How do you limit beer consumption off kegs?

I was cutting up a tree last weekend, getting frustrated my chainsaw was to small for what I was doing. After a few hours I came in the house and my friends who came over to "help me" were sitting around the kitchen table enjoying some home brew, which is fine, even encouraged! But one friend has had to much, he's slurring his words. I told him he needed to call someone for a ride home or I'd beat the crap out of him. So as he's waiting for his ride, he asked for some home brew to take home; I picked up the keg of stout, and half of a newly tapped keg has been drank. This was my "A" list stout, that would have lasted me months to drink, savoring one pint at a time. All I'm saying is what the heck people. I'm not going to nag another grown man to stop drinking, I am not his mother or his wife (not their job either). Next time I'm having people over I'll valve off the co2 and that will limit how much can get drunk; on the other hand I don't want people to see what I'm doing and start monkeying with the co2. How do you limit beer consumption off kegs?

mikescooling said:

I was cutting up a tree last weekend, getting frustrated my chainsaw was to small for what I was doing. After a few hours I came in the house and my friends who came over to "help me" were sitting around the kitchen table enjoying some home brew, which is fine, even encouraged! But one friend has had to much, he's slurring his words. I told him he needed to call someone for a ride home or I'd beat the crap out of him. So as he's waiting for his ride, he asked for some home brew to take home; I picked up the keg of stout, and half of a newly tapped keg has been drank. This was my "A" list stout, that would have lasted me months to drink, savoring one pint at a time. All I'm saying is what the heck people. I'm not going to nag another grown man to stop drinking, I am not his mother or his wife (not their job either). Next time I'm having people over I'll valve off the co2 and that will limit how much can get drunk; on the other hand I don't want people to see what I'm doing and start monkeying with the co2. How do you limit beer consumption off kegs?

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they will always find a way, lol i had a good friend kill 3/4 bottle of johnny blue while i was in the back bbq'in

I would bottle off the kegerator before friends come over and disconnect the liquid lines from the kegs and hand out bottles.

Cheers

it's easy for me. I'm very anti-social in the real world. it's not very often my wife & I ever have people over. and when we do, 98% of the few don't like my "dark beers", such as my Helles.

If you have a "special" beer that you don't want to share, then don't share it. Take it off the tap and sub something else in. You can't regulate how much people drink if you put it out for them. Same goes for expensive bombers, rare beers etc.

Choose your friends more carefully.

Offer them a different beer that you don't mind parting with, don't offer them beer, or don't complain about them drinking your beer.

For example, the beer in my fridge is established as my fancy, expensive beer that's off-limits. Guests drink what's on tap.

A few of you woke up on the wrong side of the bed. I'm the first one to admit I am part of the Hypocrisy. Many times I started with one beer and that turned into two, then three. It's not the end of the world, a beer that I was thinking about for the last 4 months was pounded down, like a college kid drinking at a party. If you give beer away for free, a small few people may decide that free beer means, drink as much as I can. If having tapped beer turns into a problem, no matter what happens, I'm not turning into a beer nazi. And that is why I am asking you folks for help and ideas?

Smaller kegs? I don't think taking the CO2 off would help - if there is even a decent amount gone from the keg already the head pressure would probably allow the rest to flow (might get mighty slow by the end though so that could "limit" them)
You could get mighty trick with it and hook up a couple of solenoid valves to the beer lines, one to the beer, one to CO2, and a flow switch/sensor and a microcontroller so that if too many beers are poured from a keg in too short a timeframe the beer valve shuts, CO2 opens and it looks like the keg has blown. Wait untill the freinds have gone and you can reset your tap and enjoy a nice quiet pint of you A-list stout!
I image that that wasn't really what you were imagining but at least you could hassel them for always killing your kegs when they are over!

How about a 24v solenoid valve in the beer line and a time delay. You get one shot at pouring a beer, then have to wait five minutes. mattd2 if I did it that way, I wouldn't be able to work it. My crap would be broken.

If someone is hell bent on getting drunk keep a 30 of busch light next to the keg, and tell them your beer is not for mass consumption. I had something similar happen to me at a backyard barbeque when I saw an invite of an invite chugging one of my heady toppers that he helped himself to...plain and simple don't f?%k with another man's beer, it's just wrong!!!

They make tap locks (think steering wheel lock) that you insert into the tap and it shuts it off. Useful on adults and children alike

I like the solenoid time delay idea. Overly complicated, true HBT solution!

mikescooling said:

A few of you woke up on the wrong side of the bed. I'm the first one to admit I am part of the Hypocrisy. Many times I started with one beer and that turned into two, then three. It's not the end of the world, a beer that I was thinking about for the last 4 months was pounded down, like a college kid drinking at a party. If you give beer away for free, a small few people may decide that free beer means, drink as much as I can. If having tapped beer turns into a problem, no matter what happens, I'm not turning into a beer nazi. And that is why I am asking you folks for help and ideas?

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best idea is to make them brew a batch as per your instructions & guidance and explain to them why you brew and what it takes to do so. also why the beer to be consumed shouldn't just be thrown back like BL. short of that, bar them from drinking your craft. although the time delay idea is neat, it could prove to be a PITA.

or you could do as I did & become very aggressive about people leaving your good beer alone. but then people won't want to hang out with the crazy violent guy with good beer.

I let my friends drink what they please when they're over, it's not like I can't make more, and it's kind of the whole point of beer, isn't it? Good friends, good beer, good times ..... hospitality.

I like my friends more than my beer.

If it's an issue for you though, I agree with other guys who said to just disconnect your special beer.

Well, many suggestions here that we can learn from. If friends come to help me with a job, there is no drinking until the job is done. I like to keep it simple. Maybe I would have some lighter ales available if no power equipment is being used or other "dangerous work" is being performed. Me working while my invited "helpers" are emptying out my kegs would be a firm no-no. But I enjoy having a whole bunch of beer with them once we accomplished the task.

Disclaimer: We don't have a real lot of friends, and all of them respect house rules and common sense.

Easy for me as I just use painters tape for labels of what's on tap. I remove the label and throw one of these on the tap.





If you only have one tap, works just the same.....

Think you're overthinking this. Your house, you should pour. The issue is letting people fill their own glass - if you're pulling every pint, you control how much goes in. Chances are if your buddies have to ask for it, they'll behave better. And if not, don't pour that second (or third, or fourth...) pint and explain why.

Honestly, if I had free rein over a keg of homebrew and I'd been told to help myself, I would. I think your first step should be to manage your friend's expectations, and take it from there.

IslandLizard said:

Me working while my invited "helpers" are emptying out my kegs would be a firm no-no.

Disclaimer: We don't have a real lot of friends, and all of them respect house rules and common sense.

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I'm not sure what the OP is really looking for here. I am with the post above. It has less to do with the beer, and more to do with the company you choose to keep. If you want to have guys around that empty your kegs while you work then that is totally your choice. You could turn off your kegerator, but then he might start nosing through your fridge.

Hey, you asked.

StittsvilleJames said:

I let my friends drink what they please when they're over, it's not like I can't make more, and it's kind of the whole point of beer, isn't it? Good friends, good beer, good times ..... hospitality.

I like my friends more than my beer.

If it's an issue for you though, I agree with other guys who said to just disconnect your special beer.

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Yes, I like that, and that is what I'm about. Most people don't get sloppy drunk. I think part of the problem is everyone thinks I have unlimited beer. Wiggle my nose and another 18 gallons shows up. I think the option of disconnecting the stout and reconnecting (cheaper parti-gyle) porter is simple and easy. So the easiest thing up till now is have a "scape keg" a keg that takes a hit for the team.

If you don't want people drinking your beer then DNA make the beer available to them, pretty simple

All my friends that drink my beer have also had their hands in the process at some point in time and fully understand what goes into to brewing beer. Understand as well that we are of an older crowd as well

They also never show up empty handed so there is always some commercial beer to have whether its my place or theirs, that's just a common courtesy. And if they enjoy my beer I'll certainly enjoy what they brought in because I'm a good host.

If the folks that keep showing up empty handed keep consuming your beer just because they can then they are not worthy in my eyes and can just go buy their own freakin beer and get drunk at their own house

I know a lot of people are saying get new friends. My friends and family come with faults and I accept them and they put up with my crap too. We are problem solving here people, thinking critically, out of the box. when I started this tread, I was thinking of limiting beer and now I'm thinking of decoy beer. Now we need a faucet that explodes.

mikescooling said:

Yes, I like that, and that is what I'm about. Most people don't get sloppy drunk. I think part of the problem is everyone thinks I have unlimited beer. Wiggle my nose and another 18 gallons shows up. I think the option of disconnecting the stout and reconnecting (cheaper parti-gyle) porter is simple and easy. So the easiest thing up till now is have a "scape keg" a keg that takes a hit for the team.

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I like the idea that someone mentioned to show them what is involved in the nose wiggling business.
Invite them round for a BBq and say your going to brew some beer - when they arrive caution them that brewing bee involves a fair bit of heavy lifting and large volumes of boiling liquids, so for safety it is best not to start on the beers until after the boil is done and you are cooling the wort... 5 hours later when they notice that they are finally allowed to start drinking it might sink in that there is a bit more involved but if you start at 10am everyone should still going to be happy by 3pm (the time my family normally have people come over for BBq, etc.)!

In all fairness, they did come over to help with the tree removal and my crappy saw stopped the project. I was outside trying to make it work but the saw just didn't have the ball's to finish. I just now got a Husqvarna, it kicks butt!

i don't keg but its not uncommon for members of my family to take a sixer with them when we get together. there's only 3 of us who drink beer so I'm usually only down a case or so after a party and there my brother's so it doesnt bother me. I think the problem is because we make our own ppl don't associate a cost with it. they don't realize the cost is the time and effort put into it

mikescooling said:

I know a lot of people are saying get new friends. My friends and family come with faults and I accept them and they put up with my crap too. We are problem solving here people, thinking critically, out of the box. when I started this tread, I was thinking of limiting beer and now I'm thinking of decoy beer. Now we need a faucet that explodes.

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Nah not one that explodes - that would get expensive! get one that shoots beer at people that drink to much of your good stuff! It could be like russian roulette - it will spray at random so it is a risk everytime you take a pint (with the chances gooing up the longer it hasn't gone off) that should get people slowing down (and nobody is allowed to have an empty vessle!)

mikescooling said:

I just now got a Husqvarna, it kicks butt!

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Problem solved then?

You could hand the Husqvarna to the guy slurring his words. That would reduce the number of people consuming your kegs.



Ok, I'm sorry. I'm just having fun. Tomorrow I have to go back to work.

mattd2 said:

Nah not one that explodes - that would get expensive! get one that shoots beer at people that drink to much of your good stuff! It could be like russian roulette - it will spray at random so it is a risk everytime you take a pint (with the chances gooing up the longer it hasn't gone off) that should get people slowing down (and nobody is allowed to have an empty vessle!)

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That is a million dollar idea, why hasn't someone made this? A little beer in the eye will slow ya down or speed ya up.

Yambor44 said:

Easy for me as I just use painters tape for labels of what's on tap. I remove the label and throw one of these on the tap.

If you only have one tap, works just the same.....

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I have all that stuff. Keeping score we have decoy beer and the fake out of order faucet. And as soon as someone makes it, the random spraying faucet.

mikescooling said:

I have all that stuff. Keeping score we have decoy beer and the fake out of order faucet. And as soon as someone makes it, the random spraying faucet.

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I also like Yambor's way. and the random spraying faucet idea.

another way I was thinking was to add a bunch of laxative to a keg & let your friends (the free beer fiends) pour off that with a picnic faucet. that'll end their free beer folly quite quickly, though it might ruin your reputation.

why do my ideas have serious social drawbacks?

I usually bottle special or big brews from the keg when it reaches the carb level I want. Then I have more space in the keezer for things that go faster and I can keep a few of each "special" beer in bottles on the hump. I will pour one of these special beers if they ask for them, otherwise I let them serve themselves from the taps. I usually have an array of fairly low gravity beers on tap because that's what I prefer to drink most of the time. If they go through half a keg of one of those then I'm not out a lot of money and I appreciate the compliment

If I am having a lot of people over I will buy a 30 pk of cheap beer. I have 8 beers on tap in my living room so it is impossible for people to not want to help themselves, so if I don't want someone drinking one of the beers for any reason I speak up, pretty simple.

Always have other options available. I know it's kind of a hassle but when you brew beer you are known as the beer guy so if you don't want your keg of IIPA or Imperial Russian Stout gone in 4 hours keep other beer ready to go. More often than not it works....or don't invite D-bags to your house.

brettg20 said:

If I am having a lot of people over I will buy a 30 pk of cheap beer. I have 8 beers on tap in my living room so it is impossible for people to not want to help themselves, so if I don't want someone drinking one of the beers for any reason I speak up, pretty simple.

Always have other options available. I know it's kind of a hassle but when you brew beer you are known as the beer guy so if you don't want your keg of IIPA or Imperial Russian Stout gone in 4 hours keep other beer ready to go. More often than not it works....or don't invite D-bags to your house.

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most of my friends are D-bags. or as my friend Scary Larry put it: Where ever I go, all my friends are f#*%heads.

Billy-Klubb said:

most of my friends are D-bags. or as my friend Scary Larry put it: Where ever I go, my friends are f#*%heads.

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HAHA most of my friends are D-bags as well, that is why I keep Coors Lt in my fridge. I don't mind a buddy have a few, but when they get sloppy out comes the Sh&# beer because at that point to them it is all the same

To be honest to me it's not about the money lost in someone drinking all the beer, it is the time involved in brewing it that they don't realize

brettg20 said:

HAHA most of my friends are D-bags as well, that is why I keep Coors Lt in my fridge. I don't mind a buddy have a few, but when they get sloppy out comes the Sh&# beer because at that point to them it is all the same

To be honest to me it's not about the money lost in someone drinking all the beer, it is the time involved in brewing it that they don't realize

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which brings me back to making them brew a batch or two. :rockin:

Basically, if a friend drinks all my homebrew, the next time we hit a bar, my tab is on him.

LOL. I guess I'm pretty lucky. None of my friends are D-bags. Most of them have kept me company on brew days and understand what goes into making beers from scratch. I also don't tolerate lushes. I'll cut you off if you start slurring words. You wanna get drunk at your house that's your deal, but at my house, with my family around I don't like it. I've never had anyone give me any grief about the policy at all. In fact, I can only think of a few times I've ever had to do that. Again, I guess I'm blessed with good friends.

I gotta say all my brewer friends are good guys. People I've gotten to know through here and my home brew club. Some of them are the best people I know. They know how to pace themselves.

My friends are pretty respectful and will ask before they even grab a glass/mug or even think of pulling a beer. I keep a beer fridge near the keezer that has some BMC and other commercial offerings for those who want to drink more irresponsibly, and no one seems to overindulge much. In my experience the irresponsible drinkers prefer the BMC anyway. If/When I have a special for me only keg (does not really happen) I just disconnect the beer out, and possibly connect up a different keg. Easy peasey. Most people are decent enough to not open the keezer and mess with kegs.

I know, I know. Get one of those court ordered integrated car starter breathalyzer machines and hook it up to an actuator that will block off your beer out lines. Make it so if someones BAC is approaching the legal limit that it will not pour. Brilliant!

I really like the idea of letting them brew a batch with you. I really think it is a great experience that someone can enjoy. If they don't want to do the work then fine, but at least you get some company come brew day.

I have the exact opposite problem on my end. I am overly excited about my first brew and really want to share. I've been turned down by people because they say the only home brew they had was bad or that they're not taking my beer after I worked so hard. The entire point of me brewing is to learn, drink, and share. I really enjoy sharing with neighbors and I don't expect anything in return. Well, perhaps they can throw a bucket of water on my house if it is on fire one day or something like that. I think with kegs it is hard to tell how much has been poured or to limit people. I would probably keep a brew that perhaps was considered one I wanted to have around for months in the back and put something that can be a daily drinker up front. Or maybe bottle that a-list beer in bombers. You can still break out a few with buddies, but you're not opening up your entire batch to people.

I disagree with people saying get new friends. As someone with very few, I'd prefer to have my friends around than my beer. I do hope that all friends can be respectful as I would do the same.