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From: robs@tektools.UUCP (Robert Sleator)
Newsgroups: net.wines
Subject: Re: homebrew keg beer
Message-ID: <774@tektools.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 3-Mar-86 00:04:19 EST
Article-I.D.: tektools.774
Posted: Mon Mar  3 00:04:19 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 5-Mar-86 04:11:24 EST
References: <1060@burl.UUCP>
Distribution: na
Organization: Tektronix, Inc., Beaverton, OR
Lines: 38
Summary: Advice to those about to buy plastic kegs: don't.


A friend of mine had a similar keg, a 5 gallon polyethylene sphere
presurized with a CO2 cartridge.  The thing was a pain in the ass.  We
never did get it working acceptably.  The main problem with it was
the lack of pressure regulation.  The pressure was usually either too 
high or too low, with only a short period at a reasonable pressure.

The keg had a little faucet on it which was not well suited for
carbonated liquids.  A beer tap should have the ability to go
from full closed to full open very quickly; a partially restricted
flow results in excessive foaming.  The combination of this faucet 
and too much pressure resulted in glasses full of nothing but head.

I recently started putting my homebrew in 5 gallon stainless steel
Cornelius kegs.  (These are the kegs that Pepsi syrup comes in.)
I pressurize these with a 5 pound CO2 tank with a regulator on it.  
The system works beautifully.  Its only drawbacks are the price
(a bit under $200 with one keg is typical for a homebrew supply
store), the size (you more or less need a dedicated refrigerator
if you want to keep the stuff cold, although Cornelius also makes
a 3 gallon keg), and its effects on homebrew consumption (upward, 
rather sharply).  I found a few used kegs in a junk shop quite 
cheap, so now, with a little restraint from my friends, I can keep
a keg "on line" all the time.

In general, beer will mature slightly faster in a keg than it will
in bottles.  There shouldn't be much difference in taste, except that
you will probably brew more often kegging and get more experience.

The polyethylene keg seemed to hold pressure well enough, although
the lid was rather crude. 

There is another brand of keg, Firestone (used by Coke), which is
equivalent to the Cornelius kegs, but uses different fittings
for the CO2 and tap connections.

				Robert Sleator
				...!tektronix!tektools!robs