This review is by Homebrew Finds Contributor Brad Probert.  Brad is an engineer, expert homebrewer and experienced reviewer.  Grab a link to Brad’s website at the end of this review.

MoreBeer 6-Gallon Torpedo Keg

Keg Label

Sometimes ideas come along that seem so obvious in hindsight. Every fermentor I have is 7+ gallons. I like that because it gives me plenty of headroom for krausen from active fermentation. It also allows me to brew a bigger batch in the event I have a lot of dry hopping. But with the bigger fermentors, I will frequently have leftover beer after transferring to the keg. Not a lot, and not always, but it just feels wrong to leave that beer behind. So the 6-gallon keg is a logical fit for me.

Keg DiameterKeg Height Measurement

Torpedo Keg is a brand name of a series of ball lock kegs. They use the same size lid and follow the same standard of ball lock posts. But unlike Corny kegs that have rubber bottoms and tops, Torpedo kegs are made completely of stainless steel. The top/handle portion of the keg is taller, specifically to let you stack kegs on top of each other while still having gas and beer lines connected to the keg. There is also a Slimline version which has a slightly narrower diameter in exchange for a taller height. The 6-Gallon torpedo keg has a 9.125” diameter, and is 27.25” tall. In comparison, the standard ball lock Corny keg has an 8.375” diameter and 24.75” height. Although comparing these heights on paper can be deceiving since the Torpedo keg’s tall handles cover the height of attached ball lock fittings as well (additional 1.5” measured with my DuoTight fittings).

Check Prices, Models & Availability

• Torpedo Ball Lock Keg – 6 gal. KEG808 << The exact model reviewed here
• Complete Torpedo Keg Lineup
• Torpedo Ball Lock Keg – 10 gal. KEG810 – Hands on Review

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Hands on Review

Black Etched Keg Posts is Easy to Read. Related: Color Code Your Keg Post for Easy Identification

The build quality of the Torpedo Kegs is great. The high quality brushed silver finish looks flashy somehow in contrast to the black rubber banded Corny kegs. Maybe just because it’s different. With the silver background, they have cleverly etched ‘IN’ and ‘OUT’ in black lettering next to the respective keg posts. It’s amazing how this simple feature makes kegging life easier when hooking up for closed transfers, or getting it in your kegerator in the right orientation. It also makes it easy to read that the volume is actually 6.1 gallons, which is likewise etched on the side with the same black lettering. I guess they figured that as soon as they made a 6-gallon keg, someone would be overfilling that, too, so they threw in an extra tenth of a gallon!

6 Gallons of Fermented Beer- it all Fit! – Related: Fermonsters! – Hands on ReviewClosed Transfer from 6-Gal Cold Crash to 5-Gal Serving Keg

In my trials, the extra height had no issues fitting inside my keezer. I will say the weight of extra beer, combined with the taller height, made for a noticeable difference in my keg lifting exercises when getting it over the keezer collar. I used it both as a serving keg, and as a cold crash keg. In my fermentation process, I transfer from fermentor to a purged keg after any dry hopping and diacetyl rest in my fermentor. As a cold crash keg, I add some CO2 pressure and then stick the keg in my keezer to cold crash for 3 days. After that, I transfer to my serving keg. Since I leave a bit of beer behind in the cold crash keg with the precipitate, being able to put more than 5 gallons into cold crash helps ensure my serving keg gets 100% full. So the 6.1 gallon size was ideal. I combined this with the Torpedo Keg Buoy Floating Dip Tube, and had a purpose-built cold crash solution that was above and beyond.

Easy Grab Keg Lid Locking LeverEasy Sliding Locking Lever Pads

There was another subtle difference in the Torpedo Keg that’s worth noting. The locking lever arm you use to close up the large oval keg lid, had a different bend to it. On my other kegs, it sometimes can be a bit tricky to lift this lever after it has been locked down into place. On this keg, there was a nice generous arc upwards at the end. So you could easily get a couple fingers in there to lift the locking lever without issue. It’s one of those features you wouldn’t think to ask for, but gets you all geeked up when you discover it. MoreBeer apparently also thinks it’s pretty cool, as they sell these lids individually if you want to upgrade your existing keg. In addition to the finger-friendly arc, on the other end, the plastic bumpers that contact the keg body to provide the reaction leverage were made out of a different kind of plastic. It seemed slightly harder, and a bit smoother/slipperier. This also helped make lid opening easier as well.

Five Star - 91037068620 P.B.W. Cleanser - 4 Pounds

$27.98 ($0.44 / Ounce)

Conclusions

Overall, the keg is very well made, and has some nice simple features like the labelling of the ball lock posts, and the nifty improvements on the keg lid. I found the 6.1 gallon size great for brewing “5 gallon” batches where you sometimes end up with a bit more than 5 gallons. And in my particular process where I cold crash in a keg, it allowed me ensure my serving keg would always end up with a full volume. Just make sure you check the measurements to ensure the taller height will fit where you want it to go, and get limbered up before you do now-beefier keg lifts!

Check Prices, Models & Availability

• Torpedo Ball Lock Keg – 6 gal. KEG808 << The exact model reviewed here
• Complete Torpedo Keg Lineup
• Torpedo Ball Lock Keg – 10 gal. KEG810 – Hands on Review

More Photos

Multiple Keg Size Comparison6-Gal Keg in Keezer with Other 5-Gal KegsTrub remaining after cold crashVery Smooth Weld Seam

MoreBeer’s Used Ball Lock Kegs Explained

MoreBeer has a bunch of ball lock keg options both new an used.  Most of those are self explanatory, but the used offerings can be a bit confusing.

• Used Cornelius Keg – Ball Lock 5 gal. KEG430 – these are raw kegs – no cleaning, no rebuild, sold “as is” < This is the keg that’s being reviewed in this post
• Rebuilt Used Corny Keg – Ball Lock 5 gal. KEG420 – cleaned and checked in house.  Gaskets are replaced as needed.  Pressure checked and guaranteed to hold pressure.
• Used Corny Keg Ball Lock 5 gal. – Pressure Tested KEG423 – these are cleaned, sanitized, de-labeled and refurbished by a third party service.  Pressure checked and guaranteed to hold pressure.
• Corny Keg – 5 Gallon Ball Lock Keg KEG415 – Brand new Kegland brand ball lock keg
• New Corny Keg – Ball Lock 5 gal. KEG418 – Brand new AEB keg – made in Italy
• Torpedo Kegs – MoreBeer’s own line of ball lock kegs available in a variety of sizes and configurations.  See: Hands on Review: Torpedo 10 Gallon Ball Lock Homebrew Kegs

MoreBeer Used Ball Lock Review

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.

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By Brad Probert.  Check out Brad’s website – beersnobby.com

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:b3torpedo tag:tpr