Beer Forum

I'd like to start using mini-kegs but I am not too sure about how to set the whole system up. I have a kegerator with 2 taps and 2 cornies, but I have been finding I am not cycling through the 10 gallons of beer regularly enough so I have started brewing 1/2 batches of 2-3 gallons each. So I thought, maybe I should try mini kegs. I was figuring on buying some mini-kegs of Warsteiner or Paulaner Hefe, etc... drinking them, and reusing the kegs. I guess I could just buy new mini-kegs but thought I might as well kill 2 birds with one stone the next time I need to stock up on the beer supply.

Anyway, how does it work? I know there are rubber bungs that need to be "poked out" and it is recommended to use a Phil-tap or something with mini-CO2 charges. Do you need the CO2 to force out the beer? could I just charge the keg initially with my kegerator CO2 tank, and then dispense by internal pressure/gravity from there? Anyone know of a link anywhere that discusses this stuff?

I've run a few scenarios of mini kegs around in my head a few times over the past year or so. I'm in the same boat (almost) as you. I didn't think I could go to a full kegging system (which I know you have) so I tried the Tap-A-Draft system. Great for the first batch, not so great after that. It's now used to make sodas. The mini kegs you were talking about seem to be a good option but I've heard the pressurization is a little iffy. But seems that is w/ natural carbing. Using the Phil Tap I don't think you have any way of adjusting the PSIs to dial in a styles perfect CO2 volume. I'd love to have a way to use the mini kegs for parties or what-not.

Northern Brewer sells the posts for cornies and states "Now you can put a corny style connector on anything" I was wondering how that could be added to one of the mini kegs and then you could use a regulator to pressurize the beer and to serve with as well. ~$10 for one of those posts and another $10 for a new mini keg (or free w/ beer) I'd say it would be worth a shot to see if I could get it to work.

By Mini Kegs do you mean 1/6 or 1/4 barrel Sankey kegs or those things that Heineken comes in at the grocery store??

the heiny ones
BUB

yeah, I meant the ones that Heiny comes in. Although, the Heiny ones by me (Northern NJ) seem to be more specialized. It looks like they have a different kinda tapping system than the one's I've seen they previously had, or the one's that Becks, Warsteiner, etc... comes in.

Here is a short FAQ article about mini kegs.

http://www.brewery.org/library/mini112994.html

Here are the instructions that Northern Brewer includes with their mini keg kit. http://www.northernbrewer.com/documenta ... system.pdf

Wayne
Bugeater Brewing Company

Dan Listermann http://listermann.com does a lot of work with Minikegs. He has a document on his page of instructions http://www.listermann.com/PDF/Index.asp that has an entry for Phils_Mini_Tap_Instructions. That describes the whole minikeg process.

Then you should, of course, buy one of his mini taps!

Make sure you dry them REALLY WELL when they're empty. All my mini kegs promptly rusted after the first use and just draining them dry.