My Tad arrives tomorrow

[Terry08]

Well, I bit the bullet and purchased a TAD system, twice as dear as in the States.

I have my 24 litres ready to fill. It is a Coopers Real Ale. I have brewed this one before and it is a great beer. Next will be a Munich Lager also a Coopers.

So I will use 750 ml bottles, 2 litre trial keg and the TAD system to which I will add bottles.

I always use kits and now if I force carbonate I can have a brew ready to drink in 3 weeks. There has to be some ageing. Although I will stick to my initial method. My fermenter has a capacity of 50 litres so there is a lot of head room. It is black and was designed as a wine fermenter. I am thinking of dropping the secondary and leave the ferment in the primery for 3 weeks undisturbed. I will then dispense some and check clarity if it is still a bit cloudy I may use the secondary then. As I have 2 secondaries I might use one to restart Cider brewing. I would ask the question whether the acidity will attack the TAD pet bottles.

One other question:- Whats the approved method of cleaning a pet bottle

 

[Terry08]

Well I have it, Sanitised it and filled the bottles with a good tipple. Now comes the waiting. I would like it to be longer but I will give the beer 3 weeks to carb up. That would be (Excuse the pun) a tad over 6 weeks.
Saving for at least 8 more bottles and one more tap.

Being the eternal changer. The very first soda bulb I empty I will drill and weld a Shroder valve into the base. I will then suss out a C02 bottle to use. The design of the tap is brilliant, the cost of bottles and soda bulbs is obcene.

I have already today found a cooler bag and ice pack roll to keep it cold and an elastic band prevents the annoying falling off of the tray. Same band will be used to ensure the tap does not open accidentally.

I can see the outlet tube being the most wearing part as it is the means of turning off the flow.

The reported pressure controlled is supposed to be 15 psi. I thought a lower dispensing pressure is the norm. This goverened by the strength of internal springs. Stronger springs lower dispensing pressure. I admire great designs and this is one. I was pleasently surprised when my 4 bottles came with two taps the black one to store clean bottles and the pressure one for carbonating.

Making beer has never been a hobby with me just a means to an enjoyable end. But with this toy I have many ideas including my 2 litre converted water sprayer and wouldent you know it I found a 10 litre thick walled camping water container with a suitable thread and will take the tap. it is sort of rectangular but should go ok.

The jury is still out with me on this. If I fill a container with C02 and add 50% normal air. If the container is sealed what would happen to the two gasses.
I am told here that the air would gradually absorb the C02 and if that C02 sat over beer it would contaminate it. My spin is that air can only absorb .03%
C02. The remainig being heavier will always act like a protective blanket.

I have asked a Chemist at the local Pharmacy and he believes the same. A so called chemical engineer here says the gases will become one and air will come in contact with the base of container or the beer if that is the base.

I have posed the question to our CSIRO a public research organisation and they have come back telling me they are working on it. So it is not done and dusted, my logic may prevale yet. I have not had any augument presented that reports to the popular belief that beer is not protected when present C02is pressurised by air(Used to expel carbonated beer).
If I am wrong I would like an explanation other than being told I am wrong.

What brought me to this initially is the method I use over many years according to popular views would leave me making oxidised beer. In 30 years not using an airlock, transferring beer into a sanitised secondary without purging with C02 has never produced a bad tasting beer. Even a dark ale I made back in 08 was great but due to its age the hop taste had mellowed out like a good wine does as the tannings age.

I stand to be corrected but I believe oxidisation only could happen if the beer was really whipped up. Do not get me wrong bad sanitation will ruin a beer not oxidation provided the beer is well carbed.

 

[Terry08]

Wow, not to much, just enough. Head retention great. Then Tad owners know that.
The system is much dearer in Australia but I found it a dream to connect. I must admit I only carbed the beer a week. The secondary fermentation is quick as the temp hovers around 30c in the day right now. The beer was 3 weeks in the Secondary so not too green.

I will fill 3 bottles and fill the other 8 long necks per brew, not having perfected my 2 litre keg system yet.

I rushed its launch as friends came round to dinner. The girls had a sparkling wine. My mate and I consumed about 3 litre's. I was delighted with his comments, coming from a guy who was weaned on the amber fluid. I could definatly not come the raw prawn with him.

The beauty of the system that it sat on the bench. I used ice blocks to keep it cool. I had the aircon on but was lucky to hold 25c.
So a success. Shame it was not a Aussie bloke who invented it

 

[Teromous]

I am interested in finding out what CSIRO has to say about it. Does yeast get kicked up much when dispensing? Maybe this can be used to naturally carb beer, then counter-pressure fill bottles somehow. You should try this

 

[Terry08]

The CSIRO is giving me the runaround at the moment, however the TAD system worked fine. It is possible to force carb but that would be an expensive option.

The 6 litre bottles are used as you would when bottling normally. Ideally left for 3 weeks or longer. Longer is the go if you can wait. The beer can be stored under pressure untill needed. then cooled in readiness to add the dispenser. I believe the beer will last under C02 same as in any keg system, leaks aside. I have checked by spraying water over the fittings to check that.

All in all I am satisfied I made the right decission and experianced a head that stayed to the last drop.

I know keggers would look down their noses but it is a system which allows for portability and compared with the party pig I think a little bit more flexible

 

[Terry08]

It is amazing I found a double set of bottles and two dispensers on EBay and I will have 12 bottles enough for 4 brews. which is about 4 months worth, Each brew will have 3 months aging minimum.

I have found the system a no brainer. It is very portable and I just place it in a green bag and tote it to my friends place.

It so far with only one 6 litre being consumed with two bulbs to dispence the primed beer. It has given me much aclaim from those who helped me empty the 6 litres.

The full keg system is good if it is in the kitchen or bar. This sits on the bar, family room bench, pool side or picnic. I have an esky and I can fit two 6litres in it plus the one with the dispenser. That is 18 litres of beer enough to satistfy a decent group of Aussie beer drinkers.

Ahh! Happy days

 

[Teromous]

I'm wondering if there would be a way to filter the beer after it's carbonated, and use the CO2 canisters to push it through the filter without tons of foam. It probably sounds nuts but it would be awesome if it worked.

 

[Grimster]

I'm working on my 2nd TAD bottle full of beer and so far I -love- it, fits in the fridge, easy to use, easy to clean, it's no pimping kegerator with stainless steel taps and ivory handles but, it dispenses carbed, cold beer so really what more do I need?

 

[Terry08]

Teromous said

I'm wondering if there would be a way to filter the beer after it's carbonated, and use the CO2 canisters to push it through the filter without tons of foam. It probably sounds nuts but it would be awesome if it worked.

Well as I see it you would have to devise a seal between the rubber outlet tube, but as two cylinders push the 6 litres I cannot see why not. But beer that has been cleared in a secondary for a couple of weeks does not have enough sediment to worry about.

Grimster

I'm working on my 2nd TAD bottle full of beer and so far I -love- it, fits in the fridge, easy to use, easy to clean, it's no pimping kegerator with stainless steel taps and ivory handles but, it dispenses carbed, cold beer so really what more do I need?

I'm with you cobber. I just bought 8 more bottles and two more dispensers on Ebay. That gives me a serious kegging system. I would like to see a kegger drag 3 different varieties in quantity to a bush bash.

The only downside is the cost of the bulbs. although I have found a place where I can get 36 boxes of 10 for just over $aud200. That would give me a good years supply.

I have only emptied one and the result was perfect fully carbed with a sustained head. I am considering for each 24 litre batch only using 3 x 6 litres
bottling the remainder of the 8 long necks.
Two reasons: the first two thirds of the beer in the secondary is the clearest and it is good having a few bottles for an occational guest or a quick visit to a friends house.

I am wrapt in the system.


I have also just bought some OZtops and I will use them to make fermented fruit juices. Would'ent want to contaminate my beer fermenter.

 

[ikkymudd]

I have brewed a 5 gallon batch and am not sure I will be able to fill all three 6 liter bottles that come with the TAD system. Can I fill one bottle partially and still have drinkable beer?

 

[Terry08]

Considering you are priming the beer it should be ok but due to the extra head space it may still take two cartridges to dispense. I am thinking of filling three and use 750ml bottles for rest of batch.

I am looking into two possibilities. One is to create a pouch simular to the Party pig system. I am experimenting at the moment. Second and quite feasible. I find with cold highly primed beer, one cartridge pushes out over half the 6 litres. I now have a shrioder valve I will weld to a empty cartridge. I will open the hole in a sleeve and screw the cartridge in as you would a new one. The shroder valve sticking through. To empty the final 2-4 litres I will pressure with a bike pump. The beer will not have time to oxidise.

There is a third option. As I have 12 bottles I am considering again using a shroder valve but fitted through the bottom of the bottle with a balloon atached. I can use this to dispense again by blowing the balloon up with a bike pump. No C02 required. I am looking around for a suitable fitting. The base is quite rigid and would take a small hole about 6 mm dia.
In the mean time the beer is great, sparkling,frothy and cold.

 

[Terry08]

Ahh! It may not be up to keg standards but my beer is as good as I can get from my club or local, plus I do not have to worry about booze buses.

I only use kits and although they seem to be frowned on by the punters. The results are of repeated good quality, and quick. The total time involved for one 24 litre batch is just over an hour. That includes starting a brew, transfer to secondary and sanitation and the priming and filling of the 6 litre Pete bottles.

I do not force carb as that would increase the soda cartridges required. I use 1/4 cup of priming sugar and chill for two days. My last 6 litres only required one cartridge to empty. So with 12 bottles and 3 dispensers I am well equiped once my mates will let me build up stock.

I am planning a Cascade "Spicy Ghost" I brewed some time ago. This I will force carb for a special event in a few months time. My eldest sons 40th.