Help a relative newbie out.

[belfastjacko]

Ok so I've done a fair few home brews with kits. Once I made the switch from PET to "grolsch" style glass bottles I've been making consistently good beer.

BUT.... Bottling and cleaning the bottles has become a pain in my backside. I want to change it up for the next batch and try kegging.

So could someone provide me with a quick guide as to what I'll need to get my beer from the fermenter, through a keg and into a pint glass? Many thanks in advance. And yes at the moment I am THAT lazy I can't go looking myself

[Shaun]

Hey belfastjacko

First off get yourself one of these, you'll never see kegs this cheap again and they're limited in supply: https://www.thehomebrewcompany.ie/a-used-corny-keg-19lt-ball-lock-preorder-p-2870.html €35 with NHC discount code.

Then you'll need a CO2 supply, CO2 regulator to control gas pressure, gas inserts (in for co2 and out for beer out), a beer tap and beer line. Also some no rinse santisier to clean the keg. One the lads posted this picture in the kegging thread some maybe go onto that as there is loads of good advise on there. Buy the kegs asap tho, bargain.

Hope this helps
Shaun

[belfastjacko]

Cheers. This might sound stupid, does the whole keg go into the fridge?

[Shaun]

I don't have a fridge for mine yet (work in progress) but yes a lot of friends can fit at least one keg. Some people convert old fridges into Kegerators, which is basically a fridge hollowed out to fit kegs in with gas lines in the side and a tap on top.
There neat.

[Shaun]

Fridges not friends, jesus.

[belfastjacko]

Hmmmmm that might be a long term goal.

How do you chill your beer if the kegs not in the fridge? Suppose you could just chill the glasses?

[Will_D]

Chilling Beer:

No Fridge Option #1:

Get big thingy like a dustbin or 30 L brewing bucket. Fill with Ice/water. Drop in keg, wait a bit and pour chilled beer

No Fridge, No Big Thingy Option #2:

Take a cooler box, fill with ice/water, beer line is like 10 metres of coiled pipe in said box. This is called a Jockey Box

Got a fridge?  Option #1: Kegs fit inside:
Simples: just chill the kegs!

Option 2: kegs don't fit:
Use a coil of tube like in the Jockey box above

HTH

[belfastjacko]

Cheers mate. Jockey box it will be for the first wee while at least. :-)

[belfastjacko]

Next thing I need to do (and I actually have looked into this, well googled it once) is where in Northern Ireland to get gas from :-/

[Ed]

I found this doc to be quite helpful...

http://www.morebeer.com/themes/morewinepro/kegging.pdf

[Shaun]

"Jockey Box" - lol that's my word of the week