Just ordered me a piggie!

[Silviakitty]

After reading some posts here about the Party Pig, I decided to go ahead and order one of these little guys as an alternative to kegging. I have an extremely small apartment, so kegging isn't really an option at this time.

I think I'm going to end up doing what I've read several other people have done: pig half of a batch and bottle the other. Save some time, save some space, and it'll look really snazzy when I bring it to a party.

So are there any caveats? The reviews all looked pretty good, but there's always some kind of downside.

 

[BierMuncher]

We'll be expecting some pics of you drawing a glass of fresh beer....

 

[Kubed]

Downside: You'll fall in love with having beer on draft and start dropping some coin on kegging equipment... if you can call that a down side

 

[nestler]

I bought one a few months ago and I have been pretty happy with it. About the only downside I see to it is having to buy the replacement gas pouches. Unlike other similar systems (tap-a-draft) it doesn't use standard CO2 cartridges. This is actually good and bad. It's good that you don't have to guess how many cartridges to use per container (it is always exactly one), but it is bad that it is tied to this product (so you have to get it from Qion or somebody who sells their stuff specifically).

I've been doing the same system for two batches now (bottle half and pig half). Don't do what I did and put the pig in the refrigerator right away (like bottling you need to leave it at room temperature during priming). Also you will probably need to use your foot on that pump to pop the pouch. It pours pretty slowly so you may want the cooler for the party (instead of leaving the fridge door open forever). If it is pouring foamy it means you did not bleed off all of the air properly (in normal operation it will not produce foamy pours).

My long-winded reply probably makes it sound like a bad product, but it isn't. These are just the things I ran into the first time I tried to use it.

 

[SuperiorBrew]

I was thinking one of these

 

[The Pol]

I am getting Beer Tools Pro and (2) Pigs.... been using the trial version of ProMash and I personally think it sucks... there are so many pages and calculations, but they arent inegrated! It is like using 10 different programs for one brew.

 

[Silviakitty]

We'll be expecting some pics of you drawing a glass of fresh beer....

This is doable. I enjoy showing off my beer toys.

Downside: You'll fall in love with having beer on draft and start dropping some coin on kegging equipment... if you can call that a down side

I have a feeling there's gonna be several more pigs in my future...but we'll see how I like the one first.

My long-winded reply probably makes it sound like a bad product, but it isn't. These are just the things I ran into the first time I tried to use it.

Not at all! That's exactly the kind of thing I was looking for. Learning from the experiences of others saves time and frustration. I appreciate it.

*picture of piggie on a spit*

Someday, when I have a house and a firepit...

I am getting Beer Tools Pro and (2) Pigs.... been using the trial version of ProMash and I personally think it sucks... there are so many pages and calculations, but they arent inegrated! It is like using 10 different programs for one brew.

I've used the trial of Beersmith and was a little confused...if Beer Tools Pro is a little easier, I'll check it out. Granted, I'm a complete newbie, so any of the programs may confuse me. *grin*

 

[Scotty_g]

I'll second the fact that they pour slowly. A brewpub in Escanaba, MI called Hereford and Hops used to sell beer in pigs and I liked to pick a couple up for our annual camping trip to the UP. The portability and convenience is fantastic (they fit well in a regular cooler), but it does take a long time to pour off a glass--especially when the pig's getting almost empty, because the air pouch starts to restrict the flow of beer.

That said, it is a nice alternative to kegging if you're going to transport the beer. Grabbing two pigs and a big cooler is a lot easier than a keg, CO2 tank, something to put the keg in, hoses, and then hoping no one screws anything up.

 

[TheBone]

so that the carbonation pouch is not needed?

 

[WortMonger]

Nope, you have to have the pouch or a CO2 system with a dip tube to keep serving.

 

[jdoiv]

I am getting Beer Tools Pro and (2) Pigs.... been using the trial version of ProMash and I personally think it sucks... there are so many pages and calculations, but they arent inegrated! It is like using 10 different programs for one brew.

What? If you start a new session, everything you need is right there. You have ingredients, mash schedule, water needed, water profile, efficiency, fermentation, bottling/kegging, etc.

 

[cheezydemon]

I missed an auction on EBAY for 2 pigs, slightly used. I guess it is worth getting them new though.

 

[Silviakitty]

It's not actually a carbonation pouch. The pouch simply fills up empty space that would normally be occupied by oxygen, kinda like CO2 would in a pressurized keg (somebody correct me if I'm wrong there). The beer still carbonates normally in the piggie.

 

[Nurmey]

It's not actually a carbonation pouch. The pouch simply fills up empty space that would normally be occupied by oxygen, kinda like CO2 would in a pressurized keg (somebody correct me if I'm wrong there). The beer still carbonates normally in the piggie.

You are correct! The pig uses natural carbonation.