[narcout]

I received my 5 gallon made-in-India keg last night.  These are my initial impressions.

Build Quality.  I can’t discern any quality difference in materials between this and my other kegs (which are all used corny style kegs with rubber tops).  The walls of the keg seem to be about the same thickness, they feel like they weigh about the same, and the maximum pressure is 130 psi.  There is a bit of manufacturing residue on the keg, especially around the rubber bottom.  This might be standard for new kegs; I’m not sure as this is my first.  It seems like it will be easily removable, and I planned to give it a solid cleaning before use anyway.

Welds.  The welds on the outside of the keg are not as pretty as those on some of my other kegs.  However, I ran my hand along all the seams on the inside, and they felt exactly the same.  I would say the weld quality is not an issue.

Posts.  The posts are the typical “type B” posts that fit a standard corny keg.  I tried screwing on some type B posts from a different keg, and they fit fine.  Once you replace the universal poppet valve, the posts are just as easy to remove and replace as a typical corny keg.  The gas post is notched.

Poppets.   I was expecting these posts to have non-removable poppets, but instead they came with those universal poppets (which are removable).  The spring is quite a bit longer than what is on a standard corny poppet, and the poppets do not have feet.  The result is that there is more tension when you are screwing on the post.  I don’t really like these, and it seems like the extra tension might not be great for the threads over time.  I tried replacing the universal poppet with a standard corny poppet which made removing and replacing the posts much easier.

Lid.  The lid is a standard size corny keg lid with the standard pressure relief valve.  The valve doesn’t always seem to seat properly when released (much like a poppet valve on an over tightened post), but this could be because the spring is brand new and hasn’t been pulled a thousand times before.  When the valve doesn’t seat, a slight twist of the pull-ring fixes the issue.  It’s not a big deal, and I kind of expect this will resolve itself in time.  The pull ring is slightly smaller than those on my other kegs.

Dip Tubes.  The gas dip tube is your standard tube.  The liquid dip tube is curved but less so then those on my other kegs.  Also, the liquid dip tubes on my other kegs usually touch the bottom of the keg when the post is fully tightened.  This one sits just above the bottom of the indentation in the center of the keg.  Finally, the liquid dip tube does not have the grooves that some do to keep them oriented properly when tightening the post.  Some of my other kegs are like this, and it’s never caused me any issues though I prefer the grooved design.   

Disconnects. I had no trouble connecting or removing my standard gas and liquid disconnects from the posts.

Overall, I’m happy with this keg and the price I paid for it ($83 not including shipping).  I would buy another one, though I should point out that I haven’t actually used it yet.  I’ll post again if I have anything further to report.

[Stevie]

Thanks for the write-up. Let us know how it goes.

[dave.kline]

Out of curiosity, what's the manufacturer?  Mine were made by AMCYL (American Cylinders).  Both were new and the disconnects just won't go on quite right.  I've since gotten two more AEB kegs, so I'm going to keep ahold of the Indian-made ones as beater kegs (once I track down the leak in the other one anyway...).

[beersk]

Interesting about your thoughts on universal poppets. I replaced my non-removable poppets with universals and have been very happy. I think new kegs have longer posts which the universal poppets work perfectly on. But these Indian kegs must be different. The AEB kegs coupled with universal poppets = awesome. But I only replaced them on the liquid side. There isn't much of a need to remove the gas poppets.

Thanks for the write-up. Where did you buy this keg?

[Joe Sr.]

Interesting about your thoughts on universal poppets. I replaced my non-removable poppets with universals and have been very happy. I think new kegs have longer posts which the universal poppets work perfectly on. But these Indian kegs must be different. The AEB kegs coupled with universal poppets = awesome. But I only replaced them on the liquid side. There isn't much of a need to remove the gas poppets.

I've seen universals with two different lengths of spring.  Maybe some kegs need a shorter spring.

I've been very happy with the universals I've used, but they are sometimes harder to compress.

[narcout]

The stamp on the side says made in India and imported by AMCYL.  I bought it from Beverage Elements.

The issue I noted above with the pressure release valve has been resolved.  I just pulled and released it about 15 times and it went away.

Also, I've changed my mind about the universal poppets.  I removed and replaced the posts (and disconnects) a few times, and they seem to have loosened up a bit. 

[beersk]

Type B posts I believe need the universals to be shortened. But the posts on AEB kegs aren't type B I don't think and universals are perfect for them. All it takes is a needle nose pliers to get the poppets out. But yeah, the springs should loosen over time, like narcout mentioned. I would think anyway...

[narcout]

These kegs are on sale right now at Beverage Elements for $74. 

I just bought another one, having been sprayed in the face last week due to an issue with the liquid post on one of my older kegs. 

[brewinhard]

Interesting about your thoughts on universal poppets. I replaced my non-removable poppets with universals and have been very happy. I think new kegs have longer posts which the universal poppets work perfectly on. But these Indian kegs must be different. The AEB kegs coupled with universal poppets = awesome. But I only replaced them on the liquid side. There isn't much of a need to remove the gas poppets.

I've seen universals with two different lengths of spring.  Maybe some kegs need a shorter spring.

I've been very happy with the universals I've used, but they are sometimes harder to compress.

I like replacing my poppets with the universal ones too, when they need replacing. But have also noticed that some can be harder to compress as well.  Not too big of a deal.