazy. You can get two 5 gallons for the same price, even on fleaBay.
For me, the wider dimensions of the pin lock kegs is the deal breaker. I can just barely fit two ball locks in my Sanyo mini fridge. I don’t think I could do two pins.
I really don’t need more, but I keep cruising eBay and Craigslist looking for deal… $50 is looking like a deal these days.
Hopefully the price of new ball locks will fall as people start to buy more. I’ve already seen them sold for ~$90 in multi-packs. Given the hastle of some used kegs, I’d pay a premium for new. I think if it dropped to $75 or so it would be great.
I’m seeing some pretty beat-up used kegs on eBay selling for around $50 plus shipping which puts them at $70+ all in. If you need new poppets, gaskets and/or a PRV you’re looking at a total cost in the ballpark of new kegs.
Even worse if you never get it to seal at all.
The ones I have seen for $90-100 new are made in China.
I picked up a nice 3 gallon ball lock in S. TX for $30, at a flea market last month.
NB has single handle new 5 gallons for $120. I believe they are the Italian ones, not the Chinese.
I’ve got a couple 2.5 gallon Chinese kegs. They work just fine but have noticeably thinner steel and no rubber bottom.
BTW, that’s a score on the 3 gallon keg as I’m sure you know. Wish I had more of those.
Disn’t bother to negotiate on the price, just said I would take it.
I’ve got one that is very difficult to seal. I’ve been using my used kegs for fermenters and bought a couple new Italian kegs for serving. If I buy more kegs in the future, they’ll be new.
So my decision was made due to finances. i scored 8 5 gallon pinlocks for 250 bucks. now i just need to research the rest of the equipment i need. ill probably use them as fermentors to start and work my way up:)