First Corny Keg, Help a guy Out

[RobShamrock]

Hey Guys, finally going to bite the bullet and buy my first corny

have these too hand already to get me started

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/321923348590?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

and this

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/232323645118?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

any hints and tips appreciated, re cleaning, maintenance, storage etc.

R

[DEMPSEY]

The first item is handy to have around so your corney contents can be accessed quickly. The second item is fine for when travelling with the corner but will be expensive on you if you are going to use them small co2 bullets to fully carb your corney.

[RobShamrock]

Spotted the cost of the cartridges alright, will invest in a proper CO2 bottle at some stage, can I batch prime in the corny successfully and use the CO2 for dispensing etc. - so much reading online, I just want a simple set up for now, will buy a second fridge eventually for along side fermentation fridge in shed and att taps and regs etc.

[molc]

You'll use a few cartridges to dispense a full 19L keg. When I used a 5L party keg, I went through 2 of the cartridges and that was at a very low carbonation. If that translates to 8 cartridges for a keg, it'll add up very quickly.

[RobShamrock]

Holy crap didnt think it would take so many !, guess I'll have to get saving

[Keg]

Spotted the cost of the cartridges alright, will invest in a proper CO2 bottle at some stage, can I batch prime in the corny successfully and use the CO2 for dispensing etc. - so much reading online, I just want a simple set up for now, will buy a second fridge eventually for along side fermentation fridge in shed and att taps and regs etc.

If you're buying a corny the HBC is probably the cheapest. It's worthwhile buying a set of replacement O-rings to have at home also.
I often batch prime with sugar/dme and dispense with mixed gas, so long as you're not in a rush - just need to adjust the ratio (about 40% of the amount needed for bottles is what I go for).

Spotted the cost of the cartridges alright, will invest in a proper CO2 bottle at some stage, can I batch prime in the corny successfully and use the CO2 for dispensing etc. - so much reading online, I just want a simple set up for now, will buy a second fridge eventually for along side fermentation fridge in shed and att taps and regs etc.

Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

[Bazza]

Yeah, and to add to the points made already, whether you batch prime or force carb, you need a decent blast of CO2 to seal the corny lid when you first fill the keg. This isn't always straightforward. Half the time you're adjusting and readjusting to find the the 'sweet spot' where the lid and keg align to form the seal. This isn't a huge problem with a CO2 canister, as you can have the gas turned down low while you adjust until you're confident there's no gas escaping through the lid. You could end up wasting a crapload of those bulbs trying to do the same thing, especially if you've a particularly difficult keg. They've all developed their unique little personalities over the years.

-Barry

[RobShamrock]

How much extra for a CO2 canister and where from ?

[Bazza]

How much extra for a CO2 canister and where from ?

Hi Rob,

It varies from region to region and depends on who your closest supplier would be. Taking my supplier in Belfast as a rough example, it's around £90 for a filled 6Kg keg and £20 for refills thereafter. Takes me nearly a year to empty a keg, and that's with about 15 brews a year, so you can see the cost-effectiveness right away.

You'll need a regulator, beer line and fittings, but most of these things can be sourced from EBay or the likes; you'd not expect to pay more than about £60 total for those.

£150 (again, only a ballpark amount) may seem a high initial outlay, but you'll reap the savings pretty quickly.


Cheers,

-Barry