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How many Taps

Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2019 10:46 am
by berryman
I can put 4 kegs in my freezer, trying to decide if I need 3 or 4 beers available What would you do if you had the option.

Re: How many Taps

Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2019 11:21 am
by Beer-lord
I have 3 taps that are usually always working but even then, I have troubling emptying them fast during certain times of the year. I personally wouldn't have the need for 4 even though there are times when I use both the kegerator and keezer to store full kegs.
How fast do you think you'll go thru them?

Re: How many Taps

Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2019 12:00 pm
by John Sand
I agree. It's all about how fast you drink the beer. I'm content with two taps. If I had a third, I would put a small batch specialty beer on it, something that would age well.

Re: How many Taps

Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2019 1:00 pm
by BlackDuck
I can run 4 taps from my fridge. I've found that beers in a keg last quite a while, so I might as well have some variety in my life!! Except for now, I have nothing on tap, and I'm quite bummed about it.

Re: How many Taps

Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2019 1:02 pm
by Kealia
I agree, this is hard to vote on. I have 2 taps and rarely have I thought that I needed a 3rd. BUT, most everything else in brewing seems to get added to or upgraded as we go, so I would plan for 4 and just use what you need. You could always keep a keg of StarSan 'on tap'. Or even rootbeer or sparkling water....

Re: How many Taps

Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2019 1:36 pm
by berryman
What my dilemma is I am getting ready to drill the collar for the shanks. I want them centered, if I start with 3 then decide later I want 4 it won't look right. I have 3 right now (2 new and 1 used) and could plug the hole until I got another one if I went with 4. As far as how fast I drink them it's hard to say, I went though 3 kegs since 1/24/19 and have another almost carbed plus some bottled beer also, it depends on what time of the year it is and who stops to visit.

Re: How many Taps

Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2019 1:39 pm
by brewnewb
berryman wrote:I can put 4 kegs in my freezer, trying to decide if I need 3 or 4 beers available What would you do if you had the option.
berry - I know you've made some of that "redneck blush" (RNB) wine recipe I posted. When I had my 2 tap system at our old house, one was for beer and one was for RNB.

You could do a 3/1 or a 2/1 set up. :party:

Re: How many Taps

Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2019 3:53 pm
by Kealia
That being the case, I'd drill for all 4. If you don't use the4th one, it will still look fine.
To your point, if you decide to do it later, they won't be centered.

I find that we (as homebrewers) tend to keep updating.
I remember thinking things like:
- I'll never have more than a case of beer on-hand at any time
- I'll never need to ferment more than 1 beer at a time
- I'll never do a lager
- I'll never keg, it's too complicated
- I'll never need more than 1 tap
- I'll never need more than 2 kegs
- I'll never do 5-gallon batches
- I'll never need a bigger pot/kettle

And the list goes on....

Re: How many Taps

Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2019 4:51 pm
by berryman
Kealia wrote:That being the case, I'd drill for all 4. If you don't use the4th one, it will still look fine.
To your point, if you decide to do it later, they won't be centered.
.
Exactly, with 3 one in the center and one on each side at about 3" spacing. if to decide to add another later where to put it? With 4 and would be the max of the freezer anyways.
Kealia wrote: I find that we (as homebrewers) tend to keep updating.
Yes and why I am trying to think ahead on this project even if it takes a little longer or a little more money to start with.

Re: How many Taps

Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2019 4:58 pm
by berryman
brewnewb wrote: berry - I know you've made some of that "redneck blush" (RNB) wine recipe I posted. When I had my 2 tap system at our old house, one was for beer and one was for RNB.
Yes............. :clink:

Re: How many Taps

Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2019 5:57 pm
by John Sand
In that case I would drill for four, and put a tap in the fourth hole, even if it's a spare or surplus. My tower has four taps because it's a brass antique and it came that way. Only two of them are live.

Re: How many Taps

Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2019 6:34 am
by Inkleg
I can’t remember what size freezer you have gotten. Are all the kegs going to sit on the floor or will any be sitting on the compressor hump? The reason I ask is I’ve seen nice looking set ups where they have the taps to one side (the hump side) and space them towards the center. That does two things, one is you can ever expand the taps spaced equally from the end. The other is it keeps the taps to one side and kinda out of the which can make loading kegs in and out easier. Either way I voted 4.

Re: How many Taps

Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2019 6:52 am
by Dawg LB Steve
I'll go with 4, I can have 10 on tap at any one time. Since I've gotten back to brewing more consistently I am going to try and fill all 10 with different styles. Two 3 tap kegerators and 3 fivers and a 2.5 fit in the keezer.
:cheers: