Homebrewing

On Tap

Some things are just better on draught. Nothing feels better than walking up and getting an ice-cold draft beer, cider, or soda.

Sadly, the converted Cornelius pre-mix soda dispenser broke to the point where it could not be fixed. We were fortunate to own and nurture it for the last decade of it's 40+ year lifespan. You will be missed!

Now we have a new Lindr Pygmy 25 two-tap flash chiller, which does the same thing but takes up a third of the space. No more water, ice bank, and mixer motor. This thing is solid state and uses an aluminum block to chill the stainless steel beer lines. Check it out here.

The drinks start in a reconditioned Cornelius-style keg (5 US gal) at room temperature under the dispenser. The drink travels through eighteen feet of stainless coil to chill to around 40F when it exits the dispenser. It can continuously serve a beer or two a minute, so no waiting for a cold pint!

In Bottle

Not everything goes on tap. Limited small batches, like meads and experimental beers, may only yield a dozen bottles. That is not enough volume to fill a keg and such a small volume would be gone in an instant on a tap handle.

Many meads and big beers benefit from aging and are at their best after 6 months or longer. Cellaring in bottles allows them the environment and time to mature. Even certain styles of smaller beers benefit from bottle conditioning (i.e., carbonating in the bottle) and their flavor would not be the same if kegged.

Besides that, bottling is fun! Sure, cleaning and sanitizing bottles can be a drag. But nothing beats cracking open a homebrew and gathering all the gear to bottle a couple cases of beer. I really enjoy making the labels as well. It is all part of the fun of the hobby.