Is there a "best" homebrew ball lock style Corny Keg? The best ball lock corny keg can vary depending on your specific needs and preferences, but there are several reputable brands and models that are highly regarded among homebrewers and beverage enthusiasts. Some have different features that might cater better to specific needs making one keg better than the other for that individual brewer.
In general, most homebrew-style kegs all look the same with some variations:
Size:
2.5, 3, and 5 Gallon are the standard sizes available for Corny Kegs. More recently some companies have made smaller kegs at 1.5 Gallons, and even larger kegs at 10 and 15 Gallons.
Lid:
All Corny-Style Kegs have a removable lid on the top and usually feature a manual pressure relief valve on them. Some newer keg lids may feature a tab on the bottom side for hanging a hop bag inside of the keg to dry-hop your beer, but this is not common on most kegs, and this style keg lid can always be purchased laster and added onto as Conry keg as most lids are universally sized.
Top Handle:
Most feature a rubber top handle that you can grip with both hands or a single metal strap handle. The rubber top handle is nice because it will be easier to hold and is a little nicer on your hands when having to move or lift a full keg. One drawback to the rubber top handle is that, with age, the rubber will start to rub off on your hands and get some black marks on them. It comes off very easily with soap and water, but this is just the nature of the rubber as it ages. The metal strap handle you will never have this issue with, but is more cumbersome to handle.
More recently the Torpedo Keg was introduced and the top on this keg is unlike any other corny kegs on the market due to its stacking ability. This keg features a larger rimmed handle that allows the kegs to stack and sitll be tapped. Standard corny kegs will not be able to be stacked (technically... you can stack the rubber top kegs, but they will not be able to be tapped while stacked like the Torpedo kegs). So depending on your space, stacking a couple of smaller kegs may be the best option for you.
Connections:
All corny kegs feature a gas-in and liquid-out post on the top of the kegs, usually somewhat on opposite sides of the keg. These posts are connected to with a ball lock disconnect. The posts and disconnects are slightly different sizes so you can only use a gas disconnect with a gas post and vice versa.
New or Used:
Corny kegs have been manufactured for decades, originally used in the soda industry. Used ball lock corny kegs are still readily available and work great after cleaned up and the o-rings replaced, but they will tend to look pretty beat up, with stickers, dents and even cracking through the rubber handles and base. If you are on a budget used the kegs area. great option vs buying newly manufactured kegs.
Origin:
Corny kegs are being manufactured in many countries now, USA, Italy, India, China, Etc. Although many look nearly identical, you do notice slight differences in feel and quality when comparing side by side.
The Best Ball Lock Corny Keg:
When choosing our top three "best corny kegs", consider factors such as capacity, brand reputation, build quality, and any additional features you may want for your specific needs. Ultimately, the best keg for you will depend on your specific brewing setup and requirements, but here are our recommendations on the best corny kegs on the market currently:
- AEB Brand Conry Kegs: These kegs are in our opinion the most well-built, and quality-made kegs out there. These kegs are manufactured in Italy and certainly can see their quality when compared to some of the other kegs on the market. AEB kegs have been manufactured for decades, and have weathered the test of time. They are generally some of the most expensive kegs on the market, but for good reason; you get what you pay for.
Fully Refurbished Kegs: We could almost put these before the AEB kegs in our rankings due to the price savings. You will save about 35% OR MORE (depending on how many you buy) off the price of the New AEB kegs! These fully refurbished kegs are also AEB brand kegs manufactured in Italy. The main difference is that they are used, and a slightly different size. They are very slightly wider and shorter than the standard US-style corny kegs because they are manufactured to a European size. Although these kegs are used, they have gone through an absolutely ridiculous refurbishment process. We have never come across kegs that look this clean and nearly new in our years of dealing with used kegs. These kegs literally look like brand-new kegs, with a few exceptions; They occasionally will have some very small dents, and as mentioned above, due to their age, they black rubber handles tend to rub off on your hands a little, but nothing serious. These kegs also come with an extra free set of post o-rings to replace when needed. When weighing the price differences vs the cons of these kegs, we feel that it is a tossup between #1 & #2 on our list.
Torpedo Keg: As mentioned above, the ball lock Torpedo keg is unique in the fact that it is the only keg on the market that can be stacked for storage, but also can be tapped while stacked due to the raised and cutout side handles. This keg also comes in a variety of sizes: 1.5, 2.5, 5, 10 and 15 Gallon, so there is a size for everyone! It also comes in a standard width and a slimline width, which may help if you have certain space constraints. While this keg has some great features, we feel the quality of the above 2 is better. The torpedo kegs do not have a rubber base, to protect them from dropping or setting down harshly on a hard surface like the AEB and refurbished kegs as well.
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