Cool, freshly tapped beer tastes good. Not only abroad, but also at home. If you want to bring the enjoyment into your own four walls, you can rely on your own beer dispenser. Read here what you need to consider when making your selection.
The advantages of having your own beer tap are obvious: being able to enjoy fresh beer at home and being able to cater for larger groups. Anyone planning a celebration in the near future will be happy about a dispenser with cooling and will also save themselves having to carry crates. But what makes a good draft beer? A question that everyone who wants to buy their own beer dispenser should ask themselves. If you want to tap yourself, you should know how to do it properly. Worth knowing about beer tapping and various dispensing systems in comparison.
Buying a beer dispenser: you need to pay attention to this
Private individuals need a different beer dispenser than restaurateurs. It is important that you buy a system that will fit in your home. If the system is too big, it only bothers you. When buying a beer dispenser you have the choice between wet and dry cooling. Both processes have the same effect, because the beer is cooled on the way from the beer keg to the tap. Wet cooling dispensers are equipped with a water tank and are ideal for tapping large quantities of beer in the shortest possible time. Dry cooling dispensers, on the other hand, are ready to use particularly quickly. As a rule, you can use the system after a few minutes after connecting it.
Beer dispenser with dry cooling
This beer dispenser has dry cooling and a maximum output of 20 liters per hour. Thanks to its compact size, the system should be easy to transport. The system’s dry cooling works by extracting the heat from an aluminum block. The beer is passed through the chilled aluminum block in a cooling tube, giving it the desired temperature. Good to know: This way you can only cool as much as the cooling machine can do. Perfectly adequate for private use, also for parties with up to 50 guests. Important: In addition to the dispensing system, you also need the right keg closure for the keg and a carbon dioxide bottle for the pressure.
Facts at a glance
Important: The dispenser must be cleaned after each use. A garden hose is suitable for this, which flushes the inner hoses with pressure. You can let water flow through the detachable hose between the barrel and the system in the sink.
Beer dispenser with CO2 pressure cartridge system
This beer dispenser is suitable for all 5 liter beer kegs. The integrated thermoelectric beer cooler is suitable for temperatures from 2 – 12 degrees. Thanks to the CO2 gas cartridge pressure system, the beer should always have the right pressure for a stable head of foam. Note from the manufacturer: If you also want to tap Heineken kegs that do not require CO2 pressure, you can use the supplied connection adapter.
Facts at a glance
Beer dispenser with wet cooling
Beer dispensers with wet cooling use water to lower the temperature. Before you can use the system, fill it with water that will be cooled down. Important: The water must be emptied for transport and changed regularly before use. Beer dispensers with wet cooling are ideal if you want to supply a large number of people with freshly tapped beer. For private celebrations, however, a beer pump with dry cooling is always sufficient. The models are cheaper.
This is how it is tapped properly
The basic requirement is a good beer. However, since taste buds are different, you should rely on your personal taste. No matter which beer you use, the temperature should be right and it has to be poured correctly. If you don’t succeed, the beer tastes stale and the desired head of foam collapses. Have cool beer glasses ready before you start tapping. The latter is used to get firm foam. If the glass is warm, the beer loses carbon dioxide and becomes stale.
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