There
are three basic types of beer faucets
1. First, the typical faucet you see on most kegs
such as the one pictured here.
2. Second, the "Hand Pump" you usually see
at events or parties where the keg is expected to
be consumed in one day and does not need a
CO2 system.
3. Third, is the euro kegerator type that is most
common for dispensing Guinness. And unless you plan
on serving Guinness on tap at home, the best choice
is the first faucet mentioned; the typical faucet.
A Quick Note On Guinness on Tap.
If you
occasionally serve Guinness or a similar product on
tap at home, the euro
style faucet will work on all beers if you remove
the little disc from the
plastic output spout. The disc has 5 tiny
holes in it and serves to release what little C02
Guinness has, giving it the special head characteristics.
When dispensing a low C02 level Guinness type beer
through
the disc it takes a lot of extra pressure, usually
20 to 30 psi. Using pure C02 will ruin the beer at
this pressure. If you dispense using the euro faucet
with the disc, most breweries suggest 25% C02 / 75%
nitrogen "beer gas" at 30 psi.
Faucets must
be cleaned at least every two weeks. The faucet
spout is exposed to air and will pick up a lot of
wild yeast growth, it has to be cleaned regularly.
If you have a home keg setup you must invest in a
cleaning kit that comes with a faucet wrench and a
faucet brush.
If you
are interested in a kegerator
conversion kit please click here.
