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Posted: 12/7/2018 1:52:17 PM EDT
I've been out of brewing for around 10 years or so...  Got married, new job, moved, etc...  all the usual excuses..
I really enjoyed brewing...  Except for the bottling.  Absolutely hate dealing with the bottles.  That's probably the biggest reason I got away from it.  I hit the brew forums hard and heavy on building a keezer, and found a design I really liked, but didn't have the room to even consider it at the time.  I had a friend give me 2 pepsi kegs which I have dragged around for years in the hopes of setting up shop....  I don't even know if they will work?

So now life has semi-settled down.  I have a nice shop that I'm slowly getting to where I want it.  I envision a small keezer (3-4 corny kegs) over in the corner while I tinker in my little slice of solitude.

I've been completely out of the loop on brewing for awhile, so any hints, tips or suggestions?  If you had to do it differently, what would you change?
Link Posted: 12/7/2018 2:39:05 PM EDT
[#1]
I’m kinda in the same boat, hate the bottles. Once I get my new place built I’ll have plenty of room for a keg system. As of right now I bottle in 22oz, it’s about half the headache but still a pain. From what I’ve talked to people kegs are not difficult, once you get set up. Ball lock soda kegs used to be the going thing.
Link Posted: 12/10/2018 12:19:52 AM EDT
[#2]
Link Posted: 12/10/2018 5:51:49 PM EDT
[#3]
I keg all my beer, other than the initial investment it's definitely the way to go.
Link Posted: 12/11/2018 3:10:20 PM EDT
[#4]
https://www.kegconnection.com/4-faucet-fridge-homebrew-kegerator-kit/

This is what I used and where I bought it. They had the best deals on a kit.  Make sure your beer tubes are long enough.  7' or 8' should be the minimum.

It is really simple to make the system work.  I built my collar out of 2x8 construction lumber and then stained and sealed it.

I use a cheap Inkbird temp controller for it too.  Simple and easy.

I'll take a pic and post it later.

I bet you will still find that you bottle some brews even if you have a keezer.  Some beers are just better in a bottle or easier to take to parties.
Link Posted: 12/11/2018 3:26:19 PM EDT
[#5]
Keg the beer,  i use the soda kegs, they are hard to find now cheap,  i have a bout 10 but I don't keg anymore because i just dont have time.  I made a keezer it was nice when i used it,  had two taps and i used the gas mix so my Irish stouts would come out perfect
Link Posted: 12/17/2018 11:43:20 PM EDT
[#6]
I keg using corny kegs. There's 2 different types of corny kegs, ball lock and pin lock, which refers to the type of connector on the top of the keg. Pin lock kegs are also a little wider and shorter.  You can switch the connectors between pin lock kegs and ball lock kegs very easily. They just unscrew.

Kegging is easy. Clean and sanitize your keg like it's a fermenter, fill it with beer, and force carb it by turning up the pressure from your co2 tank.  In about 2 days you have draft beer.

When I last bought new kegs this spring, this guy was the cheapest:  https://www.ebay.com/usr/mceverdistributors

Also, you'll want to pick up a pack of spare gaskets ~$5 on Amazon and some keg lube for gaskets.  They need to be lubed and occasionally replaced.
Link Posted: 12/18/2018 11:19:35 AM EDT
[#7]
Where in Oklahoma are you , I got my setup at the learn to brew store in Moore , but they have a nice store in Edmond as well , they have great prices on refurbished kegs .
Link Posted: 12/19/2018 10:39:12 AM EDT
[#8]
I skipped right over bottling and went to kegs. Bought a fridge on Craigslist I use for outside drinks and can fit two kegs in.  I bought an entire kegerator conversion system for about $130 and drilled holes and a 4-way manifold in. Kegco was where I bought the kit from. I had to toss the fridge though because we had a power outage and a lot of deer meat leaked and I couldn’t clean it.

On the brewing note, I went with a brew in the bag/basket model that is very easy to control and use. There is one now called the grain father that looks nice.
Link Posted: 12/19/2018 5:22:27 PM EDT
[#9]
Kegging is easy with cornie kegs. I built my old beer fridge, it held three cornie kegs wth room to spare. Had the CO2 bottle hard plumbed from the outside of the fridge. As mentioned, you’ll still want to bottle some once in a while. Although I have a small 2 1/2 gl keg and a small CO2 tank and the plumbing to take kegged beer to get togethers.
Link Posted: 12/20/2018 11:22:50 AM EDT
[#10]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Where in Oklahoma are you , I got my setup at the learn to brew store in Moore , but they have a nice store in Edmond as well , they have great prices on refurbished kegs .
View Quote
Great to Know!  I'm in Guthrie.  I went to a brew shop in OKC off of Penn years ago...  The owner, Chuck, was a huge douche, and I never went back.  Got all of my stuff from Austin Home Brew.

I'll have to give this place a look. Much appreciated!
Link Posted: 12/20/2018 8:48:17 PM EDT
[#11]
As promised... Keezer pics (forgive the poor photo quality, dark when I go to work and dark when I come home)

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Link Posted: 12/20/2018 11:34:41 PM EDT
[#12]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
That's exactly what I'm looking at.  Great job!

So, is there a preference between the ball lock and pin lock corny kegs?
Link Posted: 12/22/2018 9:21:29 PM EDT
[#13]
Amazon has Inkbird controllers on sale for another 5 hours.  These are great for converting a freezer into a kegerator or controlling temp in a fermentation chamber.

Sale price is $28 plus there is a coupon in the page for another 5% off.

Amazon Product
  • Plug and play design, easy to use;
  • Dual relay output, be able to connect with refrigeration and heating equipment at the same time
  • Support reading with Centigrade or Fahrenheit unit

Link Posted: 12/24/2018 10:24:00 AM EDT
[#14]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Amazon has Inkbird controllers on sale for another 5 hours.  These are great for converting a freezer into a kegerator or controlling temp in a fermentation chamber.

Sale price is $28 plus there is a coupon in the page for another 5% off.

www.amazon.com/dp/B011296704
View Quote
I have 2 of these. They work great.

On the ball lock or pin lock debate... I went with ball locks. They have a relief valve built in to the lid. The kegs are different dimensions too. Make sure whichever one you choose fits in your keezer.
Link Posted: 1/4/2019 4:36:32 AM EDT
[#15]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Great to Know!  I'm in Guthrie.  I went to a brew shop in OKC off of Penn years ago...  The owner, Chuck, was a huge douche, and I never went back.  Got all of my stuff from Austin Home Brew.

I'll have to give this place a look. Much appreciated!
View Quote View All Quotes
View All Quotes
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Quoted:
Where in Oklahoma are you , I got my setup at the learn to brew store in Moore , but they have a nice store in Edmond as well , they have great prices on refurbished kegs .
Great to Know!  I'm in Guthrie.  I went to a brew shop in OKC off of Penn years ago...  The owner, Chuck, was a huge douche, and I never went back.  Got all of my stuff from Austin Home Brew.

I'll have to give this place a look. Much appreciated!
Next time your in okc hit the place on penn up again ( penn/ nw29th )  , it’s owned by a really upstanding lady named Gale now . I get all my yeast from her and she has no problem with special order , she also keeps small amounts of bugs/bacteria around for those of us that like to play around. Her keg prices are high but I like to get my specialty grains from her.
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