What beer (if any) do you always try and keep on tap?

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by Merlyn, Jun 21, 2021.

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  1. Merlyn

    Merlyn Aspirant (249) Jan 17, 2021 Michigan

    Either a specific recipe, or a specific style. I have three taps and I try to keep an IPA, a "slammer," and a darker beer on tap. Right now I've got a Guinness clone, a Cream Ale, and a Brut IPA in there, and I've got a "floor sweeper" porter and a NEIPA in the ferms, and next batch will something light again.

    How about you fine folks? What do you keep on tap, or do you keep it more dynamic?
     
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  2. Granitebeard

    Granitebeard Zealot (549) Aug 24, 2016 Maine

    Typically one dark beer. I don't keg much, so try to keep a porter or stout in there. Nothing particular though. Another favorite is a lager. I have three taps in two units, and one is needed to actually do the lagering part of it so it is restrictive. Otherwise, most all else goes in bottles, and I am lucky to finish them quickly.
     
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  3. skleice

    skleice Maven (1,271) Aug 6, 2015 Connecticut

    4 kegs:
    - IPA
    - NEIPA
    - Low ABV (pale, blonde, light lager)
    - Seasonal or brown/Amber

    I bottle everything else.
     
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  4. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,043) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society

    I used to have a house pale ale that was usually on, but for some reason I haven't brewed it in a while. These days, there always seems to be some version of a 9.5% ABV pastry stout, all of which share the same base beer recipe.
     
  5. Lukass

    Lukass Pooh-Bah (2,807) Dec 16, 2012 Ohio
    Pooh-Bah Society

    3 taps, and I almost always have an apfelwein (because they’re so easy to make) on one of them. Then, the other two taps are either taken up by saison, IPA or lager as of late. The bigger beers and funky stuff are the only ones I bottle any more, but it’s been harder for me to bottle batches lately - the keezer keeps us plenty busy!
     
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  6. PortLargo

    PortLargo Pooh-Bah (1,737) Oct 19, 2012 Florida
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Always have an IPA, two Belgians, and Rauchbier (I know that's odd) pouring. Then fifth faucet reflects whatever the grain locker was previously overstocked with.
     
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  7. Supergenious

    Supergenious Savant (1,249) May 9, 2011 Michigan

    I don’t think I’ve ever brewed the same beer more than once. So no regulars. I do try to keep one hoppy beer on tap, the other 2 taps are all over the place.
     
  8. MrOH

    MrOH Grand Pooh-Bah (3,331) Jul 5, 2010 Maryland
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Not on tap (yet, still in the process of building out a keezer), but available in bottles, I like to always have a hop-driven beer, a yeast driven beer (usually a saison, but often times some other sort of Belgian. Been a few years since I did a hefeweizen.), an easy drinker like an American wheat or blond, and something dark with at least the roast level of an American Brown. There is often some overlap, because I got to use up all the low AA hops I buy.
     
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  9. GormBrewhouse

    GormBrewhouse Pooh-Bah (2,111) Jun 24, 2015 Vermont
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Bottles only.
    Usually a couple whole hop ipas/pales and the war dept must have her Irish stout! No excuses it’s a must have hahahahahh@a
     
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  10. Jasonja1474

    Jasonja1474 Savant (1,100) Oct 15, 2018 Tennessee
    Trader

    I have 2 taps. I try and keep a brown ale on tap. Lately I’ve been brewing NEIPAs to practice for the Hoppy Possum Homebrewers cup coming up in Sept. I’m taking what I think is the recipe to Hops in the Hills festival this Sat. 26th. So my kegerator has been all NEIPA lately. But I would like to try and keep one tap dedicated to brown ales and the other to what ever strikes my fancy.
     
  11. Merlyn

    Merlyn Aspirant (249) Jan 17, 2021 Michigan

    I hear you on this!

    My wife loves dark beers and it's the only reason I have a Irish stout on tap now when it's almost July lol
     
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  12. JrGtr

    JrGtr Pooh-Bah (1,689) Apr 13, 2006 Massachusetts
    Pooh-Bah Society

    I don't have a kegerator, (yet...) but if |I did I have a pale that I would try to keep on most of the time. Others would likely be an IPA, maybe a porter / stout, and something else.
     
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  13. JoeSpartaNJ

    JoeSpartaNJ Zealot (657) Feb 5, 2008 New Jersey

    I try to keep one hop forward beer and one malt forward beer on tap for balance. Strength is optional.
     
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  14. mikehartigan

    mikehartigan Maven (1,397) Apr 9, 2007 Illinois

    4 taps.

    I generally keep one dedicated to a pretty generic sparkling cider for those who just don't care for beer. (5 gal Costco cider + a packet of US-05. It's hard to beat a 10 minute brew day!)

    One pours a Cream Ale all summer or until I run out.

    The other two are rotating taps - whatever I had the urge to brew. Usually a wide range of styles.
     
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  15. invertalon

    invertalon Pooh-Bah (2,065) Jan 27, 2009 Ohio
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Four taps here.

    For me, usually two I dedicate for lagers.

    Only one hoppy beer at a time. Too many good local fresh ones to handle those cravings, so I brew those infrequently now.

    I also try to keep all but one tap under about 6% ABV if I can.

    That seems to be my tap trend.
     
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  16. Buck89

    Buck89 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,718) Feb 7, 2015 Tennessee
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    3 taps here. I have a house Kveik IPA that seems to be the crowd pleaser, so it's on 90% of the time and I balance it out with a lager (usually a Pils) and a non-PA/IPA ale.
     
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  17. GetMeAnIPA

    GetMeAnIPA Pooh-Bah (2,535) Mar 28, 2009 California
    Pooh-Bah Society

    would you be willing to share that base recipe? I rarely brew stouts and would like a good 9/10% abv recipe that I can get a baseline.
     
  18. Naugled

    Naugled Pooh-Bah (1,882) Sep 25, 2007 New York
    Pooh-Bah Society

    I have 2 taps, but only keep one active, and it's usually an IPA (any one of probably 10 different IPAs, WC, NEIPA, Session, IPA, IIPA, etc)

    But I also have a large store (for one drinker) of what I call "keeping beers". These are BW's, RIS's, Saisons, Dopple's, Quads, etc... that I brew (once per year) and then keg condition and then bottle for storage. That's what I use the second tap for mostly.

    However, I do use the second tap for festbeir's and Hefe's as well. Once they are ready I'll tap and have two taps going in the fall and spring.
     
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  19. Yalc

    Yalc Crusader (489) Nov 5, 2011 Florida

    1. IPA/Pale
    2. Lager (usually Dunkel)
    3. Porter variants
     
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  20. argock

    argock Pooh-Bah (2,754) Dec 30, 2006 Virginia
    Pooh-Bah Society

    I have up to 6 taps but usually run 4 most of the time. In the late fall-winter-early spring it will be almost all lagers. In the spring and summer, a wide variety of beers given propagation batches like cream ale and blonde ale and then hoppy beers like APA and IPA. In the early fall, a few dark beers mixed in like a brown ale, robust porter, and American stout.
     
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