Hands on Review: Kegland Ball Lock Kegs!

Updated: October 3, 2024

Kegland, based in Australia, produces a broad array of homebrewing gear. fermenters, electric brewing systems, loads of draft stuff (including DuoTight!) and lots more.

It’s obvious these folks are homebrewers at heart, because they’ve come up some really innovative stuff. The other thing they’ve generally done is hit really good price points. There is a balance between cost, features and quality and they seem to be hitting a lot of bullseyes.

This is an in depth hands on look at Kegland’s 5 gallon ball lock keg.

Hands on Review Kegland 5 Gallon Ball Lock Keg

A look at the boxThe other side of the box. This is one of the better looking keg boxes I’ve run across.

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A look at the keg imprint

Tip: If you’re looking for replacement parts look for your keg’s imprint. It should show the manufacturer and model number.Close up of the NSF certificationClose up of the specifications section of the keg imprint. Manufactured by Kelgand. Made in accordance with AS2971. Capacity: 19 Litres (5 US Gallons). Material: 304 Stainless Steel. Max Pressure: 9 bar (130psi). P/N: 0322. Part#KL02899. WARNING – DO NOT EXCEED MAXIMUM PRESSURE.Close up of the Kegland logoA look at the top of the keg including one of the double rubber handles

Single Handle vs Double Handle: There are two main styles of keg handles – double rubber handles and single strap handles. I prefer double handles because… you’ve got two handles 🙂 and, more importantly, the even top means you can invert a keg to drain or dry and potentially stack kegs. Single strap handle kegs are tougher to invert, but they’re also generally a little less expensive.A look at the top weld. This looks good.A look at the seam side of the keg. Generally speaking the body of a keg is cut from a sheet of stainless steel. A rectangle is bent into a cylinder and then welded. This vertical line is that weld.Close up of the T, where the vortical weld meets the top most weld.The T seam on the Kegland looks really good. For comparison, the left picture here is another major keg manufacturer. It’s brand new, yet kind of bunged up. The Kegland is on the right. As you can see the Kegland looks great in comparison.A side view of the bottom of the keg. These notches are designed to allow for airflow. That’s a great thing. You can also get a good look at the bottom most weld.A look at the liquid out post. There are two ways to differentiate between the liquid and gas posts. The gas post generally has a notch. As you can see this is the liquid post and it doesn’t have a notch.The other way to tell on this keg is that each post is labeled. The liquid out post is labeled “OUT”.Gas in post. Notice the notches

Since doing my post on reconditioning kegs, I’ve gotten into the habit of immediately replacing all o-rings with Valuebrew Food Grade Gaskets. I use green and blue for the posts to make identification quick and easy… green = gas, blue = beer. It’s worth noting that this isn’t something you have to do, I prefer food grade silicone and the color-coding and I have these on hand since I picked them up in bulk. Very little cost on a per o-ring basis making these upgrades.

Also labeled INThis keg features 6 point 11/16″ posts. See: Hands on Review: “Ball Lock Keg Wrench” – 11/16″+7/8″ Ratcheting Wrench and Craftsman Keg Socket ReviewTop down lookA look at the bottom. Nice quality, shiny rubber. Notice  the notches for airflow.A look inside the keg. It looks beautiful. The stainless looks great and all visible components and welds look great.A look at the inside seam.Gas side post and hardware. Like a lot of kegs these days, this Kegland keg features universal poppets. Related: Universal Poppet Tips & TrickThe liquid out dip tubeLiquid out dip tube. Nice shiny stainless steel.The lid

More About Keg Lids: One difference between Pin Lock and Ball Lock kegs is the type of lids that come with each.  Ball Locks, generally, have a manual PRV valve, while Pin Locks do not.  Ball Lock style lids are, in my opinion, superior because the manual PRV allows you to easily vent your keg as needed.  The good news is that, for standard kegs, the lids are the same size and can be interchanged.  That means you can use a Ball Lock style lid in a Pin Lock Keg.  See: What’s the Difference Between Ball Lock Kegs and Pin Lock Kegs?Close of up of the lid. Reads… Caution Release Pressure to Remove Lid. Maximum Working Pressure 130 PSI.Underside of the lid.Kegland keg lids have a unique feature. This tab on the understand is called a Hang Tab. It’s designed to allow you to easily hang dry hops, cocoa nibs, oak and more from the lid. To use, thread the string of your hop bag through the hole. This makes removal easy and allows you to control the exact amount of time and saves you from trying to fish around in your beer. This is another thoughtful Kegland innovation.
A close up of the body. The 304 stainless steel seems high quality. I would call this a semi-matte finish.Kegland’s 5 Gallon Ball Lock Keg!

Dimensions

Approximately 25″ tall, and 8½” wide

Conclusions

This is a high quality ball lock keg. Build quality is good and it looks great. Kegland usually sneaks in some innovation and they did the same with these kegs. The hang tab is a nice feature that makes dry hopping easier. Beyond that these standout for their excellent quality and the fact that they’re generally well priced.

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Should I buy a New Keg or a Used Keg?

Used kegs are generally sourced from soda bottlers.  They are built with commercial use in mind and designed to last for many years of rough duty service.

Brand new ball locks may not be made to the same standards.  However… We also don’t generally put our kegs through the same abuse that a soda distributor would.

Not withstanding price.  I think both options are valid.  If you’re up for a little elbow grease and replacing a few parts, used may be the way to go, if you’re more interested in convenience brand new is a good choice.  Practically, at least as of this posting, I think price will cause many to go the used route.

Related – Kegland DuoTight Ball Lock QDs…

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Special thanks to Kegland for providing the keg 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 8.1.22 review:klkeg #tag:tpr

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