Can I use a beer or wine tap/faucet for dispensing soda?

Hi all,

Today I picked up 6 Corny kegs, and I'm now nearly ready to dispense.

I've got a Cornelius mini-carbonator (good for 300l/h), big old remote cooler with 10 coils and a couple of 14kg CO2 bottles.

I still have to get some ball lock fittings (ideas where to get 12 of these cheaply and will ship to the UK would be appreciated) and the CO2 regulators. I think I'll need a high pressure regulator for the carbonator and a secondary low pressure for the kegs if memory serves.

Anyway, back to the question in hand. I'm going to try and use these for events, so don't want to use a picnic tap. Will a beer or wine facuet/tap work OK, or are they set up completely differently?

Thanks all!

Jonathan

Should work just as well or better than a picnic tap. Look for stainless steel, as you don't want anything leeching into your beverage.

What price are you looking for shipped to the UK?

Thanks squire!

I was a little worried that beer fonts would cause foaming - obviously I was wrong!

As for the disconnects, put it this way - over here they're about £15GBP a pair. Delivery sometimes free, sometimes a couple of quid. That's daylight robbery!

I don't think it's so much the faucet as having a balanced system and serving at proper temperature.

Midwest Supplies ships international orders through Bongo, I don't know if you've ever used it, and I don't know what it costs, but it's an option.

mrfoodscientist said:

i don't think it's so much the faucet as having a balanced system and serving at proper temperature.

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+1

Thanks for the help guys.

OK, now I have to ask the obvious n00b question. Balanced systems?

I assume from my reading that we're talking about making sure that there's the right CO2 pressure in the keg, and that there's enough line to ensure correct flow resistance?

If that's correct then I'm planning on using about 10psi to dispense (but I can play with that obviously), but instead of running lots of hose I was thinking about using an in-line flow limiter (like these ).

My reasoning is that a) it'll save me money on the dozen or so pipes and spare pipes I'll have, and if I need to make myself a python it'll get REALLY expensive quickly, and b) it means there's less stuff to lug around.

Yes, this is going to be a mobile unit! I make soft-drinks in to glass bottles, and for events I go to I normally take a cider-keg or two full (25 litre, black, plastic tap), but want to be able to do more, quicker, and more professionally as I'll also be offering it for hire to other outside caterers for use with my products.

That will work just fine although it didn't say a min/max pressure for either the inlet or outlet... I think the better name of "beverage inline line length pressure compensator" is better...lol...

Hey ginga ninja how did you go with that tap? Im in the same predicament wanting to use a beer tap for soda that comes out of a turbo carbonator but the technician is saying that its gonna come out with too much pressure. Did you find flow limiters or high pressure regulators to help you?

howareyou said:

Hey ginga ninja how did you go with that tap? Im in the same predicament wanting to use a beer tap for soda that comes out of a turbo carbonator but the technician is saying that its gonna come out with too much pressure. Did you find flow limiters or high pressure regulators to help you?

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Bumping this tread. It seems to me now that the beer faucets have a harder time pouring 'good' soda pours.

Anyone else want to chime in.

I can get beer taps to give good soda pours as long as I have the serving pressure set really, really low.
Lower it to about 5psi or lower. Just enough to push the beer out.

Regular serving pressure for beer (8-10psi) is just too fast and generates too much foam.