# Help: How do I tap a Keg?!



## Mink Tea (Jul 17, 2002)

Hey Folks,

I figured some of you might be able to help me out here. I'm having a party in a few weeks and the owner of my local bar has hooked me up with a cheap Keg. (you know you go there to often when....) 

Now, I have drank my fair share of draught (rolls eyes), I even worked in a bar for awhile. However, I've never tapped a keg... I don't even know what I'm going to need. 

I figure a tap is a good start, but I don't know what type. I also not sure where to get a fridge... this is starting to get stressful.


----------



## Britnell (Jan 4, 2002)

If you have to ask, you are not really a bar fly (and obviously never hung with my crowd at university)

The type of tap depends on the type of keg. Ask your friendly bar owner who is hooking you up.

It is VERY important that you let the keg settle for at least 2 hours before you try to tap it. Shaken warm beer under pressure is messy. And very sticky when it drys.

No fridge, no problem. Put the keg in the bathtub, fill with ice at least 3 hours prior to drinking. Replentish ice as needed. 

Serious keg partiers buy a used fridge and drill a hole in the door and insert hoses/tap in door. Remove all shelves, as they were designed to hold groceries, not a industrial bubba can.

Enjoy


PS have a place for the women to sleep over. No one wants an accident on the way home. I assume that no real man will leave while there is still fun to be had with the keg.

PPS, what is your address again?


----------



## Mink Tea (Jul 17, 2002)

Thanks Britnell,

My University crowd tapped their kegs themselves, I never got to learn. <shame>

Few more questions...

Do I need some CO2?
Do you know of any places in the TO core where I can buy a used fridge?
Does anyone know a beer rep so I can get a whole lot of beer related stuff for the heck of it?


----------



## Britnell (Jan 4, 2002)

On the beer rep question, what brand of Draught will you be swilling? No point in inviting the Molson Rep over if you will be serving Labatt...

Again, as with the type of tap question, ask the guy you are getting the keg from. Or... CALL THE BREWERS REPTILE (aka The Beer Store). Believe it or not, the Beer Store will answer all your questions, and sell you anything you need.

As for the fridge:
a) check the newspapers in the classifieds
b) post in the tor.forsale newsgroups. You do know what the newsgroups are?


----------



## ehMax (Feb 17, 2000)

Sorry Mink Tea... wish I could help. Like you, I've always been on the receiving end of the keg.


----------



## ehMax (Feb 17, 2000)

Something I found with Google . Never knew it was such a science!


----------



## dthompson101 (Jan 16, 2001)

mmmm beer, I love thursday nights what with all the free flow in the bars.....mmmm I want some more.


More of us need to get togher to have a kegger....an "ehmac" kegger........mmmmm...beer....mmm....macs....mmmmm.


----------



## Mink Tea (Jul 17, 2002)

Thanks Britnell (again),

I called The Beer Store and they hooked me up. Strangely the guy there refered me to all these other places to get what I need because it was "cheaper and better quality than what we have". He gave me a list of places.

Wierdest thing in the world though, I got an actual beer fridge, with a tap and such, from the Salvation Army (!?) for 75$. (I figured it'll cost me that in ice anyway.) My significant other, however, isn't as pleased. 
 

Mr Mayor, thanks for the diagrams, those will be useful. 

Oh and Thompson.... I'm not sure if large quantities of foamy liquid and expensive computer hardware mix well.


----------



## (( p g )) (Aug 17, 2002)

How to tap a keg? I would gladly show you, but then you'd have to let me have a few...

hic!


----------



## gordguide (Jan 13, 2001)

We don't really do this anymore, but since there does seem to be a few college students hanging around this thread ...

We used to make our own beer. Yeah, I know you had some bad stuff before. Forget about that.

Just go to the regular homebrew store and get the kit, and follow the directions, except bottle them into 2 liter pepsi/coke/etc plastic containers.

Here's the good part:
Get a used Coca-Cola or similar fountain syrup container (you know, the silver and black things you see at the fairgrounds dispensing cold cola). We bough ours for $20 from the Coke bottler.

Get a tank of CO2; you can get it from (you guessed it) the Coke bottler.

Open container, pour 2/3 full with beer from 2-litre bottles. Close lid, pump up with a suitable amount of CO2. Place in fridge. You may, at this point, drill hole in fridge door for plastic tube with dispenser.

Place glass under dispenser. Fill glass. Drink all night, with you and your buddies. Notice how there is *no* sediment or other crud in glass. Remark "Just like the stuff they sell at the bar down the street".

Wake up, check beer supply (pick it up, don't open it). If empy, refill.

Enjoy. About $3 per 12 pack. With money saved from previously mandatory beer fund, buy hot tub.


----------



## Mink Tea (Jul 17, 2002)

Hey Thanks gordguide,

It's like Craft time for Alcoholics. Very nice.

I especially like the "make a hole in the fridge" part. My roommate got a look of excitement when I told him, he then muttered something about cutting torches, then giggled and passed out.


----------

