Using commercial handles to represent homebrew kegs?

Ok..
when I tap a keg in the kegerator of doom, I usually mount up a tap handle from my collection that matches the style.

Portland Brewing Haystack Black for my Porter.
Widmer SnowPlow for my Milk Stout.
and so on.

anyone else do this or am I insane?

that is.... umm.. well, you must have a diverse selection of handles?

Whether or not anyone else does this has little to do with the fact that are indeed, insane.

thataintchicken said:

Ok..
when I tap a keg in the kegerator of doom, I usually mount up a tap handle from my collection that matches the style.

Portland Brewing Haystack Black for my Porter.
Widmer SnowPlow for my Milk Stout.
and so on.

anyone else do this or am I insane?

Click to expand...

I have 10ft lines mounted to my two hefeweizen tap handles for the higher carb beers and 5ft to the other normal carb beers.

I am thinking this is as close as you will get to anyone else doing what you are doing. Few people have a tap handle for each style of beer.

My vote is for insane. I have my own tap handles that I affix my labels to for my beers on tap. Although, I admit that when I have a commercial brew on deck I always try to have a corect tap handle for the brew. I went through this Sake bomber phase, I had a double magnum of Sake to go with my keg of Kirin and its really sweet Samurai hilt tap handle, (still a favorite tap handle) but for homebrew its always my own handle and my own label.

Well, my keggerator currently has 2 taps and I'm in the progress of building a keezer with 4 more. Since I collect Hamm's beer crap......All my taps have a different Hamm's beer tap handle. Not really stealing a commercial name....since it's mine also. So, Hamm's beer IS comming outta the taps!

thataintchicken said:

Ok..
when I tap a keg in the kegerator of doom, I usually mount up a tap handle from my collection that matches the style.

Portland Brewing Haystack Black for my Porter.
Widmer SnowPlow for my Milk Stout.
and so on.

anyone else do this or am I insane?

Click to expand...

insane, and the reason that tap handles have become rediculously overpriced.....

I think their overpriced because (like a alot of things) they are collectables for some people. I don't think their overpriced because of homebrewers..... I have over a dozen. Half of those I bought before I even thought about homebrewing.

You're not alone, I do this. Kegerator has 7 taps, and use handles close to the style (most of which I got for free from a couple of friends)
Dundee honey brown handle = homebrew honey brown
Sam's cherry wheat handle = any fruit beer
Even have a Weinhard's Root beer handle on my homebrew root beer tap.

Also put a chalkboard on the front of the kegerator to put up a legend.

I just built two tap handles for the new kegerator. 2 legs, 2 plinth blocks, and the screw in threaded adapters from Lowes. Several coats of black glossy spray paint, and a coat os chalkboard paint to write the style on. Total $13.50

I also talked to the guy who owns the British Pub next to my office, he dug out a bunch of old tap handles and bar mats he had in storage and just gave them to me. So I will be doing something similar with those... except maybe finding a way to fix my own labels/name onto the designs.

Sounds sweet, got any photos?

why yes, yes I do

I don't think it's insane at all! But then again this is coming from a guy who owns 160+ tap handles,haha!