How many taps is too many?

I think it depends on the bar. I've been to plenty of taphouses that have 80-100+ and have no freshness/tap line issues because the place puts a big emphasis on the beer, and then on the other hand I've been to small places with 6 taps that have been dirty/flat/old/etc.

 

As much as I love a huge selection, it has happened too many times now that I have been served a beer that is either off, old, or is obvious the taps are not clean from places that have 50+ taps. Its disappointing

 

I think it depends more on the quality of the establishment. Hopcat here has 100 taps and Hopcat Detroit has 130. I have no worry that I am going to get a less then quality beer.

 

It depends on the place and the beer traffic.

 

No such thing!

 

Is 180 to many?

 

No doubt there are places that handle 100+ taps appropriately, but if I walk into an unfamiliar place and they have more than 25 or so taps, I am not confident that I'm getting fresh beer. At these places I'll usually opt for styles that don't fall off quickly to be safe.

 

Just depends on the bar. If it is a place just trying to hit a high number of taps to score off the craft beer trends then I would worry. I've seen places that run 100 taps and you know it's not a worry because traffic is such that the beer menu is electronic just to keep up with the constant turnover.

 

I'd say 10-24 is safe given they're properly looked after. Been to too many "Over 100 Beers On Tap!" type places and have gotten burned...more than once. But as usual: Caveat Emptor.

 

Lots of good posts in this thread. The 'bottom line' is that as long as the bar has sufficient traffic (lots of craft beer customers) they can have a HUGE number of taps and the beer will be of high quality.

There is a rule of thumb that once tapped a beer should be consumed in a set period of time (e.g., a month). If the beer bar has lots of passionate customers those kegs should be kicked fairly quickly.

There is also the fact that many craft beers come in sixtels vs. half-kegs. It does not take long to kick a sixtel since it only contains about 5 gallons of beer.

From my perspective the larger issue is maintenance of the beer lines. Beer lines should be cleaned regularly (e.g., every couple of weeks) to eliminate unwanted microorganisms (e.g., bacteria) from those lines.

Cheers!

 

Honestly, it depends on the bar. If they're busy, then they could have up to 100 taps. If it's a pretty slow going, small bar, 10 is good.

I saw a bar in Fort Collins with 100 taps, but the selection was rotating so fast, you knew all of the kegs were fresh.

 

Assuming craft only, I don't need more than 20-25 choices (even 10 is fine). I much prefer a rotating tap list over a tap list with pretty much the same 100 beers on tap all the time.

One of the things I love about Ocelot Brewing is they don't brew the same beer 2x so there is always something new on tap.

 

I will agree with some. As many as you can handle that lets your beer move in a timely fashion.

 

I'm going to change gears here, slightly. I generally dislike places with an enormous tap selection because I've experienced several incidences in which the waitstaff have no idea which "special" and/or rotating/seasonal taps they have. I'm always interested in the rotating/seasonal drafts, and I am almost always met with befuddlement when I ask what they are; and they are almost never listed on the menu. That blame falls on the establishment, for not informing their waitstaff of which off-menu beers they offer. Fewer taps (10-25, etc.) = less chances of my server rolling their eyes at me.

 

I miss Hopcat. I miss crackfries.

 

My personal cutoff is around 40-50. Gives you plenty of variety, plus enough space to have several of popular styles at a time so folks can try beers side by side.

 

If the bar owner can figure out how to handle the logistics and the storage and also get the appropriate turn over and cleaning. I really don't care how many taps there are. But, I also do not really ever wish to be handed a menu which is akin to reading a minor Proustian effort.
In the ideal, I don't need more than 16 taps, and I'd much rather prefer 8. Keep it simple for everyone involved.

 

been to both Sedona Taphouse and World of Beer, both have over 80 taps, both have never made me worry about freshness. beers pumps in and out of there quick enough.

BUT, if I walk into a 60+ tap bar and there's no customers there when there should be (appropriate bar hours), then i worry.