Anyone use the tap a draft system?

[Beernewb]

pros? cons?

why only 3 oz priming sugar?

also if making 5.5-6 gallon batches, can you bottle the leftovers?

in other words, do you still use a bottling bucket to prime the beer and then fill the kegs, allowing the leftovers to be bottled? I hate to waste beer and my batches are usually over 5 gallons (brewmaster warehouse recipes)

thx

 

[Brooklyn-Brewtality]

i used the TAD for a few months during my transition from bottling to kegging. I liked it a lot. very easy to use, and beer on tap in your own fridge. plus, you can do stout pours with nitrogen canisters, which rocks.

i carbonated by adding sugar directly to each TAD bottle, and then filled extra bottles and used munton's carbonation tabs in those.

 

[Beernewb]

thx for the response, so 1 oz priming sugar per bottle or does it depend on the recipe?

i used the TAD for a few months during my transition from bottling to kegging. I liked it a lot. very easy to use, and beer on tap in your own fridge. plus, you can do stout pours with nitrogen canisters, which rocks.

i carbonated by adding sugar directly to each TAD bottle, and then filled extra bottles and used munton's carbonation tabs in those.

 

[bkov]

i have one, think its great but sometimes i like to keg or use glass bottles instead. i dont have any of the 6liter bottles it comes with, i just use 3liter supermarket brand soda bottles.

 

[Beernewb]

thanks, yeah, I still plan to do some bottling, it just gets tiresome if I have 2 or 3 batches to bottle within a week of one another. It would be a nice, reasonably priced, change if it works and people have decent results. I have a robust porter that I'm bottling now and an octoberfest ale in another week..that's 80+ 500ml bottles to fill.

i have one, think its great but sometimes i like to keg or use glass bottles instead. i dont have any of the 6liter bottles it comes with, i just use 3liter supermarket brand soda bottles.

 

[Benjibbad]

I use the TAD system but I don't use the bottles, though I use the aluminum mini kegs (5L). I prime just like I would if I were bottling with no ill effects. I think the PET bottles combined with the CO2 charge may be too much preasure for the bottle which is why they say no more than 3 oz.

 

[ChshreCat]

I have one and love it. I only do one TAD bottle per batch, that way I have that for my fridge and have a good supply of bottles to age further and/or share with friends.

I just prime like I normally would for bottling and haven't had any problems with leakage from the TAD bottles or anything like that. Usually about 5oz of sugar for a 5 gallon batch. I fill the TAD bottle first from my bottling bucket, then I move on to my regular 12oz bottles. Really cuts down on my bottling time.

 

[Beernewb]

awesome, thanks, that's a great idea, so you're not limited to doing all three...I was worried becuase it calls for less priming sugar, but it seems you can prime like normal and do as many or few bottles as you want. I asume the instructions provide for an acceptable amount of headspace in the bottle?

Also, I see some people use different caps, I didin't see an option for a better cap on the company website.

I have one and love it. I only do one TAD bottle per batch, that way I have that for my fridge and have a good supply of bottles to age further and/or share with friends.

I just prime like I normally would for bottling and haven't had any problems with leakage from the TAD bottles or anything like that. Usually about 5oz of sugar for a 5 gallon batch. I fill the TAD bottle first from my bottling bucket, then I move on to my regular 12oz bottles. Really cuts down on my bottling time.

 

[ChshreCat]

Note that I tap the TAD bottle pretty much as soon as my glass bottles are ready to drink, so I could be tapping it before all the CO2 builds up. I think the longest I've had one go from filling to tapping is maybe 6 weeks.

 

[FireNightFly]

Yea, Ive been reading alot about these someone left me a link for good Instructions.

http://www.brew-winemaking.com/ProductPDF/4900.pdf

 

[Beernewb]

makes sense, if I'm going to age, I'd rather age in glass anyway.

Note that I tap the TAD bottle pretty much as soon as my glass bottles are ready to drink, so I could be tapping it before all the CO2 builds up. I think the longest I've had one go from filling to tapping is maybe 6 weeks.

 

[FireNightFly]

"Priming Use 1/3 cup of corn sugar to prime a five gallon batch of beer, or use 1 tablespoon per 5 liters of beer.
You may adjust the amount of corn sugar if necessary, but do not use more than ½ cup of corn sugar for a five
gallon batch of beer."

http://www.brew-winemaking.com/ProductPDF/4900.pdf

 

[Beernewb]

nice, thanks, lots of help

Yea, Ive been reading alot about these someone left me a link for good Instructions.

http://www.brew-winemaking.com/ProductPDF/4900.pdf

 

[Cheaton]

Does anyone who owns one of these things see any way to modify the system to attach a real faucet? Does the short tube where the beer comes out attach in such a way that you could just attach a longer tube and perhaps force the lever to stay open?

 

[Beernewb]

ok, so i ordered it from bmw with my recipe, comes with a nice brochure, but how high do I fill the bottles? is headspace needed just like glass?

1 oz priming sugar per bottle?

can i sanitize the bottles with star san or is it too harsh?

tried to call the company and got a voice recording

thanks for any help

 

[ChshreCat]

I spray the inside of mine with starsan before bottling and have had no problems with them.

I do one TAD bottle and then bottle the rest like normal, so I just prime as I would for bottles and rack the first part off to the TAD bottle. I haven't had any problems at all. If anything, I've felt they've been a little UNDER carbonated when I first tap them. After being under the CO2 carts for a day or two they're better.