Homemade Draft Beer Dispensers

A stack of beer kegs outside a brewery.

Although bottling homemade beer may be the most popular choice because of its ease and nominal expense, many home brewers prefer their beer on tap. Luckily, there's a simple solution to put your craft beer on tap that works perfectly for the typical 5 gallon home brew batch size. All it takes is the right equipment in the form of a 5 gallon soda keg, and a touch of ingenuity. You'll have your very own kegs of beer in no time.

Things You'll Need

• Siphon
• 5 gallon soda keg
• 5 pound CO2 tank
• Connective hardware and hoses

Instructions

1. Siphon the beer from your brew tank into the 5 gallon soda keg. Filter it if you didn't use a two-step fermentation process.

2. Cap the soda keg. Trap as little air as possible, as prolonged exposure to air makes your beer go stale. Attach the hoses, pressure gauges and connective hardware to the keg cap.

3. Attach the CO2 tank and pressurize the keg. Inspect all the fittings, hardware and hoses for leaks. Store in a cool place with easy access to the tap.

Tips & Warnings

• Compressed gas of any kind can be dangerous. Use caution when attaching hardware.

References

• Home Brew It: Homemade Beer