Mini Tap aka Mini Keg/Mini Draft/Etc.

[JonGoku]

I tried a few searches on Brewcommune but was not able to turn up much. Although I do not plan on it this bottling day, I am curious about future batches if anyone has one, had experience with one, or is just a plain no-it-all when it comes to Mini Taps. They go by different names, but there are enough DYI instructions and kits online about how to convert a 2 liter soda bottle or the likes into a CO2 beer dispenser.

Some Links to Examples:
B3's kit "Tap-A-Draft"
Random DIY
Another DIY
One more for good measure




Questions I have about such a system:
- How much did it cost to build?
- Worth it?
- Any warnings or issues?
- Can it be force carbonated or do you still need to add sugar and condition?


TIA

[maltbarley]

Pretty cool project that shouldn't cost more than $35 to build minus the cooler but including the CO2 dispenser. Great for beer on the go if you are too lazy to pour out of a 2 liter bottle.

No, you don't want to use cartridges for force carbonating. They are handy for serving but on the expensive side if you plan to use a few to carbonate. Also, you'd want a regulator and the last time I checked B3, those little dispensers with a regulator were around $100.

[BrewMasterBrad]

I used a Tap-a-Draft system for a little while. I still have it, but I never use it. I found that kegging, while more expensive at first, is much more convenient and efficient. I may be persuaded to part with the tap-a-draft for the right price.

[brew captain]

Cornelius kegs are the best option in my opinion. Better to wait until you can afford the basic start-up kit (I think they are around $150). I know this because I went with the cheaper Tap-a-draft system early on and totally regretted the decision. That system sucks as the dispensing mechanism is all but impossible to clean adequately, you can't force carbonate and you go through a crap load of those mini CO2 cartridges.

You are better off bottling until you can make the jump.

Brew Captain has spoken!



Cheers!

[JonGoku]

I may be persuaded to part with the tap-a-draft for the right price.

I just might be interested, pending the Brew Captains approval.

Cornelius kegs are the best option in my opinion. Better to wait until you can afford the basic start-up kit (I think they are around $150). I know this because I went with the cheaper Tap-a-draft system early on and totally regretted the decision. That system sucks as the dispensing mechanism is all but impossible to clean adequately, you can't force carbonate and you go through a crap load of those mini CO2 cartridges.

You are better off bottling until you can make the jump.

Brew Captain has spoken!



Cheers!

Fair enough argument, and one that I would probably be ok with, however the main reason I am debating this is due more to size than cost. I, being the wonderful (and humble ) spouse that I am, am just looking out for my wife's best interest. (For those not skilled at reading between the lines, "My wife will kill me if I get something as big as a kegerator").

Here's another funky article (CLICK ME!!). Seems like a lot of work for the quality of the finished product, but I guess if you're truly on a budget, and must have a kegging system then...

[brew captain]

I bottled for years and years. There is no shame in it. I really liked the portability and gift factor. At one point I went to 22oz bottles only, except for comp entries and really strong beers ('cause I would have a serious stinger in the morning after drinking too many 22's of Belgian strong ale).

I guess my point is that everything is very new to you right now and you really need to sit on your hands until you understand your goals and limitations better. Otherwise you will turn around after an impulsive moment and wish you did things totally different and then have to reinvest all the dough to buy what you should have bought before you ran off and blew all your money on the stuff you just realized you don't want and so on and so forth...

Sorry to get draconian on you, but there is enough brewing going on in this town that you can see a full spectrum of different ways of brewing and handling beer in almost no time. Then you can go confidently buy what made the most sense to you (and simultaneously permitted by the wife).


Cheers!

[brahn]

I agree with Brew Captain on this one ... get a few batches under your belt before you go too nuts on new equipment. Being able to do full boils is great, and that equipment will certainly grow with you, but something like this may or may not be something you find useful.

[BrewMasterBrad]

For once I agree with BC.

Get your brewing process down and make sure you have a product worthy of packaging before you decide what that package should be.

[dhempy]

Sound advice all around Jon ... be patient ... work on your process ... suffer through bottling. Part of your dues!

Dan

[JonGoku]

Thanks all. I think I deserved that I'll take it easier and work with what I've got at least for a few more brews.

Actually, spent 2 hours or so bottling tonight and have a new appreciation for it. I wasn't originally planning on bottling on a work night, but I got the green light from the wife to hang out with you all on Tuesday at Alcatraz for the club meeting, and I really didn't want to show up empty handed. Hopefully it will at least be partially carbonized and enough of a beer to at least have a few of you har and hum over and hopefully tell me something like "Not bad for a first, but could definitely be improved." I filled 45 22oz bottles and hopefully a couple weeks down the road will be wishing I had twice as much.

Cheers!

[maltbarley]

7 3/4 gallons? Was this 2 batches?

[dhempy]

7 3/4 gallons? Was this 2 batches?

I'd be willing to bet that 22 oz is a typo and was supposed to be 12 oz ...

Dan

[JonGoku]

7 3/4 gallons? Was this 2 batches?

I'd be willing to bet that 22 oz is a typo and was supposed to be 12 oz ...

Dan

haha, sorry I wasn't druck when I posted that, but I was tired as hell as it was 3:00AM.

That was a subtraction error on my part I guess. I filled two Kirin boxes less 3 bottles. The kirin boxes hold 22oz bottles and in my tired stupor I calculated 24 bottle per box instead of 15 which I should have.

My revised math would be (15x2)-4 = 26 (22oz bottles) + 1 16.9oz (500ml) bottle for a total of 4.6 gallons. I didn't account for evaporated water during boiling, so when you get through with adding the extract volume subtract the evaporated water and the lost beer from my first hydrometer reading (4 days after pitch), the trub, and the last bit that tiny bit left in the bottling bucket (used for final hydrometer reading). I think 4.6 gallons is accurate.

Sorry for the confusion.

Oh, and I just noticed I forgot to take off my silver ring before playing with the iodophor. Nice purple black color.

[dhempy]

Well you learned one thing already ... filling bigger bottles requires less sanitizing / capping

Your math sounds about right ... and 4.6 gallons sounds about right ... don't worry about volumes so much .. what is more important is your gravities (in terms of hitting flavor / style profiles). Volumetrics will work out over time ... I figure if I'm withing a couple of quarts or so by kegging time that I'm doing well.

Dan

[brew captain]

My titanium wedding band discolors with iodophor also. It goes away after about a week. I did notice that StarSan brightens my ring which is just one more reason to love it...


Good job Jon!


Cheers!