Pimp My TapKing

[woodynet]

Guys.. I found this Tutorial

https://www.coopers.com.au/coopers-forum/topic/10521/?page=3

I've ordered 8 X co2 cyclinders and the mini regulator, will try and find the pack mentioned earlier at bunnings
so what should the pressure be set at and when changing over you turn the tap off on the keg king regulator ?

I plan on just topping up the empties at brew brothers here in Brisbane.. what cleaner do I use for the bottles before heading over ?

cheers

 

[soreba]

Guys.. I found this Tutorial

https://www.coopers.com.au/coopers-forum/topic/10521/?page=3

I've ordered 8 X co2 cyclinders and the mini regulator, will try and find the pack mentioned earlier at bunnings
so what should the pressure be set at and when changing over you turn the tap off on the keg king regulator ?

I plan on just topping up the empties at brew brothers here in Brisbane.. what cleaner do I use for the bottles before heading over ?

cheers

woodynet, I generally set my mini reg to 10psi or the first notch on the gauge. Anything higher than than gets a bit too foamy.
Experimentation is key with the mini reg as it took me a while to find the right pressure.

Also if have found that it takes around 5 mins for the reg to equalize pressure again once a glass has been poured (as compared to the tapking reg which will push gas in during a pour). So just open the reg up a little at a time (then wait, the open a little more) to avoid too much pressure and leave it alone once you get to 10-12psi and doesnt go any higher after a few mins. Might just be my reg not sure but something to look out for.

And yes, turn the reg off when changing bottles, the gas tube is free flowing otherwise without the bottle.

 

[woodynet]

Great thanks for the tips Soreba, what about the bottle cleaning ? I've seen mentioned a few times a non rinse solution .. but I'm thinking will a bit of washing detergent and rinsing do the trick ? remember my plan is to just go and fill the bottles up at a place that does their own brewing !

Cheers


Darren

 

[MastersBrewery]

Great thanks for the tips Soreba, what about the bottle cleaning ? I've seen mentioned a few times a non rinse solution .. but I'm thinking will a bit of washing detergent and rinsing do the trick ? remember my plan is to just go and fill the bottles up at a place that does their own brewing !

Cheers


Darren

Regular washing detergent is awful for beer. Easiest would be non scented nappy san, and then a sanitiser from your local brew store. Sanitiser a must if you are going to keep the beer for anything longer that a day or 2. My fav is star san but there are others

 

[woodynet]

Thanks everyone for your links and advice! We have a successful Tap King conversion, still experimenting with the pressure, only getting just over one keg on the 16g bulbs, no leaks where found, but some of the guys where playing around with the dials taking the second keg upto 30 early on, be happy to hear how others are going with squeezing out as much gas as possible !

 

[sunnybrew]

Gday All, I will be posting a blow by blow photo and guide to building this from info here in this thread and a few mods... Bloody easy and neat if you have a drill and a few bits

SIDE

FRONT
mrTbeer!! This little gem (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/281162248363?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649) which I see you found after project 1, 2.....? Is awesome... Best direction from anywhere on the net.. You Rock! would have been lost trying the soda stream setup Thanks for breaking the ground and letting me follow...

All it has apart from the tap king standard head bits and the Regulator as shown by mrTbeer is;

1 x threaded barb from pirtek $2.60
1 x 3cm beer line $
1 x 1cm long 3mm vinyl hose $

As I said full directions and photos soon :-D But easy as!

CHEERS!!! :-D

(Lesson of the Day! Dont sort photos in Photobucket after you have shared links....lol :-D)

 

[barls]

Pics don't work sunny

 

[sunnybrew]

Pics don't work sunny

Edited Sorrybarls

 

[barls]

No problems mate just wanted to see what you were talking about

 

[codyg]

Hey guys,

New to brewing and new to this forum but I wanted to check that you guys are filling these tap kings straight from the fermentation bucket and then just carbonating using this setup? I had someone tell me I would need to carbonate it first in bottles or a keg but I thought that kind of defeated the purpose of this ...

Thanks for your help

 

[MastersBrewery]

You could do either, the way Sunny (pics above ) has his set up you could force carb

 

[Beerisyummy]

Hey guys,

New to brewing and new to this forum but I wanted to check that you guys are filling these tap kings straight from the fermentation bucket and then just carbonating using this setup? I had someone tell me I would need to carbonate it first in bottles or a keg but I thought that kind of defeated the purpose of this ...

Thanks for your help

Welcome to AHB CodyG.

I just wanted to add a little more info to MB's post above.

To get relatively clear beer into the bottles it's best to force carb in the bottles. You can force carb without an external regulator with just the normal 12g cartridges.
Bear in mind that the 16g bulbs and reg allow you to swap out bottles at any time by backing the reg off totally.
Edit: I forgot to add that you need to crash cool the **** out of the FV. You want that sucker forming ice crystals on the top if that's your only form of clearing before bottling. Carefully drain the first bit until it runs clear, then fill her up.

I've done TK's every which way and can honestly say I'm going back to the 12g cartridges (with cradle removed). Heaps easier and better for eskies and the like.
I have one unit that I can plug a regulator into and one unit that I just use 8g or 12g bulbs on. The bulb unit gets the most use now that I have kegs on tap. it's also capable of force carbing if you make a dial for the existing regulator.

Anyway, I'm not trying to slag off the pimped out TK's everyone's put so much work into. They rock :super: . I just wanted to let you know there are several ways to get results.

PS. What I really want to see is a pimped TK that uses the existing TK regulator. I guess I've just found another project to add to the list.


Happy Brewing.

 

[codyg]

Thanks for the info guys I have my first brew on at the moment, having trouble keeping a regular temp for the fermentor so I have just acquired a second hand fridge and one of them STC-1000 Temp Controllers off eBay. So keen to get started and I think this would be a great way to share my brew with a few friends (once I get comfortable brewing)

 

[davedoran]

Gday All, I will be posting a blow by blow photo and guide to building this from info here in this thread and a few mods... Bloody easy and neat if you have a drill and a few bits

SIDE

FRONT
mrTbeer!! This little gem (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/281162248363?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649) which I see you found after project 1, 2.....? Is awesome... Best direction from anywhere on the net.. You Rock! would have been lost trying the soda stream setup Thanks for breaking the ground and letting me follow...

All it has apart from the tap king standard head bits and the Regulator as shown by mrTbeer is;

1 x threaded barb from pirtek $2.60
1 x 3cm beer line $
1 x 1cm long 3mm vinyl hose $

As I said full directions and photos soon :-D But easy as!

CHEERS!!! :-D

(Lesson of the Day! Dont sort photos in Photobucket after you have shared links....lol :-D)

Hey mate,

Any other photos of how you connected this up internally?

 

[sunnybrew]

Hey Guys

I had been priming the bottles with 6 of the priming tabs which carbonated them well but didn't have the guts to get it out of the bottles. The 8g bulbs are fine in you have primed the bottles with 6 tabs as are the 12's and 16's via replacement and the external CO2.

In my experience the 8g and 12g bulbs dont put enough carbonation in for my liking. I like a beer to work is freakin guts out while I get to put my feet up! lol

Just bottled an Tooheys old replica where I put 0 tabs in the first bottle, 1 in the second and so on till the 7th bottle had 6 sugar tabs. I am actually going to force carb them all at 50psi for 12hours at 1degC and then test carbonation levels once poured and ascertain what is the best ratio.

For anyone wanting to hack their Tap King I am slowly gathering all the ideas and mods from across the net including all the ones on here and create a central reference, video instructionals, photos, item links and more at

http://tapkinghacked.info

Once I have my 4th and 5th kegs done I will be building a Tap King Slab from an old barfridge to hold 4 kegs at once with their Tap Out through holes in the rectangular box design.... stay tuned!...... Hahahaha Get Your Taps Out!!! Or even show us your Taps! ..... Tap King has got a new advertising campaign in that little funny...!!!!

Hot chick has her back to a building site, when she is noticed and a guys calls out show us your ...... as she turn around her says...... Taps!?! as it pans down to her holding two TK Kegs With heads and all clutched against her chest.... Hahahaha.... might have to send that one to em.....hahahaha

 

[sunnybrew]

Hey mate,

Any other photos of how you connected this up internally?

Right here bud http://tapkinghacked.info will get you to the YouTube Channel with full video tutorial... still uploading the final few videos very slowly so by tomorrow or the next you will be right to replicate my version by following all the videos... Hope you enjoy :-D

 

[davedoran]

Right here bud http://tapkinghacked.info will get you to the YouTube Channel with full video tutorial... still uploading the final few videos very slowly so by tomorrow or the next you will be right to replicate my version by following all the videos... Hope you enjoy :-D

Love it. Good work

 

[sunnybrew]

Love it. Good work

Cheers Bud, If it help a few bods do the hack with out the guesswork and errors that add up cost and time I am happy man. Glad You like it Dave. Cheers!

 

[Beerisyummy]

Mmm. Cloudy beer.

You will love the fully force carbed version.

 

[davedoran]

Cheers Bud, If it help a few bods do the hack with out the guesswork and errors that add up cost and time I am happy man. Glad You like it Dave. Cheers!

Hey mate. Saw the other videos on website. Will be giving that a crack soon.
On a separate note do you if you can get the gas bulbs in nitrogen. Would be great for a nice creamy headed stout.
Good party trick.