Hands on Review: Growler Sized Ball Lock Keg by Kegland!

Updated: October 18, 2024

Kegland Ball Lock Growler Keg!

I like growlers. I just like them. I have a lot of different designs ranging from basic glass and PET growlers to featured-filled mini kegs, vacuum insulated models, ceramic growlers and more.

As a growler-enthusiast… I have to say I’ve been waiting this thing to be made. Kegland’s KL20893 is a growler sized ball lock keg.

Because it’s a ball lock keg, it works with most existing ball lock keg parts and accessories.

 

A look at the top. This has a nice easy to hold strap handle. As you can see it sports a standard size keg lid.  To my knowledge this is the smallest available ball lock keg.A closer look at the handle and lid. This lid (like most ball lock style lids) is equipped with a manual PRV.  Generally speaking… Both Ball Lock and Pin Lock style lids are the same dimension and are interchangeable.  You can use a Ball Lock Lid on a Pin Lock Keg and vice versa.  A big difference are the PRV (pressure relief valve) functions between the two styles.  Both have automatic safety PRV valves.  That is, if the pressure gets too high, both will automatically vent for safety reasons.  The difference is in manual PRV functionality.  Ball Lock Keg lids have a pull ring that allows you to manually vent the keg as you’d like.  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. See: my post comparing ball lock and pin lock kegs – Jump Section on Lids – All that to say… Manual PRV = good.

Check Current Price, Specs & Availability, Review Continues Below:

Also (not Kegland branded): Semfeil Brew 64 oz Keg 1/2 Gallon Keg Corny Keg Ball Lock Keg Soda keg 2L Small Keg Single Metal Handle 304 Stainless Steel Beer Mini Keg for Home Brew

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This shows a max pressure rating of 130 PSI. That’s for the the lid only. I’m guessing that the PRV is set to vent at a much lower pressure.  This has a white lid o-ring that I’m guessing is silicone, but that’s a guess. Related: How Often Should You Replace Keg O-RingsA look at the gas post. Again… These appear to be standard posts.  That means they work with your standard QDs, Faucets, etc that you may already have.The posts are 11/16″. More about post sizes and a review of the socket pictured here… Hands on Review: Craftsman Deep Well Sockets for Ball Lock Keg PostsA look at the gas post, poppet and dip tube. All of these look very standard which I like very much. See: Universal Poppet Tips & Tricks to see what I think you should do immediatelyAt the bottom of the keg/growler is what I’ll call a skirt. it has holes for ventilation and a nice rounded bottom.Really nice looking bottom of the growler. In addition to the larger holes in the side of the skirt, there are some small holes in the very bottom for ventilation and drying.A look at the top outside welds, also a side view of the keg lid feet.If you look closely, you can see some scuffing where the lid feet rub on the top of the keg/growler. This is an indication that the lid closes nice and tight. That’s good. The downside is that the lid is a bit hard to close. Over time, I’m guessing the action will loosen up a little.I swapped the post o-rings out for Valuebrew’s easy to identify color coded blue and green options. Complete lineup.Gas Post… Green=Gas. High visibility, quick identification and food safe materials.Liquid Post… Blue=Beer. High visibility, quick identification and food safe materials.

Update: New Color Code Option – Gray and Black!

Valuebrew has introduced Gray and Black o-rings. As the picture indicates these are designed to match standard gray and black keg QDs.  These have become standard colors on ball lock, pin lock (usually the bottom portion of the QD) and even recently released Kegland QDs (center portion).

The gray and black are also made from food grade silicone and also available in bulk quantities.

Gray & Black Post O-Rings at Valuebrew!

A look at the top inside weld.A look inside the keg… it looks great.For size comparison next to one of my Stanley Growlers – Hands on ReviewBecause this is a real ball lock keg, it works with… real ball lock accessories. Here it is with a faucet.  This all means lots of flexibility, modularity and costs savings if you already have ball lock equipment.Volume test. It’s hard to see, but I’ve filled this up to the weld line with water.My trusty 1 gallon pitcher shows 3 quarts. That’s 96 ounces or about 50% more than the stated 64 ounce capacity.I’ll throw this in for fun. There’s a lot going on here. I’m using a 2.5 Liter PET growler as a CO2 source. That’s regulated by a DuoTight Inline Secondary. Everything is connected by DuoTights, and using DuoTight Compatible Clips. I’m also testing MoreBeer’s Torpedo Stainless Steel Picnic Tap.

Because it’s a Ball Lock Keg Growler…

  • You can use your existing ball lock QDs
  • You can serve it from your ball lock compatible kegerator
  • You can force carbonate right in the growler
  • You can use standard ball lock compatible faucets to serve
  • You can use standard compatible CO2 tanks and tubing to pressurize and vend
  • You can use standard replacement parts and o-rings (excluding liquid out dip tube)

Alternate Use Ideas

  • Keg line cleaning. The small size means you won’t need to make a lot of solution.  See: Building a Simple Ball Lock Draft Line Flushing Setup – for a build idea. This growler would take the place of that entire setup.
  • Add a Spunding Valve to convert this into a pressure capable mini fermenter. You could potentially do 2 quart batches. Not ideal, but a great way to play around with pressure fermentation at an unbeatable price. See: Fermenting Under Pressure for more on the topic.
  • Primary kegs for small batch or small space kegging!
  • Use with an inline regulator as a source for CO2 for portable serving. You could pretty easily vend half a keg with this and stop buying those expensive little CO2 cartridges. See: Using a Keg as a CO2 Source for Portable Serving for lots more on the topic. Note: Never exceed the pressure rating of any component in your system.

Cost

Is it a cheap growler?  Not really. If you’re looking for something cheap, look for a glass or PET growler. But, at the current price it’s competitively priced compared to other full featured pressurized options. Add in the fact that you can repurpose existing ball lock compatible gear and potentially skip out on those expensive little CO2 cartridges and I think you can make the case that this is one of the best priced pressurized growlers on the market.

Conclusions

This is well built, looks great and the fact that it’s a ball lock compatible growler is something I’ve been waiting for for a long time. Kegland continues to impress me with their thoughtful and innovative design.

Also (not Kegland branded): Semfeil Brew 64 oz Keg 1/2 Gallon Keg Corny Keg Ball Lock Keg Soda keg 2L Small Keg Single Metal Handle 304 Stainless Steel Beer Mini Keg for Home Brew

Related: Hands on Review: Kegland 2.5 Liter Growlers

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Special Thanks to MoreBeer for providing the unit used for evaluation in this review.

Price, promotions and availability can change quickly. Check the product page for current price, description and availability.

Make sure the components you use are compatible and rated for your intended application.  Contact manufacturer with questions about suitability or a specific application.  Always read and follow manufacturer directions.  tag:lnksfxd review:keggrowlerkl tag:tpr

3 thoughts on “Hands on Review: Growler Sized Ball Lock Keg by Kegland!”

  1. Aaron

    Side question: in the last pic, it looks like you have a duotight-connected liquid QD used with the stainless picnic tap. Can you please share the details of how you are connecting the stainless tap/barb fitting to the duotight QD?

    Reply ↓
  2. Tim

    I once found a pair 32oz. Ball lock kegs at an auction that had soda equipment. It was exactly the same a a standard keg but shorter. I assumed is was for the ‘syrup’ to be mixed with carbonated water.

    Reply ↓

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