Another 1st time keg question

Kegging
1

I’ve been piecing my brew gear little by little. I would like to buy it all at once, but I’m also building a bar in my basement, so my funds have been going into that (this sight has given me some great ideas!).

An idea I had was, once I do my taps in my bar, could I just go ahead and get a 5 gal keg of a favorite name brand beer and just reuse that keg for homebrewing? I can get, from my local distributer, a 5 gal keg of Fat Tire for $40 through a friend (plus $20 deposit). This seems like a better deal than getting the same equivalent beer in bottles from my local Supermarket.

I could keep the kegs, at the loss of my deposit, and at the same time have one of my favorite brands on tap until I start brewing my own. The one thing is seems cornie kegs are becoming a soon to be discontinued item going from the impression I’ve been reading here. If my local distrib doesn’t have the same style 5 gal kegs home brewers here use, then what sort of problems would I run into?

I plan on looking more into this as I think all this is probably too good to be true, but it is an idea if I can do it. I just wanted some input and advice from the gurus here. Thanks everyone & cheers!

2

1st you have to decide if keeping the commercial keg for less than what is cost for the brewery to replace it fits your style.

The main issue with using Sanke kegs is not being able to see inside them to tell if they are clean. You can get tools to remove the valve system. Then use a mirror to look inside. But how to easily get in there.

You could rig up a “clean in place” (CIP) system with a pump. Run it backwards with the keg upside down to drain. Then disassemble and inspect.

Yes, soda kegs (used) are becoming scarce, for cheap. But new ones are still being produced. Even if you had to purchase them new for $130, they will last a lifetime.

You can switch between Sanke and Corneys easily.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=49919
3

Thanks. I didn’t realize the kegs were that different. I guess, I’ll just try to scout for some used cornies while I can.

4

If space is not a concern, consider getting Pin lock kegs rather than ball lock kegs, they are the same volume, but different dimensions. Pin lock seem to be cheaper at this time.