Using Coors or Miller light home draft bottles for homebrew

It's high time for a new thread on this subject, a thread that understands what the system is and how it can be used to package our homebrew.
The Coors light and Miller light home draft packaging is much like the well known Tap a Draft product. The system uses 1.5 gallon plastic bottles that can easily be refilled with homebrew and recharged with new CO2 cartridges.
The Coors and Miller products cost about $20 each in the stores, so for about $60 you can buy three of them. The three bottles will be enough to package a standard 5 gal batch and you will have three dispensing mechanisms.
Thanks to having a dispenser for each bottle, the homebrewer can easily have multiple brews on tap in their primary or spare fridge. This system saves hundreds of dollars compared to soda keg systems that require a dedicated fridge.
I personally have reused these bottles several times by just priming with corn sugar as usual in my bottling bucket, and filling them along with smaller bottles as well. I wait 2-3 weeks to carb and then I refrigerate the 1.5 gal bottles at least 24 hours prior to recharging with a new CO2 cartridge.
I think that it is a brilliant system. The bottle empties much more quickly than a 5gal keg so it is soon freed up for another batch. The package is compact and portable too.

These are all good points...but I don't think anything is going to replace my kegerator. The ease of the system you are talking about cannot be denied but there is nothing like pulling a pint from a kegerator you built yourself. Not to mention it looks a whole lot nicer than BMC draft bottles!

I tried this method for a couple times. I never did have a problem with the co2 canister. you just have to make sure the smaller ones are perfectly centered in the holder and screw them in SLOWLY. The problem I had was, after refilling once or twice, the bottles were very wrinkled and I didn't trust them anymore without fear of bursting under the pressure. I am just going to break down and buy full kegging equipment.

I guess it goes with "Ya get what ya pay for."

I used one for my last batch (IPA). I had some issues with the first 1/4 being all foam. Then it finally got better and worked pretty good. The last few pints were very murky since it draws from the bottom. Overall it works pretty good

Here's my issues with it, and I'll list them in order of importance.

A. This system is designed as a disposable beer dispensing device. Sorry, but there's no escaping this one. The tap is secured to the to the bottle with a little plastic seal, very much the same as a 2-liter soda cap. It's not intended for multiple uses, and it will leak over time. The plastic bottle itself is VERY thin, and wrinkles easily. The tap just feels very breakable. Most of these concerns are addressed with the actual tap-a-draft system, which costs more money than the Coors/Miller bottle. Read: Disposable.

B. The C02 cartridge has a non-standard collar size. You need to use an o-ring, or some electric tape to build up the diameter of the c02 cart. Some people have had luck without doing this, but others have had the c02 leak in less than 24 hours.

C. It has a fixed regulator, and that regulator is set to Light American Lager C02 volumes. This device was made to hold the carbonation of a Miller Light or Coors Light. If the beer i'm intending to serve isn't that carbonated, guess what: After a few days in the C/M home draft, it will be.

D. The label's don't remove easily. I know this isn't a problem for many, but I find it tacky when there's a commercial label on home brewed beer. It just doesn't sit right with me.

Because of those reason I don't find them to be a good product to use full time. My Keezer setup was under $350 total, and that was with a brand new Freezer. For me it was just worth having equipment that will last a lifetime.

With that said, I do use the Coors Miller systems. I find them great as portable/disposable vessels to take beer to a BBQ or party. I can quickly fill it from my Keezer, and dispense 1.5Gal at another location. I usually just throw it away when I'm done with it, as I have friends that drink BMC, and it's pretty easy for me to get another one. I have to say, they are absolutely fantastic as a growler replacement.