Going the Mini-keg route: Philtap or Party Star

[CinciBearFan]

ust curious...anyone have experience with both? Full size or even 3 Keg systems just won't work for me size wise. I don't throw "keggers" (at least not anymore! and about 1-2 minikegs is about all my family consumes at our parties...tops.

I kinda like the idea of not having a picnic tap (the Partystar has a rigid dispenser)...just seems a tad big "classier"...though the party star does look a bit like a soap dispenser...so classier is relative.

Laying the mini-keg flat is not of a major concern for me - Philtap can, Partystar can't...(at least I don't think it should be)

Can anyone help educate me on why one might be better than the other? Party Star seems more rare, making me wonder about replacement parts...Philtap is manufactured about 7 miles from my house...so ease of parts is a plus.

A major issue is also price. I can get the Party Star tap for about $95, including 4 mini-kegs, 4 bungs, 10 C02 carts and the tap system. (+ about $8 for shipping)

The equivalent Phil-tap system would run me about $140 (free shipping - actually local pickup for me anyway) if I added up the prices from the catalog at Listermann's.com (the mfg's site).

So, anyone have some pros-cons of the two systems? I'm especially interested in tapping two mini-kegs at a time at parties (for different brews) so price becomes even more of a factor there...but I'll be starting out with just one to see if I like it.

I guess as an aside, I'd be interested in purchasing a used system if anyones got one collecting dust!

Thanks!

D

 

[Mikey]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=6357

 

[CinciBearFan]

Don't waste my time with Mini-kegs? That's what that thread seems to say.

I've weighed the pros and cons of both Minikegs and Corny's...or regular kegs...and its' a no brainer.

I simply don't have the space for anything larger than a Mini-keg...nor the need.

So for me, it's an argument over Bottling vs. Minikegs, and I'm comfortable splitting my batches up.

I'm trying to compare the two mini-tap systems. I've found some links here and other boards vs. the search engines, but was looking for a more direct correlation between the two systems, and maybe some more personal experience.

D