Poll - 5L Mini Kegs?

What's your experience with the Philtap or other mini-keg systems for kegging your homebrew? (if you use another system, what is it?)

How did you manage to solve problems with your mini-keg system?

We had a thread on this topic a few years ago, but it's time we updated it: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/philtap-mini-keg-system-630/

I'm contemplating doing this...seems like it can address my dislike of bottling and space issues. But I want them to generally work.

I started a thread about those a while to help keep the information organzied:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/experiences-fass-frisch-report-them-here-82638/

Here are some other links I've found in researching this, in case others are interested:

Another forum on this topic: Philtap Question | Drinks Planet
Place to buy commercially sold 5L kegs: 5 Liter Kegs
A bit of an essay on the topic: 5L Mini-Kegs
Article on Mini Kegs and Party Pigs: Homebrewing And German Mini-Kegs

I deeply regret every penny and every ounce of beer I wasted on a 5L keg system.

david_42 said:

I deeply regret every penny and every ounce of beer I wasted on a 5L keg system.

Click to expand...

Well, I don't...probably because I purchased them in Germany from our local gasthaus and it had their beer in it...

I just kegged 2 of them with different hard ciders...

david_42 said:

I deeply regret every penny and every ounce of beer I wasted on a 5L keg system.

Click to expand...

What was the problem?

Pressure problems, they're a pain to clean, and the tap system I had kept breaking.

They are good if you are in a college dorm I guess. You know when your mini-fridge is you only fridge. I never used them. Never seemed like a good idea.

My LHBS is Listermann.com . They also make the "Phil" products. As far as I know everyone that works there uses cornies.

madewithchicken said:

They are good if you are in a college dorm I guess. You know when your mini-fridge is you only fridge.

Click to expand...

I live in a NYC studio; a bit nicer than a dorm, but I've still got space issues and just the one fridge. That's why I was thinking the mini kegs were a good idea...

I posted some links in this thread today about how some people are using them...

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/free-mini-keg-dilemma-88775/

Diomed said:

I live in a NYC studio; a bit nicer than a dorm, but I've still got space issues and just the one fridge. That's why I was thinking the mini kegs were a good idea...

Click to expand...

I have the same issue, but I'm going with the Tap-a-draft. Most of the issues I've heard with them seem to have been addressed in the new version.