Dr_Unkenly
Not a real doctor
- Joined
- May 6, 2016
- Messages
- 165
- Reaction score
- 47
I recently purchased a Klarstein beer dispenser for my mini kegs. As there doesn't seem to be much info about them around I thought I would share my thoughts here.
For those that don't know, the Klarstein is a kegerator for mini kegs. You put your MK inside the unit and it chills it with a pressurised tap on the front to dispense your beer into the vessel of your choosing (directly into your mouth also works!).
I already have a party star tap and a dedicated fridge for my MKs but I wanted to have the option to have more than one beer on the go so I thought I would give the Klarstein a bash.
I went for the black one with the silver trim, this uses an air compressor to generate pressure rather than a CO2 cartridge. I know that may be frowned upon but I was:
1. Curious to see how well that worked.
2. Happy to have something that would still function when I (foolishly) ran out of CO2 bulbs
3. Able to install it in the kitchen with minimal objection from SWMBO as it matches the aesthetic of the other appliances.
So, on to it.
This is actually my second Klarstein. The first one I recieved (3-4 days after ordering from the Klarstein website) was faulty. The machine came on but the chiller did not work.
Klarstein customer support was good. I spoke to a guy on the phone who had very good English and he offered a replacement or a refund with no quibble. They emailed me a returns label and I dropped it off at my local Post office.
About a week later I got my replacement unit and I was good to go.
The unit looks very smart and fits perfectly on a kitchen worktop with the rather large drip tray attached. It has a non-removeable power cord with a 2 pin EU plug on it but Klarstein supply an EU-UK adapter in the package.
Installation of the keg is similar to the party star tap. They supply you with a few bungs which are like the 2 piece grey bungs but made of a softer material. You also get a special cutter which can be used to remove the non-reuseable bungs.
You thread the dip tube through the bung hole (LOL) and the tap assembly clips on to the the top of the MK. There is a retracable handle on the top which hleps you to lift the keg up and place it into the unit.
Close the lid and turn on the pump and a few second later you're ready to drink your beer.
Does it work?
Yes, but...
I can happily report that after 5 days in the Klarstein, the Hobgoblin ruby I put in there still tastes as bland and lifeless as when I first tapped it.
I've had some HB's in there which have gone a bit stale much quicker when there's only a pint or so left in the keg.
So the message is that it seems to keep the beer ok, as long as there is a reasonable amount left in the keg.
It keeps the beer cold, but not to any specific temperature.
My kitchen is in a conservatory type structure, I've seen the unit's temp gauge read as high as 8C during the recent heatwave and as low as 0C first thing in the morning after a chilly night.
The fan runs constantly.
I expected that the unit would shut off when it hit a certain temp, but the fan runs 24/7. It's not an irritating sound, just a 'whoosh' but you wouldn't want to keep this in your living room (unless you had the lads round to watch the footy!)
Am I happy with it?
Yes. I will use this for session beers that get drunk quickly and leave it switched off when not needed. I can also see this as a brilliant thing to take to parties when you want some chilled HB on tap, not may people are going to have fridge space for an MK with a party star tap.
Likewise if you are hosting a party, this is great as you can put it anywhere you like and as it regulates the pressure, you don't get people over-pressurising the beer as with the party star(which happens to me a lot!).
I would say that I prefer my party star overall but the Klarstein is way more convenient in many situations.
If anyone has any questions about the Klarstein, please feel free to ask but hurry as I'm about to get on some HB.
For those that don't know, the Klarstein is a kegerator for mini kegs. You put your MK inside the unit and it chills it with a pressurised tap on the front to dispense your beer into the vessel of your choosing (directly into your mouth also works!).
I already have a party star tap and a dedicated fridge for my MKs but I wanted to have the option to have more than one beer on the go so I thought I would give the Klarstein a bash.
I went for the black one with the silver trim, this uses an air compressor to generate pressure rather than a CO2 cartridge. I know that may be frowned upon but I was:
1. Curious to see how well that worked.
2. Happy to have something that would still function when I (foolishly) ran out of CO2 bulbs
3. Able to install it in the kitchen with minimal objection from SWMBO as it matches the aesthetic of the other appliances.
So, on to it.
This is actually my second Klarstein. The first one I recieved (3-4 days after ordering from the Klarstein website) was faulty. The machine came on but the chiller did not work.
Klarstein customer support was good. I spoke to a guy on the phone who had very good English and he offered a replacement or a refund with no quibble. They emailed me a returns label and I dropped it off at my local Post office.
About a week later I got my replacement unit and I was good to go.
The unit looks very smart and fits perfectly on a kitchen worktop with the rather large drip tray attached. It has a non-removeable power cord with a 2 pin EU plug on it but Klarstein supply an EU-UK adapter in the package.
Installation of the keg is similar to the party star tap. They supply you with a few bungs which are like the 2 piece grey bungs but made of a softer material. You also get a special cutter which can be used to remove the non-reuseable bungs.
You thread the dip tube through the bung hole (LOL) and the tap assembly clips on to the the top of the MK. There is a retracable handle on the top which hleps you to lift the keg up and place it into the unit.
Close the lid and turn on the pump and a few second later you're ready to drink your beer.
Does it work?
Yes, but...
I can happily report that after 5 days in the Klarstein, the Hobgoblin ruby I put in there still tastes as bland and lifeless as when I first tapped it.
I've had some HB's in there which have gone a bit stale much quicker when there's only a pint or so left in the keg.
So the message is that it seems to keep the beer ok, as long as there is a reasonable amount left in the keg.
It keeps the beer cold, but not to any specific temperature.
My kitchen is in a conservatory type structure, I've seen the unit's temp gauge read as high as 8C during the recent heatwave and as low as 0C first thing in the morning after a chilly night.
The fan runs constantly.
I expected that the unit would shut off when it hit a certain temp, but the fan runs 24/7. It's not an irritating sound, just a 'whoosh' but you wouldn't want to keep this in your living room (unless you had the lads round to watch the footy!)
Am I happy with it?
Yes. I will use this for session beers that get drunk quickly and leave it switched off when not needed. I can also see this as a brilliant thing to take to parties when you want some chilled HB on tap, not may people are going to have fridge space for an MK with a party star tap.
Likewise if you are hosting a party, this is great as you can put it anywhere you like and as it regulates the pressure, you don't get people over-pressurising the beer as with the party star(which happens to me a lot!).
I would say that I prefer my party star overall but the Klarstein is way more convenient in many situations.
If anyone has any questions about the Klarstein, please feel free to ask but hurry as I'm about to get on some HB.
