New Kegging Set-up and New to Kegs

Hi folks!

I bought 2 ball lock cornys, a 2 valve regulator, and a 5# tank from my uncle about a year ago. About the same time, I found a double tap that was really well kept with standard spouts. I finally found a kegerator in my price range last month (also came with a reg and 2-5# tanks), and oddly enough I am running a little low on beer :slight_smile: . I have been building a bar around the kegerator and fridge (for bottles) which has been consuming important beer brewing time, but I plan to brew early January.

All that being said, I have questions. First off, all this stuff has been sitting for some time, I have no idea when it was last used; are there parts and pieces I should replace right off the bat? I was planning on starting off with the 5ā€™ of beer tube that came with it; is that a good start? I have read about standard faucets not being great; should I replace them or see how they work for me first? Where can I find info on cleaning everything? Is there a procedure you go through when preparing to keg? And when the keg is empty? Iā€™m very interested in keeping everything as clean as possible, simply so it will last as long as possible.

Any general tips for a newb like myself?

I know there is a wealth of knowledge out there, but determining which part of it are the best would take me forever, and Iā€™m sure you guys have the info at your fingertips or readily accessable in your brains.

Thanks in advance, Iā€™m excited to finally have beer on tap!

Matt

See if this helps.

http://www.ipass.net/mpdixon/brew/Educa ... 20Kegs.pdf

They are pretty simple. You may want to completely disassemble them. Soak in PBW/Oxyclean. Then replace the O-rings and reassemble.

Get a couple of 5g pails. Fill the keg a little over 1/2 full and soak for a couple hours/day. Then tip upside down in the pail. You can clean the full keg with 1/2 the water.

O-rings can be purchased in bulk for pennies. Rarely do they need to be replaced. But you can have an endless supply for the cost of a couple kits.

http://www.brewboard.com/index.php?showtopic=34669

Some people like to completely disassemble the kegs after use. Others give they a spray out, wipe any residue and then sanitize.

5ft of line can work. You need to balance the line length/pressure/temp to get a good pour.

35-38* temp. 10psi and the 5ft of line may get you a good pour with a good level of carbonation.

http://www.kegerators.com/carbonation-table.php

Sounds like you have a nice setup in the works. My suggestion would be that as soon as you can afford them, purchase some Perlick stainless taps. You will be glad you did.

Awesome. Thanks for all the info, exactly what I was looking for.

I will look into the perlick spouts, and see if they are in the budget.

Thanks guys, I appreciate it.