How do you store your picnic taps when "in use?"

[Flywheel]

I searched and didn't find too many answers.

I am new to kegging and want to find a way to store my picnic taps while they are in the fridge hooked up to the keg. What does everyone do? hang the from a wire? Let them sit on top of the keg? Some DIY auto retracted fancy rig?

Pic would be great, if you have them.

 

[Ace_Club]

I just hook the lever of the picnic tap on the beer hose, right where it connects to the ball-lock post. Either that or you can hook it onto the black rubber top of the keg. They both work well and I've never had any issues.

 

[shelly_belly]

Word of caution...

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/what-hell-happened-210093/#post2455188

I have picnic taps and use threaded disconnects. I've gone for a year with no problems just hand tightening the connectors. Several weeks ago the tap on a just tapped keg fell from its rest on top of the keg to the floor of the keezer. This induced enough twist to loosen the fitting at the disconnect. The end result was 5 gallons of a Bass Ale clone in the bottom of the keezer.

 

[Flywheel]

Word of caution...

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/what-hell-happened-210093/#post2455188

yes, exactly what I am trying to avoid.

 

[Cpt_Kirks]

I will start out with them neatly coiled on top of the kegs, but they tend to wind up tangled and hanging everywhere.

 

[IffyG]

I've got mine coiled and zip tied with about 2 and a half feet free to move around. This prevents them from getting tangled and keeps them neatly on top of the keg.

 

[robertvrabel]

I've found that putting nice thick towel (I use a black one) over your kegs/hoses, then laying the picnic taps ontop of the towel helps. Any little drips end up up on the towel. Its also very easy to see the picnic taps and they don't get caught up in the gas hoses and fall down to the bottom of the keezer..

I also mark on the lever of the picnic tap what the beer is, you can just use white stickies and rip off a small part of it.

 

[Flywheel]

Thanks, keep 'em coming. My Gas lines are red and my beer lines are clear, so I don't get them confused.

 

[14thstreet]

Make sure your refrigeration is well sealed and humidity levels are kept in check. I've had issues with both that make picnic taps (see above posts) a nice place for mold to grow. Temperature can be different from top to bottom of your storage and this also could promote unwanted nasties. So, just check the inside of your faucets from time to time.

 

[david_42]

Not my idea, some other genius on the board:

Note: That is not a keg in use, just waiting to be cleaned.

 

[Mischief_Brewing]

I have a shelf right above the kegs that has my ugly MS Paint labels taped to it with wire looped below the pictures. Just hang the handle on the wire. I also keep a towel over the CO2 tank that's right below the taps since my friends don't seem to know how to shake the tap before putting it away (on a similar note, you should see my bathroom floor after a party...)

 

[robertvrabel]

Not my idea, some other genius on the board:


Note: That is not a keg in use, just waiting to be cleaned.

That is a nasty picture, looks like **** exploded everywhere! Good idea though.

 

[Flywheel]

That is a nasty picture, looks like **** exploded everywhere! Good idea though.

Great idea....so is cleaning the room up, wow...what happened....

 

[david_42]

Got married, buying another house, ... brewing is on the back-burner. That's actually in the utility room, not the brewery. Plus, I have such a mouse problem that there's no point in trying to keep everything clean. I just do the job before brewing a batch.