Hello all, newbie here and please forgive my ignorance. I am getting married in September and we are trying to find the least expensive way to serve beer at our wedding without the use of a bartender. We found a place that rents a wall that has a nice looking rustic look to it which will match our weddings theme, but it does not come with Co2, you will still have to manually pump them. This kind of defeats the purpose. If I was to retrofit a Co2 tank can I have one tank provide all 3 kegs provided I distribute it with the correct fittings to all of them? I know that some beers require different pressure but if I can make one tank work for all 3 it would save us a huge expense. We want to have 3 kegs on tap: 1/2 barrel of Spotted Cow 1/2 barrel of Miller Lite 1/6 Barrel of Cider. Can it be done? Thank you in advance.
Can it be done? Sure. Will it be easy, not likely. The CO2 part isn't the issue, for short term use you can just three way split the same pressure. That is cheap and easy. The next level would be to distribute to a manifold which would allow you to independently adjust for three pressures, but you really don't need to go that far. The bigger issue is that if they are providing you hand pump couplers they won't have CO2 fittings. You would need standard couplers to replace those, and all the hardware to attach to their beer lines. Then you will have to tweak the pressure to accommodate whatever length beer lines they provide. This isn't something you can just whip up and have it work well. You have bigger things to worry about on your wedding day than tinkering with a beer wall. My suggestion, roll with it, it likely works fine as they provide it. BTW they may need to know ahead of time you are planning on cider because cider must got through nothing but stainless steel fittings. Post a link to this beer wall thing.
You need to rent a jockey box. One with two faucets and one with a single faucet. Three faucet boxes are not really a thing, though I think they do exist. You will need a few tubs to hold the kegs with some ice. The tubs just keep the ice melt from getting on the floor. Finally you need to manage the ice melt a bit since the kegs float and will tip over if you aren't careful. Jockey Box rental. It is your best option, and also pretty much your only option. Cover it with a Air pumps are a bad idea. Really. The jockey box will come with CO2 and a regulator. Just crank to 25 to 30 psi, tap and pour. Cider does not need SS for this situation. Cider should be used with SS because it will corrode the chrome plating and expose brass, which will compromise the product. One sixtel won't harm the chrome though, and it isn't yours anyway. J-Box coils are SS but the faucet will almost certainly be chrome plated. Don't sweat it. Also be sure you can serve alcohol at your event. If your wedding is not on private property you may have problems if you don't sort it out first. Good luck.
I think you'd want to look for stainless on the cider based on the fact that if someone is renting equipment that is brass based the chrome is likely long gone and the cider will be running through brass. Will it flavor based on a quick run through? Maybe not, but why risk it?
Thanks for all the helpful advice. I had to laugh at that last part. I'm from Wisconsin, they ask if you aren't going to serve alcohol. lol
you asked... Cider and wine especially are acidic and will dissolve chrome plating. there is brass beneath the chrome, and that can cause off flavors if it comes into contact with the beverage. it is important for bars and restaurants that may have wine and cider on tap for weeks and months. for you, SS is ideal but it is not very likely you will have a full s/s setup with a j box rental. the coils will be ss, and that is important. the "shank", probably not. the "faucet" almost certainly not. the "coupler" may have a ss probe but also unlikely. if you have had cider on tap, you have been drinking cider through chrome plated hardware, probably more often than not. these are rental units after all. not likely someone spends an extra $100 to move up to all ss in a 2 faucet box. and they have to turn a profit. drunk people love to bang up rental equipment after all. Cheers.
Hiring a venue for your wedding ceremony you have a savings plan, wine and soda ??? You should be more in line with its financial
Venue is set and has been for almost a year. It's a rustic old finished barn with only one bar on wheels. The owner has a bar-tending license and we have the option of having her tap the beer but with one bartender and 3 types of beer and wine she would be very busy. So we are renting a wall fashioned with tappers. Only downside, they are not equipped for CO2 so our guest would have to occasionally walk behind the wall and pump the kegs. Takes away from the ombiounce. She says if she is onsite and has a license then our guests can serve themselves.
don't use air. not unless you want your beer to be stale. use co2. it makes a huge difference and is not all that hard to do. do not use air to dispense beer. well, do what you like, but beer stales very quickly when it is dispensed with beer. you might away with it for a brief wedding event. maybe...
That's the idea, beer for one night. We've all been to crappy parties with beer tapped from a keg sitting in a bucket of ice. I understand long term would make it stale, but this is one night only.
It's not the amount of beers that makes it more difficult, its the fact that one bartender now has to serve everyone. We are at budget capacity and didn't realize the venue does not supply a bartender, we have to pay extra for that.
