Kegging equipment questions?

Hi all,
Ive been reading up as always and with my huge 9months experience I am ready to build a keezeer with my tax return money. I am over storing and cleaning bottles plus I want to try different lager styles (that I will never be able to taste otherwise). The plan is to get a chest freezer (200-300lt, 7-10 cu.ft) gas bottle, at least 4 kegs, regulator and a picnic tap or 2 and then build up from there. I have read a lot of guides and wiki's etc but I want to see what you lot think.

Q's

There is a home brew "shop" on ebay that I can get 4 ball lock kegs with 2 re-seal kits for $230 delivered. That's at least $100 cheaper than I can get at a HB shop anywhere. I have asked if they are pressure tested but havn't heard back yet. It sounds too good to be true so are there any catches I should know about when buying cornie kegs, especially off ebay. It is in Melbourne so not to far away which is a bit better. The same shop has full gas bottles, 6kg for $218 delivered (I assume it is 6.8kg), 2.6kg for $165 and 1.8kg for $135. Also sounds too good.

Looking at gas regulators, they range from $50-$90+ for dual guage. None have screw driver bits for adjusting pressure so apart from a bit of bling and other bits is there any difference in quality? I would rather sve $50.

I got into home brew because I could make cheaper beer than I could buy.....

Cheers.

• • SVA Brewer With Over 20 Brews From Australia
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• • SVA Brewer With Over 100 Brews From United States of America
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Bob,
I really wish you would use the BIABicus or some kind of software so then we could all try your recipes as you brewed them . I think I will be the first person to post a BIAB file for Teralingua Snake Bite. How many recipes do you have? I am surprised that you only have 4 taps too.

I've watched heaps (too many) vids on YouTube on keg setups which is why I settled on a chest freezer for energy use and also ease of construction.

I am guessing from your set up that you use standard gas regs which is good to know. I am looking at Keg King regs which are a well known (cheap brand) in oz and spare parts available. There's Micromatic, Harris and (one I cant remember) that are $40+ for no benefit. I am more interested in cheap kegs.

Cheers Bob.

• • SVA Brewer With Over 20 Brews From Australia
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nosco,

Bob,
I really wish you would use the BIABacus or some kind of software so then we could all try your recipes as you brewed them . I think I will be the first person to post a BIAB file for Terlingua Snake Bite. How many recipes do you have? I am surprised that you only have 4 taps too.

I have BeerSmith but no longer use it with the advent of BIABacus. To be honest. I jump around so much with recipes that keeping a library of favorites seems like work? Of course, I do have a few favorites and some are in BIABacus. When a solid version BIABacus is finalized? I may take the time to edit them and then they are free to be uploaded. In the past I just downloaded the recipes from a large home brew supply shop. If they sell them for years than I figure they are good? http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/brew ... grain-kits
The recipes are probably not "high integrity" but I am not either!

I have only four taps on the front. I may have one inside with a hose and cobra head. Really, My wife rarely drinks beer anymore? She likes ciders and mead's so I have been brewing lots of them for her and to give me something else to keep up the interest in brewing. I drink more than my share of beer so having a tap (or two) for her is fair play and I like a cider too!

12 cans of frozen apple concentrate, water and yeast! Boom your done. Adding hops or fruit to taste and at about 6% ABV? I get where I am wanting to go!

• • SVA Brewer With Over 100 Brews From United States of America
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