How do you serve your kegs at parties?

[max384]

I'm getting married in two weeks, and I'm going to bring a keg or two of my homebrew along. The kegs are already carbed up and at serving temperature. I have an extra CO2 tank, regulator, disconnects with gas and beverage lines, and party taps (with 10' 3/16" beverage line). So, my actual kegging setup is complete, I'm just not sure how exactly I'll be keeping them cold. I'm worried that keeping them in a bucket like this filled with ice water:

will lead to too much temperature stratification, and foamy pours.


So how are you guys serving your kegs at parties? And include pictures if you've got 'em!

 

[Grannyknot]

I've never done 2 kegs, but ive done 1 in my 10 gallon cooler mash tun & it worked well.

 

[LLBeanJ]

I have a couple of those tubs and have served kegs out of them a few times now with no issues. A keg and 20 lbs of ice for each tub will fill them up.

 

[IslandLizard]

That will work fine. The beer that's being tapped comes from the bottom, so it's always cold. Ice and a little water is all it needs. Put it in a shady spot, not in direct sun.

Put someone else in charge to monitor, add ice, and help with pours if needed. You're going to be involved in too many other things for those details.

Enjoy your wedding day!

Added:
A cooler can fit 2 kegs side by side. Maybe easier.

 

[beerpete]

I use a small black trash can (new) and a snap tap. I love this set up!
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/draft-brewer-snap-tap-ball-lock-keg.html

 

[govner1]

I just acquired a 2 tap jockey box w/ SS coils for use at a college graduation celebration.
Only needs ice in the box. Kegs, CO2 outside.

 

[max384]

Thanks for the advice guys!

Looks like I'll be sticking with my original idea.

That Jockey Box looks slick! But, I've got too many things to buy/pay for with the wedding and honeymoon, that a several hundred dollar Jockey Box would be met with stiff resistance from the SWMBO!

 

[Supertrapped]

Always thought this was pretty neat. I may make this soon.

 

[inkman15]

Those tubs will suit you just fine. One suggestion though - bring a couple of bungee cords and strap your kegs in (under the rim of the tub). As the kegs get consumed, they get buoyant and will bob around in the water. The bungees keep them stationary and you're less likely to have a chance of them tipping over.

 

[Gavin C]

Check out what @Biermuncher put together.

Legendary DIY and great pictorial. Here

 

[max384]

Those tubs will suit you just fine. One suggestion though - bring a couple of bungee cords and strap your kegs in (under the rim of the tub). As the kegs get consumed, they get buoyant and will bob around in the water. The bungees keep them stationary and you're less likely to have a chance of them tipping over.

Great tip! I never would have thought of this! Thanks!

Check out what @Biermuncher put together.

Legendary DIY and great pictorial. Here

That is a beautiful project. No time or money to do that before my wedding though...

 

[Natdavis777]

A 5 gal bucket actually works pretty well. You are drawing from the bottom, so its always chilled. Kind of stumbled upon this a few years ago at a cookout I brought a keg to. Worked out well.

 

[wilserbrewer]

If the kegs have any sediment in the bottom, I would suggest pressure transferring to clean kegs. When moving them to the party the sediment can / likely will get stirred up to make murky beer. Just my experience. Hate for you to be disappointed. My experience in moving kegs is that your have a nice bright pour, move the keg across town and muck.

 

[LLBeanJ]

If the kegs have any sediment in the bottom, I would suggest pressure transferring to clean kegs. When moving them to the party the sediment can / likely will get stirred up to make murky beer. Just my experience. Hate for you to be disappointed. My experience in moving kegs is that your have a nice bright pour, move the keg across town and muck.

+1

I like to cold crash the kegs for a couple weeks if possible, drawing off a few pints here and there, then pressure transfer to a clean keg the night before I plan to transport them.

 

[pksublime]

I use a 10 gallon round cooler - works perfectly for me

 

[VegasJ]

I've used those buckets for 1 keg. When I wanted to take 2 with me I found a 55 gal. pickle drum & mounted the faucets on it. Worked ok, kept the kegs & Co2 tank in it under the lid...

but it was HEAVY once a few bags of ice, 2 kegs & a 20lb Co2 tank was put in it.

 

[BKamp1457]

I'm working on a trashcan set up but framed in to look a bit nicer. Installing a lock so none of the guests mess with anything after they have a few pints in 'em.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=523926

 

[max384]

If the kegs have any sediment in the bottom, I would suggest pressure transferring to clean kegs. When moving them to the party the sediment can / likely will get stirred up to make murky beer. Just my experience. Hate for you to be disappointed. My experience in moving kegs is that your have a nice bright pour, move the keg across town and muck.

+1

I like to cold crash the kegs for a couple weeks if possible, drawing off a few pints here and there, then pressure transfer to a clean keg the night before I plan to transport them.

Great advice guys. Thanks! Unfortunately, I'm not sure that I'll be able to do that, unless I kick a keg that's currently in use, since all of mine are in use right now.

 

[max384]

I decided to go with two kegs. Here's my setup:

Thanks for the tip on the bungee cords. I know I wouldn't have thought of that on my own. That would have been something that I would have done the next time around!

 

[eulipion2]

Here's how I party!

 

[Rivenin]

and a 5 gallon bucket with ice

 

[eeedamian]

I'm wondering how this works out for a somewhat longer term (a week or 2). How long does the ice tend to last and does it keep it too cold? I guess i could just use less ice and more water? I ask because I want to take a keg to a friend's place let him enjoy the rest. He has no available fridges to keep a large keg in so I was just wondering...also I'm too lazy to bottle it all and share with him that way

 

[eulipion2]

I'm wondering how this works out for a somewhat longer term (a week or 2). How long does the ice tend to last and does it keep it too cold? I guess i could just use less ice and more water? I ask because I want to take a keg to a friend's place let him enjoy the rest. He has no available fridges to keep a large keg in so I was just wondering...also I'm too lazy to bottle it all and share with him that way

To keep any of these options cold long-term you'd have to drain the water as the ice melts and replace it with new ice. Otherwise the ice will melt and everything will raise to ambient temperature.

 

[Yooper]

Here's my $35 set up:

 

[Paradigm]

For traveling I personally would either just bottle it or bring my kegerator. If you're getting married it's worth moving the thing (if you have power available). If not, I've had success with cheapo walmart 20 gallon trash cans filled with ice. I've thrown many a college party fueled by 1/2 barrels in trash cans.

Congrats on the marriage, btw. Homebrew and marriage is a good combination. My friend is getting married next month and I made 10 gallons of his favorite style secretly with his father. Logistical nightmare!

 

[max384]

For traveling I personally would either just bottle it or bring my kegerator. If you're getting married it's worth moving the thing (if you have power available). If not, I've had success with cheapo walmart 20 gallon trash cans filled with ice. I've thrown many a college party fueled by 1/2 barrels in trash cans.

Congrats on the marriage, btw. Homebrew and marriage is a good combination. My friend is getting married next month and I made 10 gallons of his favorite style secretly with his father. Logistical nightmare!

My kegerator is a four tap kegerator with the taps coming out of the front of a full-size kitchen refrigerator. No way I'm going to fit that in my Subaru!

Thanks! I'm marrying my brew partner! What's better than that?! She gets pissed when I brew by myself, since she loves to brew with me. I never realized how much easier it is to brew with two people until I met her. Now, brewing by myself seems like a major chore!

 

[Auger]

I use a rubbermaid slim jim container:

Its perfectly sized to fit 2 kegs plus ice. I built a little stand in the bottom so the tops of the kegs are level with the top of the can. I just hook up picnic taps.

 

[WenValley]

Don't leave the keg(s) connected to the Co2 tank. Every time I've taken a keg to a party some genius decides to crank the Co2 to maximum. Then you spend the next 30 minutes trying to get your beer back properly carbed.

 

[eulipion2]

Don't leave the keg(s) connected to the Co2 tank. Every time I've taken a keg to a party some genius decides to crank the Co2 to maximum. Then you spend the next 30 minutes trying to get your beer back properly carbed.

Or hide the CO2 tank, or at the very least put a "Do Not Touch" sign on it. I don't think there's enough pressure in a keg to push out all the beer before running out of pressure. Or perhaps go with a CO2 charger like this:

 

[max384]

I just got to the beach, and got the kegs set up... All is working well!

Crappy picture, but here it is in action:

 

[Rivenin]

and a 5 gallon bucket with ice

Here is a picture in action!

 

[Peruvian802]

Rivenin - How well does that avoid foaming? It would seem you have to really nail down the pressure or you wouldn't be able to pour any liquid.

 

[Rivenin]

Rivenin - How well does that avoid foaming? It would seem you have to really nail down the pressure or you wouldn't be able to pour any liquid.

Drain most pressure and set it to 3-4 PSI - sometimes it takes a pint or two to relax after transporting the keg to the site, but after that, you're good to go.

 

[richlong8020]

So if I build a simple coil jockey box for serving but not storing. What are the focal points. 50' coil? 100' coil? Does the keg need to be chilled? Do I need to keep it on ice? I don't want foamy beer so what's the standard line size. I want to use 5 gal Corneys so the keg is definitely on the outside.

I've seen many setups on this forum I like and a lot of them are crazy cool. But I need a solid point to start from. I don't want multiple buys as I want to get it right the first time.

Youtube is kinda useless on this topic except for the Yeti video. That was a 120' coil.

Any step in the right direction is going to be great.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Just as the yeti cooler is overkill, so is a 120' coil. I would "guess" that a 50 foot coil submerged in ice water would pour a nice cold pint....how many pints are you looking to pour continuously ?

Different demand requires a better system. A pint every 5-10 minutes vs continuos pouring?

Sorry no definite parameters offered.

 

[Cider123]

I don't go to parties. I'm more of a curmudgeon.

If people come over, I hand them an empty mason jar and point at the kegerator in the garage. (which is a 1987 Whirlpool fridge BTW, and it's the "Frost Free" model )

 

[Billy-Klubb]

I don't. I'm socially unstable and isolated from most people I want to talk to in the real world. if I could serve HBT my kegs through the interwebs, I'd have an immaculate mobile set-up.

 

[geejay]

I use a 17"x19" four beverage cold plate with ice blocks on top, coupled to a 4 tap soda dispenser. Both the cold plate and dispenser are vintage Cornelius soda devices I got very cheap. And I stick the kegs in buckets of ice water. Colder and cleaner and more fun than the plastic "cobra" taps I used to use.

 

[1977Brewer]

I don't. I'm socially unstable and isolated from most people I want to talk to in the real world. if I could serve HBT my kegs through the interwebs, I'd have an immaculate mobile set-up.

I hand people brown lunch bags with bottles in them and tell them to chill and pour carefully. I'd treat everyone here with a bit more class. No instructions.

 

[richlong8020]

So why is the yeti so crazy on their builds. They look killer but seriously 120'? I guess what I'm taking from some of the threads is that 50' of 1/4"-3/8" SS in a cooler is the right amount. Should I need to keep the keg in ice to reduce the foam up possiblity. Also should the plastic lines be kept 1/4"-3/8" also to stop foam up expansion.