Kegs, Beer Taps and Spares
The Cornelius keg system, affectionately known as the Corny, is simply the system of choice for most home brewers who keg their beer. Cornelius kegs are actually the containers in which soft drink syrups are delivered to restaurants, bars, etc by soft drink bottlers.
There are two types of kegs, ball lock, which are the Pepsi brand kegs, and pin lock, which are those manufactured for Coke. The ball locks are by far the most common, so I'd recommend staying away from the pin locks. You can easily get spare keg parts for both types, but there’s no point in having two sets of everything.
Beer kegs are generaly constructed from stainless steel, or less commonly, aluminium.
Being made of stainless steel, they will keep your beer fresher for longer, are easy to clean and sanitise and are not prone to rust.
CO2 gas is injected into the top of the keg through a short tube inserted into the beer. This exerts pressure on the beer which is then forced up a long dip tube and out through a keg tap.
The keg must be stood in the upright position, with the opening on top for the beer to be dispensed. Kegs can be contrasted to casks, which have two or more openings and in the case of British Real Ale, lay on their sides.
The connection points for pumping gas into the keg or attaching your keg tap to are called disconnects and they will be either be threaded (flared) or barbed. If you have a choice then go for the flared type. This is because they screw into a hose adapter, which then fits into the hose and enables you to quickly and easily customise your keg system.
Barbed disconnects on the other hand, will limit your options because the barb has to inserted directly into the hose. This will stop you from changing the disconnects as and when you need to.
Your beer is pumped from the bottom of your keg so you are best to let your brew clear before racking it into the keg. Alternatively, if you prefer your beer to be cask conditioned, then remove the last inch or so of the long dip tube to allow for sediment to gather and not be forced through your keg tap.
Another fitting to consider is the pressure release valve, which you will find on the top of the keg. This is not only a safeguard against over pressurising your keg, but can be used as an O2 vent. Simply inject with CO2 then pull up on the ring. As O2 is a lot lighter than CO2 it will rise above it and vent to atmosphere.
If you need Cornelius Kegs, keg parts or just a keg tap or regulator, then have a look what's available on Ebay.
