Homebrewing Kegs Explained: An Overview

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We prefer to keg (versus bottling) for a multitude of reasons but we understand how intimidating or overwhelming it can be trying to decide which type of keg is best for using because there are a ton of choices when it comes to which type of home brewing keg you can buy.

Thankfully, James Carlson from CMBecker International is here to go over the basics of the most commonly used types of kegs for homebrewers who brew in 5 gallon batches or less.

James covers the connection types, keg specifications (size, diameter, and height), and other pros & cons of ball lock kegs, pin lock kegs, and converted ball lock kegs.

If you have any questions, please let us know in the comments below or you can use the “Submit a Question” link at the top of the page!

Kegs featured in this video —

Standard 5 Gallon Ball Lock Keg: https://www.kegconnection.com/cornelius-keg-or-firestone-5-gallon-ball-lock-pepsi-style-for-homebrew-soda/

Standard 5 Gallon Pin Lock Keg: https://www.kegconnection.com/pin-lock-coke-style-cornelius-keg-or-firestone-5-gallon-for-homebrew-soda/

Converted 5 Gallon Ball Lock Keg: https://www.kegconnection.com/converted-ball-lock-keg-cornelius-keg-5-gallon-w-new-posts-new-lid-for-homebrew-soda/

2 COMMENTS

  1. Is there any reason I shouldn’t get both ball locks and pin locks? I already have ball locks but my local shop has been selling pin locks for cheap lately and it’s tempting.

    • My kegerator lines all have swivel nuts installed in-line so all I have to do is unscrew and screw on the appropriate disconnect depending on whether I’m going to use a ball lock, pin lock, or even Sanke keg. If I didn’t have swivel nuts, I may not get both types of kegs because cutting lines to install disconnects each time you switch out kegs (ball and pin) doesn’t seem appealing to me. I’m a frugal person myself so I’d probably pick up whichever type of keg will end up saving me the most money!

      cheers,

      joshua

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