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Selecting Pin-lock kegs verses Ball Lock kegs for your kegerator |
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Cornelius style (or Corny) kegs were used by the soda bottlers to deliver and dispense soda syrup. Later, when the industry moved to BIB (Bag In Box) systems, the remaining kegs were used to deliver and dispense pre-mix soda - the type of soda sold from small trailers & at remote events. At one time, any soda kegs outside the system were likely stolen from one of the bottlers. But all used kegs sold today have been retired out of the system and were legally purchased from one of the bottlers. Pin-lock kegs, otherwise known as Coke kegs, were used by the Coca-Cola company. These kegs use pin-lock type disconnects to connect & disconnect the gas and liquid lines. Pin-lock disconnects lock on with a twist of the collar.
Ball Lock kegs, otherwise known as Pepsi kegs, were used by everyone else. These kegs use ball lock type disconnects to connect & disconnect the gas and liquid lines. Ball lock disconnects lock on by raising & then releasing a collar. They connect just like an air line fitting connects.
New Ball Lock kegs are being manufactured in Italy. Quality new kegs should last a lifetime of brewing and are an excellent long term investment. We stock & sell new 3 and 5 gallon ball lock kegs.
My Preference? I like pin-lock kegs because I can see that the disconnects are properly connected. Also, it is impossible to connect a pin-lock keg backwards. I also like the handles - they are more durable. The down side to pin-lock kegs is that they rarely come with pressure relief valves & you need to press in the center of the gas post to release pressure. |
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Things to consider when deciding to buy a new or used Corny style keg. |
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The first item most consider when buying a corny keg is cost. A new quality 5 gallon keg will easily be over $100.00 and most homebrewers will buy at least two kegs at a time. With freight you are looking at an easy $250.00 or more for two new kegs! Used kegs can be had for quite a bit less. Look around and you can find used kegs in the $25.00 range. But if you plan on buying used, I suggest that you buy soon because the cost of used kegs keeps creeping up as the supply continues to dwindle. Not too many years ago used kegs could be had for $5.00 each and I predict that used kegs will be as high as $50 - $75 each within 2 - 3 years.
2/5/13 Update - It wasn't too many years ago that I made this prediction - that one day used kegs would be as high as $50 - $75 each and good used kegs from a reputable reseller like
www.kegconnection.com or
www.homebrewing.org are right up there at the mid $40's! We no longer sell used kegs because the last two lots of used kegs we brought in were junk and we threw out over 20% of them. I will start selling new kegs when I can find a reasonably priced wholeseller who is also reliable. My last venture into new kegs ended in a disaster when the last importer I was working with disappeared with some of my money & left me owing customers new kegs.
The next item to consider is reliability. New kegs are, well, new! Everything in and on the keg starts at day zero. This includes the keg itself, closure lid, poppet valves and seals. A new keg is set to reliably store your beer for many years with absolutely no attention from you other than cleaning. The average used keg is now over 30 years old. Sure, it�s a stainless steel tank with a stainless steel lid but you don�t know the state of the poppet valves or pressure relief valve. And even though they are all stainless steel, some tanks eventually start leaking through a pinhole or cracked seam. Also, some older pressure relief valves are no longer available which means that some keg closure lids can no longer be rebuilt.
The third item to consider is - where has the keg been?
You know where a new keg has been � it was just manufactured and nothing has been stored in it. At least not until you poured your beer into the keg. But most don�t realize that the soda industry isn�t the only industry using Corny kegs. They are used in other food and chemical industries. Just about anywhere someone needs a small sealed holding or overflow tank; someone has tried and is still using a corny keg. It�s unlikely that you will ever get a keg that was used in a chemical plant, but unless you know for sure that your used keg was retired from a soda company, it could have been used in a car wash to hold & dispense detergent or to spray bug spray, herbicide or window cleaner.
The fourth item to consider is the value of your time. A new corny keg is good to go right out of the box but you will put hours into used kegs before they are bright and shiny inside and out. And if you are unlucky enough to have a keg with a bad poppet valve you�ll spend more time buying, replacing and testing parts before finally filling you used keg with beer. |
New and Used Corny Kegs
Beer Faucets and Shanks
Beer, faucets, shanks and complete beer faucet kits |
Homebrew Keg Disconnects
Gas and liquid for pin lock and ball lock Cornelius style soda kegs. |
Stainless and Brass Fittings
Huge selection of stainless steel and brass fittings. |
Washers and Seals
Corny keg post O-rings, dip tube O-rings, closure gaskets, CO2 tank washers, silicone washers, beer washers. |
We carry service parts for just about any kegerator, including a complete line of beer towers, regulators, CO2 manifolds, tubing and hose. |
Draft Towers
1, 2 & 3 tap beer towers.
Can be used for a homebrew or draft kegerator. |
Drip Trays
Stainless steel front mount and counter top drip trays with dishwasher safe plastic grate inserts. |
Regulator Parts
Replacement gauges, shutoff valves, check valves |
CO2 and Air Manifolds
Provide the ability to shut off individual CO2 line & kegs.
All of our manifolds include check valves in the outlets to prevent back flow. |
Tap Handles
Wooden, plastic and chrome plated brass tap handles |
CO2 Regulators
A Great selection of CO2 regulators, from singles to doubles to secondary regulator sets . |
Tubing and Hose
Clear and braided tubing.
All FDA & food grade products. |
Oetiker Clamps
THE best clamps on the market. Can be closed with the special Oetiker tool or with a medium size pair of wire cutters. |
Draft Keg Couplers (Keg Taps)
KEG couplers for domestic beers and beers from around the world. |
Tools
Some hard to find tools for your kegerator project. |
CO2 Tanks
All new aluminum 2.5, 5, 10 and 20# CO2 tanks |
New, Used, Refurbished kegs
Selection of new and used ball lock & pin lock kegs for your homebrew beer or soda system. |
Hardware Kits
Pre-assembled hardware kits for your draft or homebrew kegerator |
Kegerator Security
Faucet locks to keep your teenagers or roommates out of your kegerator |
Temperature Controllers
Analog temperature controllers.
Great for controlling the temperature of a freezer or fridge for lagering or serving your beer. |
Keg Sleeves
Great for weekend or evening outings |
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