Beer and Brewer Magazine

What's the easiest way to avoid the booze bus, but still have tap pulled beers? That's easy says Luke Scott install a system at home.

Having beer on tap at home is pretty much the ultimate dream for most beer lovers.

The complete bar with a draught beer system is not out of the question, and like anything in life you get what you pay for. From the keg in the fridge with a tap drilled through the door, to the complete glycol and beer font, there are plenty of options depending on your budget.

Our resident Beer Guru, Technical Editor Luke Scott takes you through a few essential tips to consider when setting up a draught beer system at home.

Tip 1

The single most important thing is to convince your partner that a beer dispensing system is an essential item and that it will save you money in the long term. Beware of warning your partner that this device will certainly make you popular amongst your mates, and that friends may start popping in for almost no reason at all, just to drink your beer.

Tip 2

Getting the beer. If you are a keen home brewer, you have a ready source of beer and probably started brewing using kegs. The most common form of home brewer style keg is the 19L post mix keg commonly known as the "Corny" keg (short for Cornelius the manufacturer). If you are not an avid home brewer, but just want quality beer on tap, your best option is to contact your local craft brewer. Most local craft brewers will sell you 50 litre kegs directly. The average price, of a craft brew ranges in price from approximately $200 - $220 per keg. On the other hand, if you are after the domestic range of VB, Tooheys New you should contact your local pub or club (and we hope you are good mates with the Publican so you can order through them). For this scenario, the keg prices will range from approximately $160 and up.

Tip 3

Storing the beer. Remember that the cooler temperature that you can store the beer at, the better the beer will last. This applies especially to craft beer, as this usually contains no preservatives and is not pasteurised (unlike the mainstream beers). Keeping the beer cold means you don't have to cool the beer as much to serve it, reducing the cooling load for your preferred dispensing mechanism. This results in the beer hitting the glass cold, and as an added bonus, it will also last longer in the keg. One popular method for keeping the keg chilled is using a chest freezer, and adjusting the thermostat so the freezer sits at about 2°C (you can then drill a font with a tap on the top).

Tip 4

Contact the professionals. There are a few companies that specialise in draught beer dispensing systems, and these companies are a great starting point if you would like advice about equipment options. Andale Beverage Systems (www.andale.com.au) provide a wide range of products from a simple magic box to cool the beer lines, to complete home bar set ups. They also are able to provide the draught beer dispensing systems that are in Hotels and Clubs, if you are looking for this level of home or commercial bar. The system that I personally use at home is the Cornelius C10 (see picture right) which costs around $1,400 and is a great addition to your next BBQ. Your local home brew shop is often a wealth of knowledge, with lots of advice, tips and tricks in setting up your ultimate home bar system, and they often can give great suggestions for the budget conscious wishing to set up a home beer dispensary.

Tip 5

Cleanliness is the key. Equally important to having fresh beer is cleaning your dispensing system. Regular cleaning of your complete system from keg connections (couplings) to cleaning the beer lines will ensure your beer always tastes good. It goes without saying that having a clean glass is always important, and in particular, aids in the presentation of the beer through the attainment of good head retention.

Tip 6

Consider your needs. Are you the sort of person that enjoys the odd one or 2 beers an evening? Or are you the type to organise the occasional big event at your place; whether it be the Grand Final, Anzac Day, a mate's birthday, the Boxing Day test, Bathurst V8 race day, the gallops, Waitangi day or an Australia Day BBQ? For the regular small volume consumer there is a relatively new party keg option called the Brewtique (see picture above right). This clever system contains both the beer and the gas in one convenient apparatus that holds just over 10 litres of beer. It fits perfectly into a spare small fridge. If on the other hand you are the regular or irregular host of the event at home, then the Pub Tap system is perfect (see picture above left). It simply connects the tap to the keg directly and has a small gas canister to carbonate and dispense the beer. Assuming you can cool the keg (be it in a bucket of ice, a fridge or an old freezer, this system is ideal for one off occasions.

With the growth of the home theatre system and the increasing demand to enjoy good beer at home, having a draught beer system that equals that found at your local hotel is not out of the range of the average Australian or New Zealand beer lover. It's certainly something your mates will love you for and will make having a beer at home a whole new experience. Enjoy!

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