Cedar Rapids Brewing Society

Pin Lock or Ball Lock?

Which one do you prefer and why?

I am going to start kegging my beer and would appreciate your opinions.

Thanks,
Daryl
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Ball Lock is the most common used so that is what I went with. Pin Locks can be converted to Ball Lock if one desired to spend the money. Also, pin locks are a little shorter and fatter than the typical ball lock keg so consider your kegerator if that will be an issue fitting kegs. One may work better than the other depending on what you are using to keep them cold. Both function just fine.

The way kegs are priced today, I would ultimately choose base on the deal I could get. I bought most of my kegs in 2003 or 2004 for $10 each. You can't get anywhere close to that today.

Only ever had ball lock, only because I got them for around $20/ea for most before prices shot up.

Also you missed the last meeting, but Tim mentioned a bulk NEW keg order through Turner Alley coming up soon. Prices have not been determined yet, but it's at or below what used ball locks are going for these days

I got pin locks because they tend to cost about 30% less (used, $35 vs $50 each), and the gas/liquid connections are impossible to confuse (2 pins vs 3 pins)

I am considering the upcoming bulk buy of ball locks, because my keezer is pretty tight with 6 pin locks, as they are all 1 inch larger in diameter than the ball locks. I'll have a bunch to sell if I switch over.

With the price difference you may be better off dealing with the thread on fittings and both types!
May also consider Sankey type they come in 1/6 bbl...

Pretty much what Matt says - whatever you can get cheaper. I got into kegging when they were cheap, too, and have ball locks. Ball locks have a manual pressure relief that is nice if you overcarb or for flushing the headspace. W/ pin locks, you just hit the gas-in poppet. Don't get the wrong one or you're going to have a big mess. That's the only major difference I see between the two.

On the topic of kegging, I really like having the twist-on fittings vs. just hose-barb fittings on disconnects and gas valves. It makes it a lot easier to take apart to clean, and you can swap out pin vs. ball lock if needed. If you're like me, you will eventually get beer backflowing into your gas line. Costs a little more for the hose-barb to MFL adapters, but totally worth it IMHO.

TappedOut wrote:On the topic of kegging, I really like having the twist-on fittings vs. just hose-barb fittings on disconnects and gas valves. It makes it a lot easier to take apart to clean, and you can swap out pin vs. ball lock if needed. If you're like me, you will eventually get beer backflowing into your gas line. Costs a little more for the hose-barb to MFL adapters, but totally worth it IMHO.

I second this. Everything I have has a MFL screw together connection. Cost difference is maybe a buck or two and well worth it. Makes easy to clean and swap between pin and ball. You can also move gas and bev connectors around to different devices which could be more economical. For example, for many years I would move my gas and bev QDs around to different devices in the brewery. Extra gas line in kegerator, portable mini CO2 charger, keg washer, keg flushing device I made could all share a QD. Would be good to have a couple mfl connections on our club bar so we could swap to Pin if necessary. Could probably get away with doing this to just one line and add more if we had some more pin lock folks in the club pouring at festivals.

Ball locks (Pepsi and others) are thinner circumference by an inch or so and about 2" taller than the Pin Lock (Coke) kegs are. The Coke kegs are typically a little thicker gauge stainless and seem more substantial. There are still surplus 3 and 5 gallons Coke kegs floating about, but those too are drying up. Overall, since Pepsi dumped cornys first, the homebrewing community picked up on them first and they sort of became a standard.

The ball lock mechanism literally locks with ball bearings on a ring of slightly different dimensions for gas and liquid. The pin locks have 2 and three pins respectively, and really is a superior locking mechanism. The Ball Lock fittings are pretty flush because of the height of the kegs-- the Pin Lock fittings are much taller, meaning that overall the height is about the same with both, with the Coke kegs being wider.

HOWEVER, once you get the conversion posts, the converted pin locks are much shorter in height.

IF you are like me and use a converted a dorm fridge with a collar, the height is the limiting factor. So, converted pin locks to ball actually can fit. An unconverted pin lock in my fridge just squeezes in (PITA).. and no way a Pepsi keg will fit. The Converted pins have a good inch and a half shorter height to them than the standard pin locks. For a Keezer or a full size fridge kegerator, the keg diameter seems more important -- so the standard ball locks, Pepsi and everyone else and the "new" kegs, probably are a better choice.

The Pin locks don't have the pull tab depressurizer over pressure valve either, but honestly, that's one more thing to clean... You purge or depressurize with the gas in poppet or the lid being slightly unsealed. It isn't as bad as it sounds.. And you can buy ball lock lids and they interchange with pin locks if you really can't stand it.

Oh, and again, if you have a set of MFL ball lock fittings, and pin lock fittings then it really doesn't matter at all. I have MFL pin locks and pin posts even though I converted my two 5 gallon and one 3 gallon Coke kegs and I can theoretically handle anything I can squeeze in my monstrosity of a keg cooler...

Fred

One minor point about pin lock is that all of our club taps are set up as ball. I think we have one set of mfl pin locks, but I'd make sure to bring your own if you want to pour at BN events.

carrisr wrote:One minor point about pin lock is that all of our club taps are set up as ball. I think we have one set of mfl pin locks, but I'd make sure to bring your own if you want to pour at BN events.

Ya... I see a new product idea: MFL(or pin-lock) to ball lock adaptor.
For example: [FFL+barb] --> [short 1/4" hose] --> [barb+19/32 male thread] --> [19/32 ball lock disconnect] (or just have the FFL directly built into the 19/32 male barb) .... ALI BABA to the rescue! http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Stainles ... 76108.html
There are kits that do that for Sankey too: http://www.amazon.com/Sankey-Ball-Quick ... roduct_top
That's similar to some home-made line cleaning setups, just instead of a pump, attach a FFL on one end to screw onto the MFL pin lock disconnect.

Conversion posts are like $16 a set on Ebay and good used pin to MLS are $8.. Or let me know in advance and I can loan you my set to go from pin to MFL

MFL threaded barbs is not laborious and is by far the most affordable. I have a mix of MFL and barbed, but I got a lot of gas and liquid for next to nothing.

Sent from my Samsung S5

I hooked up a piece of hose w/ a FFL to a submersible pump for cleaning lines. That, a bucket, and a piece of larger hose that will fit over a faucet and you have an easy recirculating line cleaner. Submersible pumps are cheap at Harbor Freight, or you can repurpose the one from a (sweet sweet) Mark's keg washer.

carrisr wrote:One minor point about pin lock is that all of our club taps are set up as ball. I think we have one set of mfl pin locks, but I'd make sure to bring your own if you want to pour at BN events.

I'm in favor of switching more out. We broke 1 line at benz that will be switched, and I'm thinking of doing a couple more as pin locks are becoming more popular.

The jockey box is all mfl tap adapters.

If anyone is thinking about liquidating a keg or two, please PM me and let's visit.

I'm going to brew a batch of pale ale; with the target of having it in a keg.

Thanks,
D