Anyone have a home bar tap?

[checko 180]

I have a bar in my home and want to install a single tap into it but have no idea what I need. I figure I can get a 1/4 keg to fit into a little mini fridge, and run the lines up through the bar?

 

Has anyone done this? Recommendations?

 

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[jeff47 30]

You can run the lines up into a tower in the top of the bar, or right through the front of the fridge door.  Keep in mind that the beer needs to stay cold the whole way, from the keg to the tap.  If you run it up into a tower, you need to make sure the inside of the tower is cool, otherwise the beer in the start of the line will get warm and possibly bad.  It makes the first few oz of the pour unpleasant if you're not drinking continuously.  Keep in mind there is not one standard beer coupler.  There is one fairly common one, another somewhat common one with some additional oddballs. Bass used to have a weird triangular coupler that was a huge pita to tap for example.  Lastly not sure how big your fridge is but you may want to go with a sixtel instead of a 1/4.  You may even be able to fit 2 sixtels if it's big enough.

Good luck.

[checko 180]

You can run the lines up into a tower in the top of the bar, or right through the front of the fridge door.  Keep in mind that the beer needs to stay cold the whole way, from the keg to the tap.  If you run it up into a tower, you need to make sure the inside of the tower is cool, otherwise the beer in the start of the line will get warm and possibly bad.  It makes the first few oz of the pour unpleasant if you're not drinking continuously.  Keep in mind there is not one standard beer coupler.  There is one fairly common one, another somewhat common one with some additional oddballs. Bass used to have a weird triangular coupler that was a huge pita to tap for example.  Lastly not sure how big your fridge is but you may want to go with a sixtel instead of a 1/4.  You may even be able to fit 2 sixtels if it's big enough.
Good luck.

When you say I need to make sure the tower is cold, how would one do that? I assumed i would just burn the first couple seconds of beer since the fridge would be directly under the tap.

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[checko 180]

I also figured the 6th to be too tall. The stubby 1/4 would be like 16" tall

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[jeff47 30]

Yes, every fridge seems to have slightly different layout unfortunately.  IIRC (it's been a while) if the tower is open to the fridge you should be good to go, so don't just cut a 3/4" hole through the fridge for the line, especially if you're not pouring everyday.  Or again, it's less cool but more practical (and cheaper) to just stick the tap in the front.  Like you said you can definitely just run the tap for a couple of seconds if it's been a while. I can always taste at a bar when a beer doesn't get poured very frequently. One last thing (if you aren't already aware) make sure you clean or replace the lines occasionally.

[ted527 21]

Mount a small blower in the fridge to blow cold air up into the tower.