Taplist.io - Hosted digital tap list

[TaplistIO]

Hey folks! Last summer, I put a little project online called Taplist.io. It's a free cloud hosted and managed digital beer board / menu.

It's come a long way since the original sneak peek here, so I thought I'd officially introduce it and summarize what it can do, here's what it looks like (live demo):

Here are some of the major features:

• Cloud hosted, up and running in a few minutes.
• Public SSL URL for your list.
• Set-it-and-forget-it companion app for Amazon Fire TV; no programming skills required.
• Color-changing keg artwork, set beverage color by SRM or RGB.
• Super fast updates when you change modify taps; displays refresh instantly.
• Very customizable: fonts, artwork, colors, and so on (theme editing coming soon).
• Admin dashboard works on desktop and mobile web (manage from iPhone, etc).

Supported hardware you can use it with:

• Fire TV stick (FireTV instructions).
• Raspberry Pi (RPi instructions).
• DIY with any other device that has a web browser (DIY instructions).

..and there are some cool things coming soon on the roadmap, too

Last but not least, the project is free! I've tried to keep costs low & so far it's worked. In full disclosure, I may open it up to subscriptions someday, my goal is to make the project high quality and self-sustainable.

As the project has mostly grown thanks to the avid use and suggestions of early homebrewers, I'd love to have any feedback or ideas! You can give it a whirl here: https://taplist.io/ Some of the things on the horizon are: BeerXML support, Twitter integration, and hackable/shareable themes. Thanks much! -mike

 

[day_trippr]

Local hosting.

Cheers!

 

[sandyeggoxj]

Been using it for several months now and I love it. Keep up the good work!

 

[MBN]

Looks nice. Thanks!

 

[Horseflesh]

FYI, I see missing images and other problems on the web site. (Safari on iOS with Focus ad blocker enabled.)

 

[TaplistIO]

FYI, I see missing images and other problems on the web site. (Safari on iOS with Focus ad blocker enabled.)

Thanks for the head's up! We don't have any ads, but after installing Focus I can confirm the issue. It looks our CSS+Javascript are being blocked because they are served from a CDN which has a different domain. Will get this fixed today, cheers!

(Ninja edit: Fix is now live. Thanks again!)

 

[sandyeggoxj]

Thanks for the head's up! We don't have any ads, but after installing Focus I can confirm the issue. It looks our CSS+Javascript are being blocked because they are served from a CDN which has a different domain. Will get this fixed today, cheers!

(Ninja edit: Fix is now live. Thanks again!)

This type of quick response to any problems or issues over any platform is one reason this project is so awesome. Thanks for being so responsive Mike!

 

[dammBrewer]

I have been using this for what seems like years already. It just keeps getting better and better with each update and end user question/suggestion.

Fantastic idea, Fantastic product!

 

[Horseflesh]

Damn, bug fixed before I woke up! Glad the report helped. Everything looks good on my end.

I'm not really set up to have a display at the taps, but since the link is easily shareable this is a fun way to let my buddies know what's on.

Here's a feature request: I did not see a way to "follow" another user. Say my local taproom uses this... I'd like to get email updates when they make a change. Even if "follow" updates were batched and delivered once a week, say Thursday, that would make Friday evening planning easier.

(If a follow feature is available then it is not visible until you log in--I'm browsing anonymously and expected to see some kind of Follow button on the users' listings, which I'd have expected to guide me to account creation, etc etc.)

 

[TaplistIO]

Damn, bug fixed before I woke up! Glad the report helped. Everything looks good on my end.

Awesome! Thanks for confirming. Sometimes it can be hard to tell what an ad blocker is disagreeing with; a feature, I suppose..

I'm not really set up to have a display at the taps, but since the link is easily shareable this is a fun way to let my buddies know what's on.

FWIW: When a TV won't fit, some folks have had good success using a cheap amazon tablet at the tap; seems to work just as well. (Non-Amazon devices should work too; Amazon's are just the most consistently available/reliable.)

Here's a feature request: I did not see a way to "follow" another user. Say my local taproom uses this... I'd like to get email updates when they make a change. Even if "follow" updates were batched and delivered once a week, say Thursday, that would make Friday evening planning easier.

Cool idea! Do you think FB / Twitter support would do the trick? I've played a bit with adding both, just haven't finished the job. I suppose it's not perfect, but others have done the "social graph" so well, I'm sorta inclined to outsource to one of the existing platforms.. Anyway, I'll definitely give it some more thought: when you log in, there's an activity stream of *your* activity (tapped a keg, etc), so it'd be pretty easy to "star" & show other venues there too..

 

[Horseflesh]

Personally I have no interest in FB/Twitter, though I have heard they are popular.

The use case I have in mind is simply seeing what changes specific other listers have recently made. I think being able to "star" another lister and see their activity feeds on login would be a pretty cheap way to accomplish that. Getting notified of changes via email or whatever would be nice, but is not critical.

I am sure I will get a Fire tablet one of these days ... too many cool projects make use of them!

 

[TaplistIO]

The use case I have in mind is simply seeing what changes specific other listers have recently made. I think being able to "star" another lister and see their activity feeds on login would be a pretty cheap way to accomplish that. Getting notified of changes via email or whatever would be nice, but is not critical.

Ah yeah, makes sense!

If you're logged out, you can kind of get a feel for this on the home page, there is a carousel of "recent activity". Since all lists are public, I sometimes log out and check it out to see what others are up to. Learned a few interesting customizations that way too! So yeah, definitely seems like something that would be fun "logged in" too.. Will give 'er a shot!

 

[Anrabs34]

Hi Kegbot,

Sorry have not spent any time on your website yet...
Couple of quick ones.

Can the kegs be changed to different styles of glasses for the different beers?

Can it be used in portrait view?

If I wanted to use a flat screen tv and a pc does the pc have to be a dedicated pc or can I use the pc for other things? (sorry, not a computer geek)

thx

 

[TaplistIO]

Can the kegs be changed to different styles of glasses for the different beers?

Not currently, although support for (a) different shell types, and (b) glassware/bottles/cans are both on the roadmap. A little ways off though; graphics require some outside help.

Can it be used in portrait view?

Definitely! Once you create a display, there is an option in display settings to rotate it. Working on some better theme support, too (more layout options).

If I wanted to use a flat screen tv and a pc does the pc have to be a dedicated pc or can I use the pc for other things? (sorry, not a computer geek)

No need to dedicate any hardware, if you don't want to. I know some folks just bring up the URL on their PC when they want to use it (like taplist.io/mike). Check out the DIY instructions in my original post for an example of how to build a kiosk with chrome.

 

[Horseflesh]

I finally got around to signing up and I am configuring my kegs... I think I noticed a bug.

If you try to add a beverage with this form:

https://taplist.io/dashboard/taps/1/add-keg/

if you leave the Producer Name field empty...

you get this error, which is misleading.

Other feedback:

The new user signup process takes you to the Add Keg workflow, but I think that it would be better if you were taken to Add Beverage first. I filled out my keg details including adding ABV, only to realize later that there was a specific Beverage database for all those details.

Hmm, guess I should hit up the official forum instead of putting feedback here.

 

[TaplistIO]

if you leave the Producer Name field empty...

you get this error, which is misleading.

Definitely a bug, thanks! Will get that squashed tonight. I'm planning to re-do the whole beverage tapper UX pretty soon, as (this bug aside) it's a bit more clunky than it needs to be.

The new user signup process takes you to the Add Keg workflow, but I think that it would be better if you were taken to Add Beverage first.

Good call - I should probably refresh the new user flow all around, it was the first thing I wrote and hasn't had much love.. sorta important!

Hmm, guess I should hit up the official forum instead of putting feedback here.

Hah, I mean, I don't mind hanging out here -- different (and often more critical!) set of eyes here. And maybe I will finally be inspired to try brewing again..

 

[Horseflesh]

I would agree the new user experience needs a refresh... I'll try to find time this week to go through it, and I'll post notes on the official forum. Thanks for making this cool tool available!

 

[Sdiddy84]

This post is totally going to make me go spend money. My wife thanks you haha.

Looks like I'll need a Raspberry Pi and a monitor hung above my keezer.

 

[TaplistIO]

Haha, well; I would try getting her bought in by working through the theme/color customizations together. Surely a tasteful compromise can be found!

 

[TaplistIO]

Small update Sunday: I just updated the "jumbo" theme to support up to four taps side-by-side. Here's a sample:

If you don't have brew logos, the generic SRM-colored keg artwork will show there instead. Enjoy!

 

[sandyeggoxj]

I was at a growler station in Oregon and they had sweet digital displays with a column for each tap right above. Didn't have much text for description but it had all the vitals. It was pretty slick. It even had the picture of the tap handle.

 

[SGTSparty]

Said it on twitter but I love this new upgrade.

I have 4 taps, and I really like my label/logos. The jumbo was great for showing off the logos but with the scrolling it was a big confusing for people which beer was on which tap (they aren't numbered on the kegerator and people are looking at the logo/info not the tap number) or trying to compare beers on different screens. This makes lets people see the labels, compare all the beers at once and they're in the order of the taps which is really helpful. I can't say enough good things.

 

[CTS]

So I just stumbled on this!! I really don't want to buy an Amazon Fire. If I buy a small TV that has wifi with a web browser will that work? Hope this works out as the raspberry Pi is above my head.

Thanks!

 

[matt_m]

A refurb Fire Stick is $35. Hardly worth messing with. My only complaint is that you can't set the Taplist.io app (or any other app) to auto-launch.

 

[mik3y]

My only complaint is that you can't set the Taplist.io app (or any other app) to auto-launch.

This is now fixed, as of v1.1.0 the app will auto-restart on launch.

 

[jayyaj]

Thought my current project might be of interest to someone. I've just been working on a web service that returns the beverage data from taplist. Might be useful if you want to embed the data on another website. I've written it in JavaScript and deployed it to AWS so it's accessible from anywhere. It is just a screen scraper so nothing fancy. Happy to leave it hosted there or share the code if that helps. Or maybe point a taplist subdomain at it. e.g. api.taplist.io.

Give me a shout if you want the URL.

The data it returns looks something like this:

```
{
"taplistDetails": {
"venue": "Electric Bear Brewing Co Taproom",
"beverageList": [
{
"breweryName": "Electric Bear Brewing Co.",
"beverageName": "Edison",
"beverageStyle": "British Pilsner",
"ABV": "4.8%"
},
{
"breweryName": "Electric Bear Brewing Co.",
"beverageName": "Howdy Ho",
"beverageStyle": "American Brown Ale",
"ABV": "5.1%"
}
]
}
}
```

 

[sommersb]

I just got a Raspberry Pi and was very frustrated trying to get the (now abandoned) Raspberry Pints working. Finding Taplist.io was a great relief; easy to use and just what I needed for my home brewery! Thank you very much for making this available!

 

[myndflyte]

I just got a Raspberry Pi and was very frustrated trying to get the (now abandoned) Raspberry Pints working. Finding Taplist.io was a great relief; easy to use and just what I needed for my home brewery! Thank you very much for making this available!

Same reason I made my way over to Taplist. In Raspberry Pints, I was also trying to add an "On Deck" section for stuff that was brewing and after spending several days tinkering and trying to get it to work, I just said screw it and went with Taplist.

 

[HOPtuary]

Dont know how this has not gotten more hits on HBT! I just decided to try this over the Raspberry Pint list I had running previously and I am very pleased with it so far. Simple integration with a firestick onto my monitor over my taps. I can change it where ever and whenever I want without being on my home network and turning the taplist on. Once again I am very happy with this and will definitely try and promote it to friends who want to go the digital taplist route. Thanks for putting this together.

 

[mik3y]

Thanks for the kind words! Glad to hear it is working out for you. We (I) have a marketing budget of $0, so it’s 100% word of mouth of happy users that has kept the project growing.

Just shout if you run into any trouble or have ideas. And stay tuned for some goodies launching soon with tinkerers in mind..

 

[HOPtuary]

Awesome! Totally looking forward to the new goodies. When can we anticipate them?

Thanks for the kind words! Glad to hear it is working out for you. We (I) have a marketing budget of $0, so it’s 100% word of mouth of happy users that has kept the project growing.

Just shout if you run into any trouble or have ideas. And stay tuned for some goodies launching soon with tinkerers in mind..

 

[TaplistIO]

Hey everyone! Mike here, and two quick (and fun) announcements:

• We're now a sponsor! I'm really excited about this; though modest, we think of it as small way of giving back to one of the places where we "grew up". And it has some perks..
• We're doing a giveaway! Toss your name in the hat for a chance to win a free year on us. (If you already subscribe - you are still eligible!)

It's been a while since we did much discussion here, so if you have any questions / ideas / etc, let's hear 'em! Cheers + have a great weekend.

 

[passedpawn]

Hey everyone! Mike here, and two quick (and fun) announcements:

• We're now a sponsor! I'm really excited about this; though modest, we think of it as small way of giving back to one of the places where we "grew up". And it has some perks..
• We're doing a giveaway! Toss your name in the hat for a chance to win a free year on us. (If you already subscribe - you are still eligible!)

It's been a while since we did much discussion here, so if you have any questions / ideas / etc, let's hear 'em! Cheers + have a great weekend.

Thanks for being a sponsor, for the giveaway, and for allowing me to WIN baby. Here's a taplist.io menu for my outdoor keezer (from a year ago). New indoor bar is gonna get a new menu. Will post the update when it's ready.

Thanks Mike!

 

[passedpawn]

Updated tap list. Testing it on a Fire TV (outside pool patio) at the moment, but looking to do something peculiarly fantastic for the actual display over my indoor bar. More on that later.

 

[TaplistIO]

"Peculiarly fantastic" - love it! Can't wait..

 

[LeeH]

Taplist is great, Mikey is always helpful and quick to respond on the Taplist forum.

 

[passedpawn]

13" OLED display is great. No backlight on an OLED = perfect blacks, minimal glow at night. Perfect for my bar. LOVE that I can just log in to Taplist, change the beers on tap, and it immediately changes on the display in the other room. Super-cool. There is a Fire Stick plugged into this display, hidden inside the wall behind it.

Simply plug in the fire stick, download/install the Taplist.IO app, connect to your account, and bob's yer uncle.

• OLED Display: Amazon.com: Portable Monitor - INNOCN 13.3" OLED Full HD 1080P 100% DCI-P3 1MS 100000:1 USB Computer Monitor Mini HDMI Travel Monitor Photo Video Editing Second Monitor for Laptop MacBook Friendly PC Console : Electronics
• Fire Stick Lite: Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite with Alexa Voice Remote Lite
• Right-angle mini-HDMI-to_HDMI adapter: Amazon.com: 15CM 90 Degree Mini hdmi to hdmi Angle Mini hdmi Male to HDMI Female Cable Adapter Connector Support 1080P Full HD, 3D (0.15m, Upward Angle) : Electronics

 

[TaplistIO]

That's rad! Thanks for sharing, I'm glad you're enjoying things. Never thought about the OLED blacks making a difference but that makes a lot of sense in hindsight. Big fan of discrete/nicely-tucked-away builds like this, well done. (And that hops chandelier is *chefs kiss*).

 

[passedpawn]

That's rad! Thanks for sharing, I'm glad you're enjoying things. Never thought about the OLED blacks making a difference but that makes a lot of sense in hindsight. Big fan of discrete/nicely-tucked-away builds like this, well done. (And that hops chandelier is *chefs kiss*).

Thanks. My original plan was to create a tight frame for the oled to hide its frame and the wires. Still might do that with my plunge router and some maple, but it doesn't look too bad as it is, might leave it that way for a while and see how I feel later.

 

[passedpawn]

That's rad! Thanks for sharing, I'm glad you're enjoying things. Never thought about the OLED blacks making a difference but that makes a lot of sense in hindsight. Big fan of discrete/nicely-tucked-away builds like this, well done. (And that hops chandelier is *chefs kiss*).

Love this app, and love how easy it is to implement it through Fire TV. I did find a bug, will be describing on the Taplist site shortly.

I am going for minimal display - not a fan of the large LCD TVs for this purpose (BTW, discreet, not discrete. Yes, I am the grammar police, I'll just issue you a warning this time).