So that you’re searching for a brand new keg to retailer and serve your newest batch of beer from. Possibly it’s your first foray into the realm of kegging your homebrew or maybe you have already got a kegerator and simply must determine which approach to go together with your subsequent keg buy.
Kegging your homebrewed beer is likely one of the most rewarding points of homebrewing. Nevertheless, with so many kinds of kegs available on the market, choosing the proper one will be daunting. On this put up, I’ll examine two well-liked kinds of kegs: Torpedo kegs and Corny kegs.
So seize a type of final bottles of your newest IPA (your subsequent brew is hopefully going to be on faucet) and sit again whereas we take a look at the completely different types of kegs and which is finest for you.
Torpedo Keg vs Corny Keg at a Look
| FEATURE | TORPEDO KEG | CORNELIUS KEG |
|---|---|---|
| Dimension & Form | Oval and Bigger | Cylindrical and Smaller |
| Opening and Closure | Bigger opening sealed with a hatch | Smaller opening sealed with a detachable lid |
| Value | Dearer | Cheaper |
| Versatility | Primarily used for beer | Can be utilized for beer, soda, and different drinks |
| Carbonation and Meting out | Environment friendly, with a dip tube that extends to the underside of the keg | Environment friendly, however with a shorter dip tube |
| Interconnect Sort | Ball Lock | Ball Lock or Pin Lock |
| Ease of Use | Requires extra power to maneuver on account of dimension, however simple to wash | Straightforward to deal with and transport on account of dimension, simple to disassemble and clear |
| Sturdiness | Manufactured from thicker stainless-steel, much less more likely to get dented | Sturdy, however extra more likely to get dented because of the form |
| Capability | 1.5, 2.5, or 5-gallon | 2.5 or 5-gallon |
What Is a Torpedo Keg?
A Torpedo keg is a comparatively new variant of the Cornelius Kegs which have been favored by many homebrewers and microbreweries for dishing out their draft beers.
Though it seems to be just like the industrial kegs, Sankey, utilized by bars and eating places, it shares the 2 interconnects of a Corny keg. One ball lock becoming permits for the CO2 to be fed into the beer whereas the beer is definitely fed out of the opposite keg put up as a substitute of simply the one coupling of gasoline in/beer out of the Sankey kegs.
Though Corny kegs usually have a rubber or plastic lip across the prime of the keg, Torpedo kegs are absolutely constructed utilizing stainless-steel. They’re so-called Torpedo kegs on account of their torpedo-like form. The form imitates that of a torpedo with the highest of the keg resembling the underside of a torpedo.
One of many largest benefits a Torpedo keg presents is how simply it may be stacked on account of its wider dimension and torpedo-like form.
If it is advisable to avoid wasting homebrewing area in your home, as that gear can typically take up appreciable area, the Torpedo keg is good. Torpedo kegs are comfy to hold and are available quite a lot of sizes, together with 1.5-gallon, 2.5-gallon, 5-gallon, and, extra lately, 6-gallon capacities.
Though 5-gallon Torpedo kegs are typically commonest, a few of the smaller sizes corresponding to a 1.5 or 2.5-gallon Torpedo keg may even be stacked inside your kitchen fridge.
The actual fact Torpedo kegs haven’t any rubber or sharp edges additionally makes them ultimate to be used at dwelling particularly in case you have youthful children working round. You gained’t want to fret an excessive amount of about an accident and also you additionally keep away from the danger of chopping your self whereas carrying them.
Torpedo kegs additionally include comfy handles which make them simpler for carrying round.
The stainless-steel building of a Torpedo keg additionally makes them extra sturdy than conventional Corny kegs the place the rubber can put on away over time. If taken care of accurately, a Torpedo keg ought to final you a lifetime.
Can You Stack Torpedo Kegs?
Sure, positively, and this is likely one of the key options of a Torpedo keg. Due to their torpedo design they will lock in place on prime of one another. When you begin constructing your keg tower, you’ll discover how they simply click on into place. This makes them far more steady than common barrels as they don’t simply sit on prime of each other, however reasonably match completely to kind a stable tower.
Due to their modern all-stainless design, a Torpedo keg wouldn’t look misplaced on a sturdy kitchen counter at your subsequent home get together. Visitors can serve themselves from the kegs, and when one Torpedo is empty you may go away it on the backside of the stack earlier than putting a brand new Torpedo keg on prime.
What Kind of Connection Does a Torpedo Keg Use?
Torpedo kegs usually use two ball lock fast disconnects to connect with your beer faucet or kegerator system, and are simple to vary by inexperienced bar tenders and even the spouse!
Watch out when buying a brand new Torpedo keg to examine the interconnects your present draft beer system makes use of. Some older Corny kegs might have been utilizing pin lock gasoline posts. Though you will get conversion kits to vary the becoming on the finish of your strains, altering the pin lock gasoline put up isn’t attainable with out compromising the integrity of the keg.
Likewise, in case you intend to make use of your draft beer system to serve commercially out there kegs of beer you’ll need to purchase a coupling conversion package that permits each the gasoline line and beer line to connect with the keg utilizing only one becoming.
A Sankey keg has only one connection utilizing a single coupling that twists onto the middle prime of the keg. Also called the American Sankey coupler, the D-type keg coupler is the most typical on this aspect of the world, utilized by nearly all of North American beers, together with Molson, Corona, Coors, Budweiser, Miller, PBR, Yuengling, and so many extra.
This connection permits CO2 in and beer out of the identical mechanism, not like the Torpedo kegs, the place you have got a gasoline line connected to one of many keg posts and a separate beer line connected to the other aspect of the keg.
Though one coupling makes for very fast disconnects when altering a keg, the Sankey keg has no detachable lid or hatch, which makes them very tough for a house brewer to fill or clear. Usually a batch of beer could be crammed into Sankey kegs on an automatic manufacturing line on the brewery.
Ease of Use and Cleansing
One other benefit of the Torpedo keg is that it has a bigger opening than a Corny keg. This makes it simpler to wash and fill. The bigger opening additionally permits for extra environment friendly carbonation and dishing out. Reasonably than the absolutely detachable lid of a Corny keg, Torpedo kegs historically have a big hatch or lure door constructed into the stainless-steel prime.
The all-stainless building additionally supplies a extra sanitized surroundings so that you can maintain the beer in. Few issues spoil beer extra rapidly than an unsanitized keg.
What’s a Corny Keg?
Corny kegs, or Cornelius Kegs have been the mainstay keg of selection for a few years for homebrewers.
Initially developed by Coca-Cola, the primary “soda kegs” have been often called beverage switch tanks (thank God that title didn’t stick!). Coca-Cola invented the Put up Combine system for eating places the place a tank of syrup could be combined with water and CO2 for carbonation because the drink was disbursed within the cup.
Though the primary kegs have been manufactured by the Firestone & John Wooden Firm, the overwhelming majority have been produced by Cornelius, Inc from Osseso, MN, so these tanks rapidly grew to become often called “Corny” kegs, no matter their make.
Used primarily within the smooth drinks trade, homebrewers nearly instantly flocked in direction of these new “kegs”, buying most of the surplus tanks and adapting them for beer kegs. It was a pure coincidence that the Corny kegs would maintain 5 gallons, which can also be the everyday quantity for homebrew batches of beer.
These days, the Corny keg is all however out of date within the smooth drinks trade and has been changed by the bag-in-box system of Put up Combine, which implies there are sometimes provides of pre-used Put up Combine tanks available for purchase as a dependable cost-efficient various to newer kegs, that may be costly.
After I put in my first dwelling draft system, lots of my authentic “kegs” would come from a close-by diner that appeared to have collected many surplus tanks of their storeroom.
Nevertheless, these older refurbished tanks have gotten extra scarce available on the market now and promote in a short time after they do seem. New Corny Kegs, although, do are typically one of many cheaper choices when seeking to buy a keg from brewing shops.
What Dimension Is a Corny Keg?
The unique Corny kegs have been all the time 5 gallons in dimension, which is the most typical dimension you will see as we speak. An empty 5-gallon Corny keg will weigh roughly 10 kilos, and just a bit over 50 kilos when full. You can too get Corny kegs in smaller 2.5-gallon sizes and likewise all the best way as much as 10 or 20-gallon kegs.
A stainless-steel upright cylindrical tank, they seem like a slimline Torpedo keg however with a big rubber gasket on the prime which prevents them from being stackable. They’ve a diameter of 8.5 inches to 9 inches and stand anyplace from 22 to 25 inches tall, minus the 2 strains for draught and gasoline disconnects.
The highest of the Corny keg has three most important elements, a gas-side put up, a draught-side put up, and a detachable lid. The oval-shaped lid supplies entry to the keg for filling and cleansing, and it’s normally held in place by rigidity with a heavy-duty wire deal with.
What Sort of Disconnect Does a Corny Keg Use?
Corny kegs fall into considered one of two classes and can be found as Cornelius ball & pin lock kegs. This distinction dates again to the times after they have been utilized by the smooth drinks trade and Coca-Cola pioneered the pin lock tank plugs, whereas Pepsi, not wanting to make use of its closest rival’s technique, would use kegs with ball locks.
This additionally prevented much less scrupulous restaurant house owners from substituting no matter was the least costly Put up Combine on the time of their Coca-Cola or Pepsi-provided drinks fountain.
Pin lock tanks are roughly 2.5 inches shorter and a half inch wider in diameter than kegs with ball lock model kegs. The pin lock disconnect makes use of a mechanism of horizontal pins on the put up to connect. The gasoline put up may have two pins whereas the draught line put up will use three pins, so the 2 interconnects can’t be combined up.
Traditional ball lock kegs use posts with ridges that the ball within the connectors grips. The ball lock liquid put up and ball lock disconnect from the gasoline aspect are each the identical, so you will need to ensure you hook up with the corresponding put up. Whereas there are conversion kits out there, pin lock and ball fast disconnects usually are not interchangeable.
The Benefits of a Corny Keg
One of many most important benefits of the Corny keg is that it’s simple to disassemble and clear. The keg has a detachable lid that enables for straightforward entry to the inside. This makes it simpler to wash and sanitize than a Torpedo keg.
One other benefit of the Corny keg is that it’s comparatively cheap in comparison with different kinds of kegs, particularly in case you can decide up a pre-used smooth drink Corny keg. This makes it a well-liked selection amongst homebrewers who’re simply beginning out.
Corny kegs are additionally versatile. They can be utilized for carbonating and dishing out beer, in addition to for storing and dishing out different drinks, corresponding to soda or wine.
Each Torpedo and Corny kegs may also present the flexibleness for power carbonating your beer which permits the brewer to manage the CO2 volumes and full carbonation in a fraction of the time of pure carbonation.
Torpedo kegs will are typically higher for the fermentation of a beer as stainless-steel conducts chilly effectively and permits low temperatures to be maintained. An airlock can typically be put in rather than the strain launch valve to permit for secondary fermentation and the beer will already be packaged when it is able to be served.
Closing Ideas
In conclusion, each Torpedo kegs and Corny kegs have their benefits and drawbacks.
The Torpedo keg is bigger and extra environment friendly for stacking and storing, however additionally it is dearer. With its all-stainless metal building, it is going to be a long-lasting product for many brewing purposes. Heavy-duty stainless-steel handles could make them simpler to maneuver and assist keep away from the black scuff marks that the rubber of a Corny keg can typically go away, particularly if used indoors.
The Corny keg is smaller and cheaper, however it could possibly’t be stacked as simply, if in any respect. Transporting the smaller cylindrical form of a Corny keg might help you squeeze a couple of extra within the trunk, however when saved at dwelling or within the storage, they will take up significantly extra space.
In the end, the selection between these two kinds of kegs will rely in your particular person wants and preferences. Personally, I want to spend the additional 20 bucks or so to get a brand new Torpedo keg, just because I can stack extra of them effectively in my fridge and so they look higher too, with out all that horrible black rubber.
In the event you solely want one keg, although, and sticking to your finances is essential, then a Corny keg stands out as the one to go along with.
