It's Kegging Time 2021.

[Shamus O'Sean]

Dropped off the keg of Stella Artois clone to my brother today.  He was pretty happy about it, except for his (my) CO2 bottle is virtually empty.  Reading zero on the bottle-side and 40psi on the keg side.  He might get the new keg carbonated.

Kegged my Dunkelweizen tonight.  Initially, no space in the kegerator for it.  Poured a Cascarillo for moral support while kegging and low and behold, the Cascarillo keg blew.  Happy Days.  Removed the empty keg, cleaned, rinsed and sanitised the line.  Hooked up the Dunkelweizen.  Should be ready to drink tomorrow night.

What's in my fermenter?  Nothing.  Rarely go more than a day without something in my fermenter.  Nothing gonna be brewed until the coming weekend at the moment.  Feels a bit hollow. 

 

[iBooz2]

On 7/4/2021 at 10:59 PM, Shamus O'Sean said:

Dropped off the keg of Stella Artois clone to my brother today. 

Mmmm... where is my keg huh? 

[iBooz2]

Had a double kegging day today.  Gee this running 4 FV's, producing enough RO water, yeast starters, cleaning and sanitising and hot cubing my AG batches is starting to get up there workload wise and is almost a full time job.  Maybe I need to employ an assistant ha ha.... 

Kegged my Leigh's Lager (VB clone for my mate) and my Carlsberg Pilsner both after cold crashing for a week.  Currently got the LL fast carbing until tomorrow and then will fast carb the CP.  So that gives me 7 kegs full of various beers and a spare keg full of sanitiser ready to push into another keg when one becomes empty and gets a good clean out.  I know one is low and another is very low so the timing of a couple of full kegs is about right.  I like to let them condition for about 4 weeks before putting them on tap.

[Shamus O'Sean]

4 hours ago, iBooz2 said:

Mmmm... where is my keg huh?

Seems to me, based on your post above, that you have enough kegs!

[jamiek86]

24 minutes ago, Shamus O'Sean said:

Seems to me, based on your post above, that you have enough kegs!

talk about a punch where it hurts 7 kegs is enough for anyone unless got an army camping at house

[The Captain!!]

Kegged a large porter/stout the other day with vanilla, espresso and cacao nibs. 
first taste tonight. 
fly out day and can already taste it! 

[Aussiekraut]

I just bought myself a little something  SWMBO caught me by surprise when she thought getting it was a good idea. I guess she's sick of bottling  

https://www.kegland.com.au/3-tap-series-x-kegerator-allstar-ss-homebrew-draught-pack.html

 

[Popo the Reprobate]

13 minutes ago, Aussiekraut said:

I just bought myself a little something  SWMBO caught me by surprise when she thought getting it was a good idea. I guess she's sick of bottling  

https://www.kegland.com.au/3-tap-series-x-kegerator-allstar-ss-homebrew-draught-pack.html

 

Yeah! 

[Classic Brewing Co]

15 minutes ago, Aussiekraut said:

I just bought myself a little something  SWMBO caught me by surprise when she thought getting it was a good idea. I guess she's sick of bottling  

https://www.kegland.com.au/3-tap-series-x-kegerator-allstar-ss-homebrew-draught-pack.html

 

Well done @Aussiekraut that is exactly the one I want & probably will get with the room for 4 kegs in the bottom or 3 plus gas bottle.

I know you will be happy with it so Cheers.

[kmar92]

@Aussiekraut you will love it, bottling is a lot of work and kegging is so much easier.

[iBooz2]

On 7/6/2021 at 10:32 PM, jamiek86 said:

talk about a punch where it hurts 7 kegs is enough for anyone unless got an army camping at house

Correct.  There is my left army and my right army and they both pour beer into the supreme commanders gob.    Sometimes both at the same time which is embarrassing. 

[iBooz2]

4 hours ago, Popo said:

Yeah! 

+100

Special cuddles coming up, yeah baby yeah.  Well done AK.

Edited July 8, 2021 by iBooz2

[Shamus O'Sean]

5 hours ago, Aussiekraut said:

I just bought myself a little something  SWMBO caught me by surprise when she thought getting it was a good idea. I guess she's sick of bottling  

https://www.kegland.com.au/3-tap-series-x-kegerator-allstar-ss-homebrew-draught-pack.html

 

Nice work.  I got approval from SWMBO because the idea of a couple of kegs in a half sized fridge was more appealing than 100-odd bottles of beer and 100-odd empty bottles stored in different places around the house.

My only criticism is you should have pushed for the four tap.

Edited July 8, 2021 by Shamus O'Sean

[ozdevil]

7 hours ago, Shamus O'Sean said:

Nice work.  I got approval from SWMBO because the idea of a couple of kegs in a half sized fridge was more appealing than 100-odd bottles of beer and 100-odd empty bottles stored in different places around the house.

My only criticism is you should have pushed for the four tap.

being the series X   , you can buy the 4 tap font down the track


inways i wish i had of went 3 taps or even just the 2 tap but at the end of day i still have option for 4 kegs on tap at a time..

[Aussiekraut]

8 hours ago, Shamus O'Sean said:

Nice work.  I got approval from SWMBO because the idea of a couple of kegs in a half sized fridge was more appealing than 100-odd bottles of beer and 100-odd empty bottles stored in different places around the house.

My only criticism is you should have pushed for the four tap.

Yeah I know. I didn't want to be greedy  I always had the 3 tap in mind. Dunno why really. Difference would have been something like 60 or 70 bucks. But as OzDevil said, it can be upgraded at a later stage if needed. First I need to get this set up and filled. So much new stuff to learn.

[Classic Brewing Co]

34 minutes ago, Aussiekraut said:

So much new stuff to learn.

That's the part that concerns me a little, I have never had any experience with gas bottles other than BBQ 

[Aussiekraut]

8 minutes ago, CLASSIC said:

That's the part that concerns me a little, I have never had any experience with gas bottles other than BBQ 

Same here mate. Gas lines and beer lines and posts and stops and whatnots. When I hear people talk, all I understand is wobble  It'll be interesting, that's for sure.

[ozdevil]

44 minutes ago, Aussiekraut said:

Yeah I know. I didn't want to be greedy  I always had the 3 tap in mind. Dunno why really. Difference would have been something like 60 or 70 bucks. But as OzDevil said, it can be upgraded at a later stage if needed. First I need to get this set up and filled. So much new stuff to learn.

mate my advice when setting it up..  

make sure your beer lines a longer then you think...  my beer lines are 3 metres in length and pour fine...

the reason i say go long  you can easily cut it shorter and its much harder to add if you have short lengths

you could get away 1.5m lengths but if that pours to quick and froths up  you basicly start again or add

 

 

[ozdevil]

1 minute ago, Aussiekraut said:

Same here mate. Gas lines and beer lines and posts and stops and whatnots. When I hear people talk, all I understand is wobble  It'll be interesting, that's for sure.

its not overly importantant how long you gas lines are   

if you want to set and forget     my suggestion is  set your kegerator to 2 degrees at 12 psi   for 2.5 carbonation

30-40 psi with the gentle roll method for 24 hours  then decrease to desired serving pressure  for fast carb method

look up  keg carbing chart for your desired carbing and serving pressures for your desired carb level

[Classic Brewing Co]

4 minutes ago, Aussiekraut said:

Same here mate. Gas lines and beer lines and posts and stops and whatnots. When I hear people talk, all I understand is wobble  It'll be interesting, that's for sure.

 How hard can it be ?? 

[ozdevil]

2 minutes ago, CLASSIC said:

 How hard can it be ?? 

pretty simple but some make it harder then it is

my advice to anyone kegging  always have a spare co2  bottle handy  for those moments
when you still have 1/2 a keg to go and the gas runs out

in future get some inline regulators   -  this will allow you to have your main reg set to whatever 40 psi for eg  but you set the inline reg to 12 psi for IPA and the the next 15psi  lager and 1 at 40psi for soda water


a Tapcooler or Nukatap version bottle fillers   or the counter pressure bottlefiller/gun  for the odd bottling from keg

some small velcro straps to help keep your beer lines nice and tidy... it gets messy with 4 taps and will be somewhat messy with 3 taps as well.


Also a carb cap to screw onto the kegerator to where the gas line will go through this will give the kegerator the best seal so  no cold air gets out

 

[RDT2]

2 hours ago, Aussiekraut said:

Same here mate. Gas lines and beer lines and posts and stops and whatnots. When I hear people talk, all I understand is wobble  It'll be interesting, that's for sure.

If you have duotight fittings and if the brew shop cut the lines for you check to make sure they are cut straight cause they will leak. When i bought mine the guy said they will be all set for you when you pick it up. So when I got home and setup the gas leaked. I was very cautious anyway and didn’t lose much gas if I wasn’t would of lost  the bottle. I thought well they would be cut straight cause it was done at the shop. I simplified to just one gas line and didn’t have an issue then decided I wanted to use the check valve so expanded again and had a leak. So I thought maybe the lines were just crimped/squashed from time in the box. Pulled them apart and what a terrible cut they had made. So bought myself the $3 cutting tool, cut them all straight no issues since. I was fuming, so please check that before use.

Oh congrats I love kegging, I’ve really enjoyed the process.

Edited July 9, 2021 by RDT2

[Aussiekraut]

Ok’ as we’ve established, I know tiddlysquad about kegging. Looking on eBay for 2nd hand kegs I found something suitable but it says the kegs are “the shorter style”. They’re 19l but if they’re shorter, does this mean they have a bigger circumference? Will these still let me go lit 4 kegs into the kegerator? Is it just the crown being shorter or the keg itself? 

[Popo the Reprobate]

1 hour ago, Aussiekraut said:

Ok’ as we’ve established, I know tiddlysquad about kegging. Looking on eBay for 2nd hand kegs I found something suitable but it says the kegs are “the shorter style”. They’re 19l but if they’re shorter, does this mean they have a bigger circumference? Will these still let me go lit 4 kegs into the kegerator? Is it just the crown being shorter or the keg itself? 

It does mean they have a bigger circumference. You won't be able to fit 4 in. I have 2 like that and a third keg that is taller and thinner. I can only fit the 3 of them. 

I bought them all second hand before I got the kegerator so it didn't matter so much then. It's not so much of a problem now, I have the spaces filled with cans and bottles, but there are times when fitting another keg in would be very handy.

I'd have to buy 3 more skinny ones to do that. Go for the skinny ones straight up.

 

As to a 3 or 4 tap, you can always run a picnic tap off the fourth keg and keep it inside if you want.

I had no idea about kegging before I got mine. I watched the Kegland setup  video and a couple of YouTube clips and it made it much easier to get my head around. Seemed daunting at first but it made more sense as I put it together.

Edited July 10, 2021 by Popo
Spelling

[Red devil 44]

On 7/8/2021 at 5:57 PM, Aussiekraut said:

I just bought myself a little something  SWMBO caught me by surprise when she thought getting it was a good idea. I guess she's sick of bottling  

https://www.kegland.com.au/3-tap-series-x-kegerator-allstar-ss-homebrew-draught-pack.html

 

Nice work AK, let me know when she arrives and I can lend some assistance mate