I’ll be the first one to admit that I don’t have much experience with kegs.
I’ve enjoyed home brewing and bottling beers, but Steve, the boyfriend, knows way more about cornelius kegs than I do. So I relied on him to help me review this cooler.
The Keg Cooler is one of Cool-Brewing’s newer products (also make sure to check out Billy B.’s review of their Cool Brewing Bag, which he loves).
The coolers are designed to maintain the right temperature so consumers can transport and serve their beer at the ideal temperature. Their coolers are also meant to promote using kegs versus the mess, hassle and time it takes to bottle your beer.
These coolers came about has their hot new product after they created the ideal fermentation cooler.
Now, after you’re done fermenting your homebrew, you can keg it and utilize their coolers to hold the temperature of the keg during transport and serving the beer. In addition to the benefits for homebrewers who take their kegs on the go, the cooler would be beneficial for breweries who struggle with keeping their kegs cool during transport and serving. It also might be beneficial for any brewery traveling to festivals/events and tents who need to transport their kegs and keep them cool during a long festival day.
We ordered the 5G Corny cooler and we were pretty excited to try it out. Currently in the keg is a grapefruit wheat waiting for tasting day. I think my hands still smell like grapefruit because brewing day meant zesting about eight grapefruits. I’ll spare you the details!
Moving on…
Things I liked about the 5G Corny:
- The keg’s temperature held great during transport (about an hour drive) and serving (our party enjoyed the grapefruit wheat throughout the night at the right temp)
- The straps made it easier to tie it down in the car to keep it from moving around
- The polyester material exterior is sturdy
- Our keg fit nice and snuggly without wiggle room
- The zipper on the top makes for easy access to tap and for hoses
- The inside material is easy to clean
The only thing I didn’t care for was the straps for carrying the keg. They didn’t make it easy for me to carry. Don’t think I’m weak, though! I lift weights adamantly. The strap didn’t make the pickup nor the carry as easy as described. I’d recommend two sturdy handles on the sides or something like backpack straps. Two people could grab two handles more easily and one person would be able to pick it up more easily too.
Additionally, I would suggest they add a clear plastic pocket/slip sewed onto the side of the cooler. That way you could insert a label to your cooler so you knew what beer was in which cooler. We only have one keg so it wasn’t a problem for us, but I imagine it would benefit brewers traveling with multiple kegs identify their beer more easily.
Other than that, we liked the usefulness of the 5G Corny Cooler. It’s handy for those who need to travel with kegs and keep them cold. It held our keg’s temperature as promised when we brought it to one of summer’s last bonfires. It was like a lunchbox for your keg! A bonus that most lunch boxes can’t guarantee? It’s 100% waterproof in case anything goes wrong in your travels.
Thinking about trying one of their products out? Do it!
Cheers!
Jessi Boehme (pronounced like fame) is a registered dietitian and a recent graduate of Central Michigan University’s Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics, living in Beer City USA, Grand Rapids, Michigan. She works locally as a dietitian by day and by night you can find her getting flights of beer with friends and family. She’s excited to bring a nutrition and science background to the Homebrew Academy. Cheers!