Which keg?

FXRS

I've decided to invest in a 40 pint keg. Question is, which one?

High tap? Low tap? 4 inch neck? CO2 valve type?

Its all very confusing.

What are the attributes of a good keg for storing lager and cider? Is it ok to use the same keg?

Grateful for some guidance.

HBO_Staff

It's down to preference and budget, the standard pressure barrels made by Weltonhurst are very popular, and do the job perfectly well. King Kegs are more expensive, but are nice barrels, and with a wider opening in the top can be easier to use. With the 'top tap' version of a King Keg you rely on the pressure within the barrel to dispense, gravity can't help like it does in a barrel where the tap is situated lower down near the bottom of the barrel.

Depending on the brew and how much it is helping to re-carbonate the barrel by producing it's own CO2 and how quickly you dispense the contents, you may well need an injector valve cap and to inject additional CO2 into the barrel to keep it flowing. If the barrel begins to 'glug' as it sucks air in through the tap, this air can then shorten the life of the brew.

It is fine to use a barrel for different brews, just ensure it is well cleaned and sterilised between batches - barrel brushes are available which help with this, and currently come free with the standard barrels. Bottles are generally simpler to use, and have the advantage of being able to be stored in the fridge to chill them down, and are easier to transport around if taking them anywhere, such as a party or giving a sample to a friend.

Whichever barrel you decide on, airtightness is the key, the cap must be fully screwed on with some lubricant on the thread, such as Vaseline or similar, as the barrel must be kept airtight once the brew is stored in it.

FXRS

Thanks for this response.

Seems to me that a bottom tap, in conjunction with a gizmo that takes the beer from the top when pouring, may be ideal.

You also mention CO2 and how this may be required. Having looked around I understand there different fitting to attach the CO2 dispenser to the keg. What are the benefits and drawbacks of each fitting?

HBO_Staff

The King Keg top taps are the ones actually supplied with the Latstock float system, you would have the same problems caused by lack of pressure, so we would say either go for the tap tap which comes with the Latstock float system, or opt for a bottom tap and use it as it is, which whilst it may need pressure adding, will be more straight forward to use. The brass valves generally come in two forms, one with a pin and one without a pin. The King Kegs we sell come with the valve with the pin, as the pin valves are for use with the smaller disposable CO2 bulbs. The pinless valves are used with the larger refillable cylinders. We have opted to only sell the smaller disposable CO2 bulbs, because there are less problems with these and they are recyclable. We have found that the re-filling of the larger cylinders is more complicated being primarily based online, and many of the places that did refill them don't seem to do it anymore. Secondly, the smaller bulbs inject a fixed amount of CO2 into the barrel, and then further bulbs can be added as and when needed, just one at a time. With the larger cylinders people can inject in larger quantities, which can lead to the valves freezing and becoming stuck, which causes problems including allowing all the CO2 to escape and actually making the CO2 level in the keg worse.

FXRS

Given your explanation, particularly the bit about the smaller CO2 bulbs, I will be looking for a bottom tap with pin valve.

Thanks.

HBO_Staff

Just a thought which some may find useful, we have literally just added this clever little adaptor to the website today which converts the old type S30 pinless valve CO2 injector (used with refillablle cyclinder) into a pin valve injection system (used with 8g disposable bulbs), so you can then use either if you have the pinless valve already; http://home-brew-online.myshopify.com/collections/all/products/co2-converter-valve 

*-:)

chopster

Just a few points regarding  king kegs & differing co2 filling methods, I have 4 kk's all top taps one advantage not mentioned is that you can dispense from the floor whereas with a bottom tap barrel it will require standing on a table etc.

Regarding the co2 filling methods, if you have a local HB shop handy that stocks the larger hambleton bard s30 gas cylinders these in my opinion are a far better option, you will soon master the correct quantity to inject, the cylinder will last for many brews and will work out far cheaper than using the small 8gm bulbs.

The initial cylinder will cost around £20 then a refill around £7.