Beer Brewing Equipment - Kegging Equipment Made Simple

Kegging equipment is an important part of many homebrewer's beer brewing equipment.

Kegging your homebrew is simple and has many advantages over bottling it.  One advantage is that you don't have to clean, sanitize, and cap all the bottles.  This process can sometimes be tedious and time-consuming.  Another advantage is that you can pour yourself any amount of beer just by pulling a handle.



Beer making kits most often include bottling equipment instead of kegging equipment, but the right kegging equipment can be a great upgrade to existing beer making kits.  Also, most homebrew recipes assume the beer will be bottled, but these can easily be adapted for proper kegging.

Kegs used in homebrewing are not the traditional kegs that you might see commercial beer sold in at liquor stores.   Most homebrewers use the Cornelius kegging system.  Cornelius kegs come in 2.5 or 5 gallon sizes.  Cornelius kegs are sometimes called soda kegs because fountain soda used to be distributed in them.  However, most fountain soda now uses the bag in a box style of dispensing which means that there are millions of used Cornelius kegs available for $20 - $30.  These kegs have a larger opening at the top than a commercial beer keg and a removable lid, which makes them easy to clean and sanitize at home.

The keg is the center piece of the kegging equipment, but there are other things you will need as well.  A CO2 tank is typically used to force carbonate the beer.  You'll also need a CO2 pressure regulator and tubing for the CO2 line and beer dispensing.  Connectors and a tap are also needed to connect the tubing and pour the beer.  Finally, you'll probably want a refrigerator large enough to store your keg.  It is also possible to convert an old refrigerator into a dedicated beer dispensing refrigerator with tap mounted directly to the refrigerator.

All the beer brewing equipment required to keg homebrew can be purchased for around $150 - $180.  Kegging homebrew is a popular practice among experienced brewers and beginning brewers alike.  Kegging homebrew is time-saving and satisfying.  Enjoy your homebrew!