This post showcases the second video in our series of transitioning from bottling homebrew to kegging.

In this video,  I discuss the components of Cornelius kegs (also known as corney kegs or corny kegs or soda kegs). They are a major piece of equipment you need to buy. Corny kegs, which were made for sodas, work well for homebrewers since they typically hold 5 gallons, are easy to clean and sanitize, and their size and shape is conducive to easy storing in a refrigerator.

Things you need to know about:

  • New vs. Used
  • Where gas goes in and where beer comes out
  • Parts that you may need to replace
  • The difference between ball locks and pin locks
  • What the bend on the dip tube is for

There are two kinds of corny kegs – ones with pin lock connectors (made by Coca Cola) and ones with ball lock connectors (made by Pepsi). Both can be used for homebrew but they are not interchangable. I usually see ball lock corny kegs for sale.

Now you can buy new ones but if you want to save some money, you can find refurbished ones that work just as well as new. I have seen homebrew stores sell both new and used corny kegs. You can find corny kegs for sale on Craigslist too. If you see a restaurant that has gone out of business, you may be able to get corny kegs from there.

One last thing about corny kegs – I have seen new 2.5 gallon corny kegs and they are just a little less expensive than new 5 gallon ones. To me, the price doesn’t justify the halved amount of volume. You’re probably better off getting a 5 gallon one if you are starting your kegging homebrew journey.

Getting to know the parts of a corny keg and how they all fit together takes us one step closer to filling it with beer and getting it in the fridge.

In the next video, I will go through details about carbon dioxide tanks and regulators.  Hopefully each of these videos will help you to buy kegging equipment without any issues.

Brew On!

More Kegging Homebrew Videos:

Video 1 – Introduction To Kegging Homebrew

Video 3 – Learn Something About CO2 Tanks and Regulators

Video 4 – Guide to Keg Faucets and Towers

Video 5 – Balancing You Kegging System

Video 6 – Hombrew Kegging Tips