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"PARTY PIG"
Wow I purchase a party pig when I bought my first extract kit. Kind of wish I would of found this web site before. It has one more week to prime then I will give it a taste. I thought it was like a small keg but when I opened it up its is more like a big bottle and if I don't like it I will sell it like crasher1339 did. Oh and hi everyone!
Yeah the main disadvantage I would see is having to replace the bladder for every single batch.
I guess a lot of this just boils down to what you need at whatever stage you're at.
For example, at this point I have absolutely no desire for a kegging system because:
1) I give away lots of beer. I like making it so I need the open space, therefore I bottle it. If I had a kegging system I'd either have to wait till it all got drank or toss it...
2) I don't have a fridge dedicated to brewing (yet, I probably will eventually though) so tossing a keg in the fridge when I know I have company coming isnt really an option, and since I have teenagers and a husband who think that the fridge should have room for boring stuff like food, I can't just keep the keg in there.
I think the party pig or the tap a draft system would be a better bet for me than a corny setup. The quality might not be as high as a nice shiny keg, but as far as my personal usage, it'd be more in line with what works for me. But, I'd imagine the quality would be sufficient for my needs... Not trying to sound arrogant but I've been told I make excellent beers (LOL one guy at work calls me the brew goddess and wants to know when I am starting my own religion up and can he be the high priest.... cracks me up). I think the quality of the beer is going to be a major factor to any system.
Personally, I think the CO2 systems aren't as much fun...(ducking) I like bottling and making lables (and yes, I make some really corny pun labels sometimes) and waiting patiently for them to carbonate. For me, there's something zen about the whole process of bottling (even though it can be a major pain in the butt) and I like opening my linen closet turned brewery and gloating over the neatly labled rows of beer....
I've just started making my own labels too...can be quite fun. Nice swingtops!
You aren't the same Jen that's on the homebrew group on Facebook, are you?
Nice bottle collection!!!
1. has anybody ever used one of these pigs (LOL)?
yes numerous times
2. if so, does it work good?
yes, I usually show up to parties with this little guy and it provides a quick easy way to transport my homebrews. The only problem i have ever had was with the refills and I think that may have occured because it got beat up during shipping.
3. do you think it's worth the price?
kinda.. the refills add alittle bit of cost, but its alot cheapier then buying corny kegs.
lately, ive just been buying bottles from a local brewer for 3$ for a case
Hi everybody
It seems that very few of you are using the Party pig, so take this from someone who is using it.
If the Party pig is right for you? Well that is up to you and who you prefer your beer. Do you like from a bottle or a keg?
Bottling beer takes a long time vs. kegging but it doesn't change the taste of that excellent beer you just made. But it is quite inexpensive you just drink beer and reuse the bottles. But cleaning the bottles after use and storing them in between takes a long time and space.
The 5L Mini Keg with either a hand pump or CO2 pump is good if you dispense all 5 L within 30 minutes or else the keg looses the carbonation. But this system is quite inexpensive and the cleaning is manageable.
10-20L Kegging systems with CO2 compressed in 15 L tank, is the ultimate keg, but it is rather expensive and the beer that is in the "tubes" will not last for long, and can give you an unpleasant experience drinking your beer. Cleaning this system, well I haven’t got this system by myself, but I could imagine that it takes some time.
The Party Pig: it holds 8L. If you do not know who it works go to partypig.com and click on pig facts in the top of the screen, then you can get a little video on how to do the different steps (very nice). The Purchase of the Pig is not that expensive but of cause you need a new pressure bag every time. But after having used the Party pig over many years it has clear advantages!
Vs. Bottling; it is much faster and the cleaning is very easy.
Vs. Mini keg. Since the pressure bag expands when you dispense beer it doesn’t loose carbonation!!! You can put the Pig in the refrigerator and take one glass of beer when you feel like it. The beer does not go bad it can be dispensed and stored for over one year and everything is perfect. This is quite an upgrade when comparing to the Mini Keg systems which looses the carbonation, but it is more expensive, but worth it.
Vs. advanced kegging systems. Cheaper and easier to store (the wife will definitely like the Party Pig better, it can be tolerated) and the carbonation is the same.
In conclusion, use what you like, but the Pig is not that expensive vs, bottling or 5L Mini Keg and does not take up much space, but the most important thing is that the beer does not loose carbonation in the Pig and it doesn’t go bad, it can be stored for a long time even after you start dispensing beer from it. But who am I kidding we drink the beer pretty fast so storage should not be a problem.
I hope this information can help anyone. I do not understand why Mr. Beer is involved in this thread. The Party Pig is made in the US, Colorado.
Remember that for bottling you use ~60g sucrose pr. 20L for a Pig you only need 40g.
And yes it works great!!!
I have a corny keg system. It's nice but 5 gallons of kegged beer last forever and it's kind of a pain lugging it into kitchen, then having to clean the tap hose after I'm done. I'm thinking of selling it. After seeing the tap a draft system can be used with 3 litre soda bottles I'm strongly leaning in that direction as I can use one bottle at a time and it's more convienent for taking to someone elses house.
Jen I really like the bottles on the pic. I like the seingtops but wasn't sure how often they tops needed replacing or if they were hard to get. Seems it would cut down on time since not having to boil or soak caps and use a capper.
I also have been using carb tabs instead of boiling sugar. i like the cartabs better.
DC
wow, its been awhile since this topic has come up, Tis the season though
I just filled a Party Pig for the first time last night. You use 1/4 to 1/3 cup of priming sugar in the party pig( directions warn that Party pig takes less priming sugar than bottling). It carbonates just like a bottle would with time. If you would prime in your bottling bucket like you normally would for bottling and just fill the party pig from the bottling bucket, the pig would be overcarbonated and probably would get lots of foam.
I am taking it to a lite up night party day after Thanksgiving. I will test it before I take it. I will let you know how it taste and how the pig works. I tasted it with the priming sugar to get a feel for how it should taste when done. I also bottled a case, so I will have something to compare to the taste of the Pig beer.
The pig is just like PET plastic bottles. I would say the problem will probably eventually be with the dispenser value. Purchased on line from Midwest Supplies. Think I paid $38.95. $44 seems a little high unless that includes the pump you need to pressurize the pressure pack inside the pig which was an additional $8.
Let you know in a couple of weeks.
I have been using the TAD system for two years and love it. I would like to go to a complete kegging set up but for now the TAD works great. The bottles fit on a standard fridge shelf which I don't think the pig will do. And even sweeter is the fact that you can use CO2 or a combination of CO2 and Nitrogen if you want for those creamy stout pours. Most website suppliers sell both. As others have stated the other benefit is that you can control the process somewhat by either using one or two dispensing cartridges.
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