Hi WortGames,
I have been using a TAD system for a couple of years now and am really quite satisfied with the unit(s). I actually own 4 of the valves (heads) that I purchased from MoreBeer, the PETs and bulbs I buy locally.
I agree that a full kegging system would be better, but in my case I don't have the space (my wife already gripes about the space my tiered AG setup takes up in the garage)
Anyway, see below for a couple of specific comments.
I have to confess I've never actually used one, but I did look into them a while back with thoughts of buying one, so I might as well share my thoughts for the point of discussion.
Firstly, the bottles are insanely expensive. Actually, the whole thing seems insanely expensive, but given that each bottle holds 6 litres and you would therefore need 4 of them to hold a standard brew, plus a few extras so you can bottle the next brew, and you are looking at quite an investment in PET bottles alone.
Agreed - the PET bottles are really expensive. I buy mine from www.ibrew.com.au here on the Gold Coast and, from memory they're around $17.00 each. But they are pretty durable and last a long time (I haven't had to toss any yet).
However, I would definitely suggest importing the valve units from the USA. With the current AUD/USD exchange rate, you can easily buy 2 valves + shipping from the US for the price of one here.
The sparklets bulbs aren't as common or as cheap here as they are in the UK and the US either, so the running costs are going to mount up pretty quickly - it would probably be cheaper to get a full corny system, and have something rugged and standardised with the ability to force-carbonate.
Interesting... I've never had any problems buying the bulbs here. Every kitchenware shop I've every tried to buy them from has stocked them (and there's been quite a few). The Nitrogen charges are easy to get too if you choose to use one of those in conjunction with the CO2 charges. This is one big advantage that I can see the TAD system has over the Party Pig - you can buy the charges here, can opt to use Nitrogen for a creamier head, and aren't relying on a proprietary CO2 system.
Not sure how much they cost in the UK or US, but I pay around $8 for a pack of 10 which, if I'm not force carbonating, lasts at least a brew (4 PETs). If you force carbonate, you'll use at least double that.
Next there's the issue of sediment - if the bottles are naturally primed, stored upright until serving, then laid down - and there's a bit of tubing with a weight on it to draw off the beer, my guess is that the chances of ever getting clear beer out of the thing are fairly slim - especially at a party.
I was also concerned about the sediment problem. Surprisingly all my beers are crystal clear. The only thing I have to do is leave the bottle sit vertically for about 24 hours after I attach the valve to a new PET bottle (which is fine since it has to chill anyway). Once that's done, I can even transport the PET bottle (taking care not to shake too much) without affecting the clarity. The layer of sediment is fairly thin due to the fact that the surface area of the bottom of the PET bottle is quite large. In addition, the little weight appears to hold the tube just a fraction off the bottom of the bottle.
In summary, I would definitely recommend the TAD system for someone who, for whatever reason, can't/isn't ready to move to full-on kegging.
Hope this helps!
Cheers,
Michael. :beer:
PS - is this post long enough for an honourary PistolPatch award