cornies, polykegs.... definitive setup thread

[Heron1952]

Crusader Kegs and Casks now have an on line shop!!
That makes pricing easier
Looks like they are keen to sell.
http://shop.crusaderkegsandcasks.com/

[Pinto]

Very keenly priced too - but im still a tightass at heart and as long as I can get polykegs for a fraction of that price I'd be buying them

Mind you, at those prices, it could make some big differences to the price of second hand cornys

[Pinto]

I am thinking of getting some 20 L Plastic Kegs from Brewery Plastics http://www.breweryplastics.biz/
I got a quote & can say that its a good price compared to a corny,

obviously I need a gas bottle, reg, couplers & lines

but do I need the spear or socket that screws in to accept the coupler ? ( tech info on website just says valve - standard fitting type S )

also looking at the slim 20 L stainless steel kegs on crusader - but these will take a lot longer to afford

I think the plastic will last a long time - am I right ?

You'll just need a sankey S type coupler to use these kegs - the spear will be internal and supplied with the keg. Plastics come with certain advantages and im sure would see you for many years of use, but with crusader putting stainless ones out for just £58 each, then at this level of pricing I'd be going SS..

[daddies-beer-factory]

I am thinking of getting some 20 L Plastic Kegs from Brewery Plastics http://www.breweryplastics.biz/
I got a quote & can say that its a good price compared to a corny,

obviously I need a gas bottle, reg, couplers & lines

but do I need the spear or socket that screws in to accept the coupler ? ( tech info on website just says valve - standard fitting type S )

also looking at the slim 20 L stainless steel kegs on crusader - but these will take a lot longer to afford

I think the plastic will last a long time - am I right ?

You'll just need a sankey S type coupler to use these kegs - the spear will be internal and supplied with the keg. Plastics come with certain advantages and im sure would see you for many years of use, but with crusader putting stainless ones out for just £58 each, then at this level of pricing I'd be going SS..

Thanks for clearing that up for me Pinto

[bigdave]

Crusader Kegs and Casks now have an on line shop!!
That makes pricing easier
Looks like they are keen to sell.
http://shop.crusaderkegsandcasks.com/

That's my next purchase sorted! lol.... Well once I've work the poly kegs out anyway.

[daddies-beer-factory]

I am thinking of getting some 20 L Plastic Kegs from Brewery Plastics http://www.breweryplastics.biz/
I got a quote & can say that its a good price compared to a corny,

obviously I need a gas bottle, reg, couplers & lines

but do I need the spear or socket that screws in to accept the coupler ? ( tech info on website just says valve - standard fitting type S )

also looking at the slim 20 L stainless steel kegs on crusader - but these will take a lot longer to afford

I think the plastic will last a long time - am I right ?

You'll just need a sankey S type coupler to use these kegs - the spear will be internal and supplied with the keg. Plastics come with certain advantages and im sure would see you for many years of use, but with crusader putting stainless ones out for just £58 each, then at this level of pricing I'd be going SS..

I just put 4 X 20 L slim kegs in a basket on the crusader site, after adding VAT and delivery it was 284.20 squids - I think I am going plastic

[Heron1952]

Yep but compare that with cornies!!
Plastics is fine I LURV my polykegs.
Lets see how Brewery Plastics, ecofasse, Dolium , Polykegs and all the other plastic keg suppliers, trying to get into the market perform.
Other suppliers of kegs are available, surprising how some are missing from the SIBA list
http://siba.co.uk/cask-manufacturers-le ... -services/
I'm surprised by the fairly complacent marketing from all these new players.
If Crusader can sell in small quantities, how come the new boys on the block want to sell by the pallet load?
The whole keg market has become very competitive, some of Crusaders product line indeed comes from China.
The market has changed and continues to change, a base in the home brew market, might even help these new suppliers gain entry to a wider market, the Micros and bigger brewers. They don't see UK home brew as a worthwhile market, in the states of course it is!
I talk to my local pub and they HATE some plastic kegs and casks. They now know what a polykeg is , so I've done some free marketing.

[Heron1952]

Snip

I just put 4 X 20 L slim kegs in a basket on the crusader site, after adding VAT and delivery it was 284.20 squids - I think I am going plastic

Report back if they agree to supply you with small quantities and are OK with spear removal.
last I heard they were n't keen on the home brew market. Competition is keen now so you may have a good experience with them! go for it. £71.05 per keg compared with current cornie prices seem cheap though. And a chunk of that is the delivery charge!

[Fil]

Polykegs in action..



currently have just a single sankey coupler to condition with,

swapping off does appear to leak a few ml of beer into the fitting well on release, so i have been mopping this up with a starsan soaked sponge and rinsing out the fitting between kegs.

REMEMBER RELEASE first and then Unscrew, the fittings seem to move quite freely in the fittings.
I hope i have had my last beer shower..
refitting the collar is a good idea for moving them about in a more controlled fashon, all mine have caved in feet more or less.. one popped out quite loudly during initial pressureisation.

im keeping em at 20 psi with daily top ups, one lucky keg gets to stay on gas overnight,

[alexlark]

Crusader will supply small quantities. They supplied me with 2 no problem, back when delivery was free

[Heron1952]

Crusader will supply small quantities. They supplied me with 2 no problem, back when delivery was free

Yes it's the some of the new various plastic kegs that have been reported as only wanting to sell by the pallet load.
Will be interesting to see how Daddies beer factory gets on.

[alexlark]

My mistake, I misread.
I can highly recommend the Crusader kegs though. Can't beat a well made, brand new stainless keg

[Heron1952]

Agree with that, if and when my polykegs get all filled,with beer or lager that need ages to condition, and if no more plastic kegs appear. OR if and whenthe polykegs give up the ghost. Crusader will be my next port of call.

[seanhibs]

[quote="Fil"][quote="seanhibs"]HI guys, first post here

Was just looking to get a corny keg, think ive got one sorted now, but trying to work out the gas regulators. I have easy access to a regulator which is the same as the one in the link, but am I right in saying that this is only a 'secondary' regulator, and i would still need a 'primary'. Also, what is a primary regulator, where do I get one from?

http://www.stonehelm.co.uk/images/products/7535x.jpg

Thanks[/quote]

Hi and welcome..

yep that looks like a 2ndary to me ..

The primary regulator is responsible for reducing the HUGE bottle pressure down to useable pressures.. 2ndary regs then modify the lower pressure further down if you need more than one concurrent pressure level. So if you want to serve one or more beers at 15psi and one or more at a second pressure say 10psi
set the primary to 15psi and use the 2ndary to reduce that further to 10 if you want a 3rd serving pressure u get a 2nd secondary etc...




for about £30 or less you can get a basic welders co2 reg. they have 2 dials the 1st shows the source bottle pressure, and the 2nd shows the output, some show flow in litres per min, not what u want , lok for one that shows pressure in psi AND look for one with 2 psi steps in the gradient as some go up in 4-5psi increments which will make setting specific pressures that much harder. Tho its easy to fit a gauge inline for about a tenner in bits n bobs..

as it happens stonehelm is my lhbs and the guys running it (family affair) are brewers who if u ring em are happy to talk u thru what u need.. Stephan (responsible for setting me on the ag path) is about thurs/fri/and sat and knows his onions as well as beers [/quote]

Thanks very much for your advice. Very helpful!! Only thing is now I need a cornie!! Had one lined up but the guy fell through so now desperately wanting one. Been reading about the crusaders and polykegs but have been admiring cornies for while now and really need one!! Anyone trying to get rid for a good price?

[asd]

Regarding the Polykegs:

I've just started using them for dispensing from. I thought it might be helpful to show how the spear may be taken apart for cleaning:-





I've noticed that there may be a bit of dirt hiding within the upper parts of the spear, where it seals with the sankey fitting, so best to take it apart and clean, methinks.
It just unscrews really, but this is just a piccy so you can put it back together if you forget the right order. As if!