Tap-a-draft system

Ok so the more I think about it I'm really debating if I have the space and or money to build a kegerator. This may be the cheapskate in me talking but has anybody used the the tap a draft system? Opinions?

Bump.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/tap-draft-first-impression-60237/index9.html

Mixed results from people. My BIL has one and he liked it when he was brewing, now with 2 little ones running around he just buys beer.

Here is my setup and it works great for me. I modified mine to run off of a paintball tank.

I have a tap a draft system, used for about a year. I like it, make sure you use Teflon tape on the threads for the caps or tap. There are 2 plastic rings that need to be placed on the c02 cartridges in a specific order. I got a case of c02 cartridges off amazon for $20. For the price, it works well. Good enough to force carbonate my trippel brews...sometimes I will carb a batch and fill growlers also.

I started out using the Tap-A-Draft system a couple of years ago, after getting back into brewing from a long layoff. I didn't have the cash to keg right away, and also knew I didn't want to bottle. I have an older version than kmcace, where the tap uses two smaller CO2 cartridges.

I never used it to carb - only pour. I don't really use it now, just to take to parties and such. When I used it regularly, though, I was very happy with it. I think it's a good intermediate step to kegging, and you can just keep 1/3 of a batch in the fridge at once. If your budget doesn't allow for kegging, but it does for this, I say go for it.

Kmcace. Didn't you're system all adding up get somewhat pricey? Isn't each of the taps or dispensers like $40 alone?

They are. It's a cheaper alternative and there is plenty that can go wrong with the dispenser hardware. I've broken CO2 needles, blown out pressure release valves and frozen gaskets on them till they crack. Do they work? Yes, but you will seriously go through a lot of 16 gram CO2 cartridges. I usually burn about two of them on one bottle. That's the bad news.

The good news is, it saves you a lot of time and space when you can fill three bottles for most five gallon batches (with a few 12 ouncers left over). They are extremely portable, which is great for parties, bottle shares and tailgating. If you do plan to bring them to events away from home, definitely pick up the blue insulated carrying bag. The ice pack inside of that bag makes it worth getting for any growler situation as well. It's more awesome than the bottles. Also, the PET bottles are perfect small batch brewing vessels and will take a #6 sized cork no problem. I use them to brew in for club competitions when they select a style that I don't particularly enjoy.

So there you have it. Good and bad depending on your needs. If you just want them for kegging, go with cornies if you can afford it.

I may just stay with bottles for now haha. Maybe slowly acquire and look out for pieces of kegerator. One of the real reasons I want to keg is to force carbonate so I don't have to wait forever for some batches to carb up but it doesn't really seem like tap a draft does that

SCBrewster said:

Kmcace. Didn't you're system all adding up get somewhat pricey? Isn't each of the taps or dispensers like $40 alone?

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If I had to buy everything then it would have been pricey/ I had some friend who like to drink Coors Light and drank up all the beer and gave me the bottles and taps from them. I then modified those. I do have one Tap A Draft tap that I left alone for portability. I had to purchase the paintball tank and regulator.

Oh well that's pretty sweet then. I didn't realize the coors ones were reusable