Tap-a-Draft

[fuji6100]

I used my tap-a-draft for the first time today. I had one of the bottles carbinating (though it was only about 3/4 full since it was leftover from the empty 12oz bottles I filled the usual way first).

I put in my 2 co2 cartridges, put the bottle back in the fridge and forgot about it until this evening. Me and my girlfriend knocked back about 6, the first 3 being very heady.

The 6th one came out pretty slow and didn't really have any head on it. I'm curious, how fast does this go through cartridges? It shouldn't be needing more juice after only 6 beers should it? Or does it dispense slowly once the initial pressure kick has died down a bit?

Do you guys that have one of these replace one cartridge at a time or both? Just curious. I think this will be a great system for me once I get the hang of it.

[ray m]

Fuji...I recently invested in a Tap-a-Draft system & got it from UPS a couple of weeks ago. I plan on "busting it's cherry" with the Pale Ale I just brewed yesterday. From everything I've read about it before purchasing it, two 8 gr. cartridges are supposed to last for the entire bottle. Then when you screw the dispenser onto the next bottle, you put in 2 new cartridges. It'll be 3 or 4 weeks before I use mine, so I'll relay the results I have had with it. At this point, have you figured the system out a little more, and are you glad you bought it? It seems to me the time cut down on bottling would be astronomical.

[fuji6100]

From what I've read, 2-3 cartridges should last for one bottle of carbinated beer. If you are going to force carbinate, it should take 2 to do that and another 2 to dispense it all. That's what I've read, anyway. I was hoping maybe B3S could answer since he's been using this system for a while. I haven't seen him on the board in a few days though.

I love it so far. I still like to have some in bottles to take places/share with friends so I'm going to order some extra PET bottles and start bottling 2 of the PET per batch, which should leave enough beer left to bottle about 16 twelve-ounce bottles as well.

It's really great because you can control the head on your beer by adjusting how fast it shoots out of the nozzle. I'm loving it so far.

[pikespeakman]

Make sure that before you put the tap into the bottle that the beer has been chilled down overnight. Do not put the tap into the bottle when the beer is still warm.

Also I have found that useing only 1/3 cups of sugar for a 5 gal. brew works well.

[b3s]

usually i still have CO2 left over from 2 cartridges.

over-carbonating can cause the foamy glasses, but i've dropped the amount of sugar i use to about 1/3 cup and still get the foam.

yeah, after about half the bottle is gone, the head subsides. i don't mind as i prefer little or no head...still is carbonated, though.

and the tip about cold bottles is spot-on. the amount you fill the bottle also adds to the foaminess, i fill mine rather full, and wind up with the first two glasses basically foam.