// ]]> Make sure the components you use are compatible and rated for your intended application. In reality, these are just converted pin lock kegs, so the same pin lock keg dimensions and lids are probably still applicable in these cases. 5 gallons of beer = 640 ounces. Depending on the size/type of kegerator you are using, this may be the deciding factor (it was for me). Pin lock (left) and ball lock quick-connect fittings, which mate to the keg ports. Ball Lock Style Post. Rebuilding & Reconditioning Homebrew Kegs! Size and shape of your kegerator could play a big factor. more money) are there any disadvantages/advantages of ball locks over pin locks? Includes both gas and beverage body connects. Whether you’re looking for barb or flare fittings, we have you covered. Pin Lock Kegs: Another type of corny keg. Ball Lock: There are two primary post sizes for standard ball lock kegs. Standard ball lock kegs measure 25″ tall x 8.5″ diameter, while standard pin lock kegs measure 23″ tall x 9″ diameter. Kegerator Foam Problems? If you’re talking about this photo, then the caption is correct the pin lock is on the left and the ball lock is on the right. Part# KP318 $39.99 $34.95. This is especially true for post o-rings. Also, for about $20/ea., I bought the PRV caps for my kegs, and I agree, they are handy. You may have a different thread type to our 19L New Ball Lock Kegs which are 19/32" Liquid and Gas. Cornelius R (pin lock): Not so with gas lines. These things that we call quick disconnects, these are ball locks, there’s also pin locks that’s a different type of keg. Those are not interchangeable with standard lids. Also called Cornelius Kegs, Corny Kegs and Corney Kegs, they were… Pepsi landed on the Ball Lock style while Coke uses the Pin Lock style. As previously mentioned this requires a special notched socket. I chose ball lock over pin lock in the end because the pin locks kept popping off when jockeying my tapped kegs around, while the ball locks, once attached, stayed attached. I use ball locks however ball locks were easier to come by when I started kegging and what all my brew friends used. If you're not finding what you're looking for, please feel free to e-mail us ! The last real noticeable difference in these kegs are the dimensions of them. Ball lock disconnects lock on by lifting the collar up, pushing it on the post and then releasing the collar. Buying in bulk means you save money and you’ll have spares when you need them, Food Safe Replacement O-Rings – More Info. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. You’ll definitely want to clean and sanitize the kegs, but also plan on installing new o-rings if your seller hasn’t already done so. It is approximately 5/8″ shorter than standard Pin Lock QDs. Homebrew Finds makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, or omissions in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. Both ball lock and pin lock style QDs generally use the same internal o-ring. For those I give up a little convenience (Flare) for more security (Barb).This Ball Lock (CMBecker Brand) QD is approximately 2.25″ tall.This Pin Lock (CMBecker Brand) QD is approximately 3.25″ tall. To use Homebrew Finds you must be 21 years or older. Pin lock Cornelius kegs have small pins around the perimeter of the post. You can also use them to quickly carbonate homebrew and fine tune carbonation levels (maybe for competition entry). Internal QD Replacement O-Rings – Food Safe Silicone – via Valuebrew. The pin lock o-ring extends out just a little bit further than the ball lock o-ring. A good upgrade for Pin Lock kegs is to replace Pin Lock style lids with Ball Lock Style Lids. Whether you are building a draft system or replacing a leaky keg part, you will find the hardware you need here. Hoses attach to the threaded flare fittings seen at the top. Pin Lock Post Set - Firestone Keg - Used. This is important from a tool perspective. This is a re-conditioned 5 Gallon Pin Lock, Soda Keg (Coke style). Ball Lock on Left, Pin Lock on Right. That small amount is the difference between the two o-rings. We stock all styles and sizes of homebrew beer kegs for sale to get your brew on tap. When it comes to corny keg disconnects, what are the pros and cons of pin lock vs ball lock posts? See: Why Won’t My Homebrew Carbonate? Pin locks are the alternative to the more-common ball lock kegs, and they have some unique features and benefits of their own. Pin Lock QDs are taller compared with Ball Lock QDs.Ball and Pin Lock QDs installedThe height of this Ball Lock Keg with CMBecker brand QDs installed is approximately 25.5″Ball Lock and Pin Lock Quick Disconnects/QDs have the same general components. Internal QD Replacement O-Rings – Food Safe Silicone, Why Won’t My Homebrew Carbonate? Picture detail for Pin Lock Vs Ball Lock : Title: Pin Lock Vs Ball Lock Date: June 21, 2018 Size: 58kB Resolution: 1000px x 1000px More Galleries of Compare Vs Fastway Trailer Pin Lock: I’m aware of one standard size 13/16″. Great review, thanks so much. Ball Lock Kegs have two big advantages in my book – Size and manual PRV. Keg Ball Lock or Pin Lock Quick Disconnect Replacement O-Ring Gasket CM Becker $0.59. I know the difference between ball-lock and pin-lock kegs. Each keg also has a total of 5 o-rings/gaskets. – Jump To: Pin Lock Section. Thanks again, well done. Post o-rings are a different story. Used kegs can come in a variety of conditions, some with soda residue still in them. Cornelius kegs, commonly called “corny kegs”, were originally used in the soft drink industry for the soda fountains. Pin Lock. Serve Homebrew & Sanke Kegs on Any Kegerator, Checking for Draft System CO2 Leaks – Using The Pressure Gauge Method, Tip: Consider Oetiker Stepless Clamps for Kegerator Gas and Beer Lines, Hands On Review: Inkbird ITC-308 Dual Stage Temperature Controller +WiFi Version, Convert Your Mark II Keg & Carboy Washer to a Recirculating Draft Line Clea…, Step by Step: Finding and Fixing Keg CO2 Leaks, Kegerator Beer Line Temperatures & Reducing Foam with a Recirculating Fan, Kegging CO2 Use Estimations and Calculations, Step by Step: Balancing Your Kegerator Draft System, Build a Recirculating Draft Line Cleaning Pump, Damp Kegerator? The right side shows a pin lock post with the pin lock o-ring installed on it. We’re recapping our Top Content from 2020 based on traffic. I didn’t know which way to go, about 20 years ago, and went with pin, which is fine. How about the many poppet seals, so hard to get the right ones. I recommend you change those liberally. Ball Lock style lids are, in my opinion, superior because the manual PRV allows you to easily vent your keg as needed. Hands on Review: Kegland DuoTight Fittings & EVABarrier Tubing! First, the “pin” part refers to the method of attaching the disconnects to the keg posts. All of the disconnects seen on this page are CM Becker, high quality, precision German made components. Both are generally 1/4″  Three of these have MFL/Male Flare connections. The second thing you will find is that the Pepsi style Cornelius Kegs typically have a pull ring relief valve in the center of the lid while the coke style Cornelius Kegs have a “fuse” type relief valve. It’s not a huge difference, but another consideration is that a lot of peripheral devices (carbonation caps for soda bottles, paintball co2 to corny keg adapters, corny to Sanke hookup adapters) are much more commonly found in ball-lock format. Generally speaking… Both Ball Lock and Pin Lock style lids are the same dimension and are interchangeable. All of your ball lock, pin lock, sanke and cornelius keg fitting needs. Ball Lock Keg lids have a pull ring that allows you to manually vent the keg as you’d like. The only thing that’s similar that would work with a Pin Lock Keg is Kent System’s Soda Bottle Cap. A 5 gallon Ball Lock keg is about 25″ tall and 8.5″ diameter; A 5 gallon Pin Lock Keg is about 22-24″ tall and 9″ in diameter; These are guidelines. They need ball lock specific liquid and gas disconnects, and O-rings should be replaced periodically to prevent leaks. If a little beer is leaking, you can tighten up the flare nut. Compare Vs Fastway Trailer Compare Ball Mount Adjustable Vs Reese Sway-Control Compare Gooseneck Coupler Vs Bulldog Gooseneck Goku Migatte No Gokui Vs Jiren. There are different models and manufacturers of kegs. Also: Kegerator Tips & Gear | Keg Repair Part #s | Recent Keg Finds. The bottom left QD has a barb. Also called Cornelius Kegs, Corny Kegs and Corney Kegs, they were originally intended to store and distribute soda pre-mix. Screw on cap, o-ring, spring, stem and body. A standard Pepsi style keg is about 3” taller and 1” smaller in diameter than a standard coke style keg. The Cornelius kegs were filled with syrup and pressurized by CO2 which would force the syrup up to the drink dispenser and allow it to be mixed with carbonated water giving you your Coke or Pepsi. The pin lock and ball lock both refer to the way the quick disconnects attach to the Cornelius keg. Maybe the shorter height is better for your setup. There are several sizes of kegs available including 2.5, 3, 5, 10 and 15 gallons. View full details Add to cart Body Connect For Ball Lock Corny Keg Gas In (New) Brewmaster $13.99. Pin Lock Post Set - Cornelius Keg. Kegs! Based on what I read and what the photo shows, I believe the pin lock is on the right in the photo, is that correct? Dimensions? These keg post will make your pin lock keg into a ball lock keg in moments. Even if they are free of cracks, they will have a soda smell that won’t go away with cleaning. The difference is in manual PRV functionality. Homebrew Finds is a participant in the Amazon.com Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. The lid features a … Pin locks are wider and shorter compared with ball lock kegs. Ball Lock Post Set - Cornelius Keg. It’s as simple as having lines with each style QD or swapping out QDs. Actual size varies based on manufacturer and model. You may want to do that for the purpose of removing the keg lid or to vent excess pressure in an attempt to get down to a lower pressure. That is, if the pressure gets too high, both will automatically vent for safety reasons. How Many Beers Does a Homebrew Keg Hold? That change has been a boon for the home brewer as it has made available probably the single best container for home brewing. the height of pinlocks is an advantage. Pin lock quick disconnects are necessary when you need to attach gas and beverage tubing to a homebrew keg with a pin lock, and at MoreBeer!, we have a solid selection where you can find exactly what you need. View full details # 4 on diagram. New Cornelius Keg Lid with New pressure relief valve – via Adventures in Homebrewing. The containers we call Ball Lock and Pin Lock Kegs come from the soda industry. #6. The kit contains a stainless steel liquid and gas post fitting, a stainless steel universal poppet and spring and post o’rings. Other than the connections there are a couple of other differences you may find between the two styles. I started off with pin lock kegs, then had both for a while, which sucked, choose one or the other. Actual size varies based on manufacturer and model. Official specs for this specific model are 25″ tall and 8.5″ diameter.The Pin Lock Keg is about 9″ in diameter. Pin locks are slightly shorter and fatter than ball lock kegs. I recommend stocking up on food grade spare o-rings. Ramesh – conversion and replacement posts are readily available if you run into a deal on either style. New Cornelius Keg Lid with New pressure relief valve, CRAFTSMAN Deep Socket, SAE, 3/8-Inch Drive, 11/16-Inch, 6-Point (CMMT43336), CRAFTSMAN Deep Socket, SAE, 1/2-Inch Drive, 11/16-Inch, 12-Point (CMMT47524), CRAFTSMAN Deep Socket, SAE, 1/2-Inch Drive, 7/8-Inch, 12-Point (CMMT47528), Hands on Review: Craftsman Deep Well Sockets for Ball Lock Keg Posts, Hands on Review: “Ball Lock Keg Wrench” – 11/16″+7/8″ Ratcheting Wrench – via Apollo Tools Wrench Set. Fixing Beer Carbonation Problems, Hands On: Brand New, 5 Gallon Keg from AIH, Bulk Keg Orings and Keg Repair Part Numbers, Build A Recirculating Draft Line Cleaning Pump, Mark II Keg and Carboy Cleaner Draft Line Cleaning Pump, Food Safe Replacement Keg O-Rings in Bulk. Where the Pin Lock QDs have notches that lock into place on the pins that are on each post. Ideal for any homebrewer that has their home draft setups already assembled with ball lock fittings. A work around for pin locks is to get a depressor. Pin Lock vs Ball Lock Dimensions. The pin lock and ball lock both refer to the way the quick disconnects attach to the Cornelius keg. This keg has been cleaned and soaked in a hot "Brew Clean" solution, re-rinsed, lubed and re-pressurized to check the seals. Home Brew Keg Roundup – New & Used, 5 and 2.5 Gallon & More! True ball lock kegs have pressure relief valves built into the lid, and pin lock kegs rarely do. The only other thing would be if you're in a homebrew club and want to share your kegs at events and stuff. I’m a fan of the post bodies and the typically included manual PRV. With used ball lock kegs becoming scarcer ( i.e. Having said that, I prefer barb connections for gas lines. We've got ball lock disconnets as well as pin lock disconnects. I have seen a couple other sizes – 5/8″ and 9/16″, but I would personally consider those more rare, and non-standard. Lid, 2 dip tube o-rings and 2 post o-rings. I’m aware of one accessory that, to my knowledge, is available for Ball Lock Kegs, but not available for Pin Lock Kegs…  Carbonation Caps  [Search Stainless Steel Carbonator Cap on Amazon]. Convert Firestone Pin Lock Kegs to Ball Lock in a snap. Note: All measurements in this post should be considered approximate. Being several inches shorter I can put 7x 5 gallon plus 2x 3 gallon keg in my keezer… without a collar. I’m guessing these are where these tanks got their names. A couple thoughts – 1. Barbed and MFL. I can get 4 Ball Locks in my Keezer, but only 3 Pin Locks. Homebrewers have since re-purposed these as homebrew beer kegs. Size – Because Ball Locks have a smaller diameter you can get more of them in most refrigerators or freezers. The Pin Lock Keg is about 2.5″ shorter than the Ball Lock KegTop down view. Cornelius Kegs – pin lock or ball lock? These are guidelines. The kegs are in good shape, but could have small dings, dents or scratches. Pin Lock Cornelius Kegs: Pin lock Cornelius kegs are also known as Coke kegs, because this style was used exclusively by the Coca Cola Company and use a pin-lock style disconnect to connect and disconnect to the liquid and gas lines. First, It’s important to understand both do the same thing with slightly different and dimensions and features. In Japan Sanyo Cornelius brand cornies and other local repros are all pinlock dimensions but with ball lock connectors. Clamped/barb connections don’t typically loosen up, where flare connections can. Ball Lock on top, Pin Lock on bottomThis Ball Lock Keg is just over 8″ in diameter. More importantly, pin lock kegs are shorter and wider than ball lock kegs. Notice the pull ring. This post focuses on the commonly used 5 gallon size. You can purchase either the pin lock style or the ball lock style from the CornyKeg web site. Smaller 11/16″ post should work with either 6 or 12 point tools. This is the . To the point where new Ball Lock Keg prices can, at times, be similar to used Ball Lock kegs. I would add one more thing: There are some sellers out there selling west they call “low profile ball locks”. The big soda companies decided on different style containers for their pre-mix. Fittings are color-coded for whether they connect to the gas (gray) or liquid (black or metal) port; these specimens are both for liquid lines. For the smaller 11/16″ posts I have only seen 6 point. Meanwhile, makers of new kegs have upped their game as far as quality and price. It’s because they have a pressure relief valve built in! I recommend a 12 point socket or wrench for larger 7/8″ posts. Standard pin lock keg post o-rings are slightly larger than ball lock keg post o-rings. Seems like there are more spare parts available for the ball lock kind. Ball Lock on Left, Pin Lock on Right.Left [Brand New 5 Gallon Ball Lock from AIH – Review] | Right [Used 5 Gallon Pin Lock] – Pin Locks are also shorter than Ball Lock Kegs. They are cheaper and the connectors are superior. Advantages to Pin Lock Kegs – Cost and possibly size. Notches on the lower part of the post are an indication that this is an IN/Gas Post. Fix Kegerator Condensation, Homebrew Temp Controller Roundup! Pin lock disconnects use a pin to secure to the posts. If I were just making my initial purchase now.......I would go the route of pin lock kegs. Pin lock kegs have (not surprisingly) pins on each post – two on the liquid, one on the gas. There’s two connections on the corny keg gas one for gas or Nitro and one for beer and so instead of a coupler like this you use. If price is your biggest concern, you should probably go with Pin Locks. View our selection of Ball Lock Kegs at https://www.cornykeg.com/product-category/keg-it/kegs/cornelius-kegs-ball-lock/. Keg Connection has a nice diagram of parts and has all replacement parts available to order.If total height is a concern for your Pin Lock Kegs, a shorter profile QD is available. Height: ball lock kegs are 25″ tall and pin lock kegs are 22″ — a little shorter and fatter version of the keg. I also use my … These can come in both 6 point and 12 point, compatible variations. O-Rings/gaskets are generally interchangeable between ball lock and pin lock style homebrew kegs. The containers we call Ball Lock and Pin Lock Kegs come from the soda industry. This is an all new conversion kit that converts your Firestone/ Spartanburg and Hoover Pin Lock Keg fittings to ball lock fittings. I never have to worry about which is liquid, and which is gas, as the former is 3 pin, and the latter is 2 pin. If size and cost are not huge factors, consider Ball Lock kegs. They fit on 1L and 2L size PET Bottles and allow you to pressurize a PET bottle for transporting or preserving the carbonation level of your homebrew (Squeeze out the air in the headspace first to minimize oxygen pickup). Ball Lock Kegs: A type of corny keg, which is slightly taller and skinnier than a pin lock keg. to install drink dispensers and more. Both styles also have gas and liquid dip tubes. That’s just over (53) 12 Ounce Beers or (40) 16 Ounce/Pint Size Beers. The ball lock o-ring is nearly flush the the lip on the post. Note that you can also pretty easily use both Pin Lock and Ball Lock kegs. 5 gallons of beer = 640 ounces. MFL connections are nice because you can easily remove tubing. The official specs for this offering are 22-24″ tall and 9″ diameter.Ball Lock Style Lid. Ball Lock Post Set - Firestone Keg. Pin lock vs Ball Lock Kegs - posted in Beer: Hey all, I was thinking about buying some more kegs. These o-rings break, become malformed and can easily… get lost. And no, that’s not why more people like ball lock kegs. See: Rebuilding & Reconditioning Homebrew Kegs! That has it’s own connector that would connect to tubing and in turn connect to a Ball Lock or Pin Lock QD. It’s easy to notice a leak with a liquid line. I thought it might be time to get some more kegs, but I was wondering if you guys had an opinion on the different styles. No pull ring. If you are after spare parts for your second hand keg. I decided to get a bunch of ball lock kegs while they could still be had for a reasonable price and so I would be able to bulk age in kegs and still keep my keezer stocked. For a rundown of homebrew keg options and suppliers check out our Homebrew Keg Roundup. This is our #2 most visited resource post for the year! A 12 point socket will work on a 6 point post, but not vice versa. Includes both IN (liquid) and OUT (gas) post, ( The gas in post has notches at the base of the post where the liquid posts are smooth), new universal poppet valves with new rubber seals on ends of valves. Note: There is another less common size of lid/keg called racetrack style. Part# KP352 $35.95 $29.95. The soft drink industry still uses Cornelius kegs for pre-mix setups, but the industry has gone to a “bag in the box” system for the syrup dispensers. Both have automatic safety PRV valves. Download Image. //