Tap-a-draft?

[achy02]

Hi all,

Wondering if anyone has used the tap-a-draft system and might have some warnings, endorsement or otherwise?
Cheers
aches

 

[brenjak]

Mate,

I have one. It has been pretty good up until three weeks ago when a 5lt PET exploded and broke my finger, not to mention the waste of 5 litres of beer. I bottle one of those 5lt jobs and use Coopers bottles for the rest. No over carbonation problems with the bottles so i dont know why she went up like hand grenade. I got TAD as i cant afford kegs at the moment. I have been spending all my money on AG gear.

I have found that the CO2 does not last that long but you can just replace a bulb. Overall it is a good interim before getting kegs. It also saves on bottling and you dont need all the regulators, lines, taps etc that you need with kegs.

Prost!

 

[geoffi]

I've had a lot of success with converting plastic garden sprayers into 9L kegs (extensive thread about that on this forum). Pretty easy to do. Only problem is you need a bit of vertical space in the fridge so it's hard to fit them into a fridge that's doing dual service food/beer.

 

[brenjak]

I'll have a search for that thread as i have a dedicated brewing fridge. Beer and beer only allowed.

 

[achy02]

Thanks for the replies. I had never thought of garden sprayers as an option! Im sorry to hear about the broken finger, and the 5L is just putting salt into the wound. Im not ready to commit to kegging and have been bottling for a while now I just saw the tap-a-draft system and thought it looks like a cost effective alternative. Im not sure about the frig situation yet, if I could get away with using a shelf or two in the normal frig that would be good otherwise I may have to look at a dedicated beer frig.
Cheers
aches

 

[achy02]

ps i have read the thread on converting a garden sprayer into a keg. I can honestly say that I dont got the skills or time for it. So it brings me bag to the tap-a-draft. Quick question - does beer go flat if you carbonate it naturally and have it in the fridge? I was thinking of avoiding the gas bulbs if possible but am curious about the quality of pour etc

pss how did it blow up???

 

[bum]

You need the bulbs to serve and maintain carbing once you start drawing beer. I think that you are supposed to naturally carb with these things anyway. Mate of mine blew one of these up in his fridge trying to force carb it with the bulbs.

 

[jtsteel]

Used a TAD for a couple of years when I lived in a limited space situation. The system works quite well for what it is. I used both the PET bottles and 5Lt minikegs (hence my forum name) with the TAD head. I bought a couple of adapters from the U.S. which allowed the TAD to fit to the 5Lt minikegs. Took about 2 bulbs average to dispense either bottle or keg.

Dextrose in the bottle/keg to carb and set aside as you would with long necks or stubbies then attach TAD head, bulb of CO2 and away it goes. Never had a problem in all the time I used it. It was a good solution for the space I had at the time. I now have a full Kegging system ( 4 cornies ) and heaps of space to house it but I had to relocate to make that happen!

I have two TAD heads and 3 or 4 bottles and a couple of minikegs which are now surplus to requirements - any offers?

John.

 

[brenjak]

Thanks for the replies. I had never thought of garden sprayers as an option! Im sorry to hear about the broken finger, and the 5L is just putting salt into the wound. Im not ready to commit to kegging and have been bottling for a while now I just saw the tap-a-draft system and thought it looks like a cost effective alternative. Im not sure about the frig situation yet, if I could get away with using a shelf or two in the normal frig that would be good otherwise I may have to look at a dedicated beer frig.
Cheers
aches

If you buy the "breather" caps with the o ring in the lid you just store as normal and bottle condition. Once it is ready to go it lays on its side in the fridge so it really does not take up that much room.

 

[paulxb]

Used a TAD for a couple of years when I lived in a limited space situation. The system works quite well for what it is. I used both the PET bottles and 5Lt minikegs (hence my forum name) with the TAD head. I bought a couple of adapters from the U.S. which allowed the TAD to fit to the 5Lt minikegs. Took about 2 bulbs average to dispense either bottle or keg.

Dextrose in the bottle/keg to carb and set aside as you would with long necks or stubbies then attach TAD head, bulb of CO2 and away it goes. Never had a problem in all the time I used it. It was a good solution for the space I had at the time. I now have a full Kegging system ( 4 cornies ) and heaps of space to house it but I had to relocate to make that happen!

I have two TAD heads and 3 or 4 bottles and a couple of minikegs which are now surplus to requirements - any offers?

John.

Hi all, my first post!
new to kegging and and would be very interested in trying TAD,let me know if still for sale and how much? Paul

 

[manticle]

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum//ind...c=39652&hl=