How it Works

The CO2 PicnicTap® comes assembled and ready to use. You might have to put on the tap handle and zip on the thermal sleeve, but no tools needed.

Get your keg settled in its final place

• Attach the CO2 PicnicTap® -coupler into slot on the keg and twist it into place.

• Make sure the CO2 PicnicTap® black dispensing handle is pushed back, closed.

• Lock the handle down on the coupler.

• Pull the pressure relief ring a couple times to bleed off CO2 you caused when moving the keg.

• Turn the regulator to the off position.

• Insert the CO2 cartridge, turning in firmly, but do not over tighten.

• Get a glass.

• Open the black faucet.

• If foam only comes out, there is still too much pressure built up, relieve some more pressure.

• Try to get it so when no beer comes out, that is a good starting point.

• Now, with the faucet open, slowly turn the regulator knob until beer starts to flow, stop turning at that point.

• If you still have foam, 98% of the time, the beer is too warm. Try a meat thermometer, you’ll see.

•You can add some more pressure, but not too much, even with cold beer, it can foam it up.

Saving the keg for the next few days is easy. Keep it cold and use the regulator, add about 10psi of pressure. Turn the regulator off and immediately remove the CO2 PicnicTap® from the keg. You can leave the CO2 cartridge in the regulator. The keg seals off when you remove the CO2 PicnicTap®.

Variations

The CO2 PicnicTap® is available in three different configurations depending on the keg style you are using. 95% of the time, go with the default.

1. The standard default is P/N 50500 with the most widely used in North America, the US Sankey base.

2. The next most popular is P/N 50510 which is used on some European kegs. Ask your beer retailer to be sure.

3. We love Birch beer and other sodas from a keg and that is P/N 50512 which is known as a twin probe – Hoff Stevens coupler.

Are there others? Yes, and all you have do is contact us and we will try to make it happen for you.

ICE ICE ICE

We cannot emphasize enough how important it is to keep the keg in a super cold environment. Ideally, between 36F to 40F. Seriously. Cold beer matters especially when you apply CO2 to the keg, otherwise, you will be an expert on foam. You have probably seen a YETI or similar hard shell cooler. It is thick with insulation for a reason, to keep heat out and cold in.

Putting a keg in garbage can and adding ice is fine if you are at a tailgate in Wisconsin and it is 40F outside. A pool party in Clearwater Florida in July means it is 88F outside and you are going to fight to keep that keg cold. Find shade, wrap the outside with blankets. You can thank us later.

Be Kind…Air Kills Beer™

When you see someone pumping air into a beer keg, rather than CO2, they are forcing the CO2 OUT of the beer. Ever try to have a beer from the keg the next day? We have and it's flat and gross. It is never a problem when you dispense with CO2 and keep the beer cold. The CO2 PicnicTap® comes completely assembled and ready to use. Just pick up the keg and ice! Each unit comes with two of the 74g CO2 Filled cylinders which are truly beverage grade and brewery approved.

*California Residents' Prop 65 Warning: This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. Why is this applicable to this product? To learn more please click here.

Back Story

In 1989 we were at a 2 day party in a rural area of Ohio. There was 20 of us at an old farmhouse with a huge empty barn. We brought a keg, roasted a pig, chased down and cooked a few chickens. But we had arrived late the first night and could not kick the keg.

So the next morning, we wanted the party to continue and tried the keg. It was still on ice, but we had been using a hand operated air pump. At that time, we did not realize that pumping air into a keg causes it to lose CO2 carbonation. We literally pushed the CO2 out and the result was horrible flat beer.

That next week, back at Leland Gas Technologies in New Jersey, we immediately took that hand pump off the picnic tap, replaced it with one of our regulators, and screwed in a 74g CO2 cylinder that we had in stock. The Leland CO2 PicnicTap® was born and is handmade in New Jersey to this day.

Since then, we have sold thousands of this device to consumers and breweries around the world. Breweries love the CO2 PicnicTap® because they are very fickle about the quality and consistency of their beer. They spend a lot of time and effort to ensure quality and our device took away the variability of not having the correct CO2 content in their beer, a vital ingredient and key to proper mouth feel.

We round up our friend group and go back to that farmhouse every year. But now, when we arrive, everyone puts on a huge smile when we break out the CO2 PicnicTap®. We quickly became the hero of that party and the memories we have built can never be forgotten.

You too have a chance to obtain the highest quality restaurant grade portable draft beer equipment in the world and you can be the hero of the party.

These are the original Leland CO2 TapGas® cartridges used in all beverage devices which require a 5/8”-18 threaded cartridge. These 2 packs contain two 74-gram CO2 non-refillable cartridges designed for beverage preservation, carbonation and dispensing.

Empty cartridges should be put in with household recyclables, such as soup and beverage cans. They are crafted from low carbon steel, designed to meet the demanding needs of the beverage industry.

We weld these closed with a puncture cap; this means years of shelf life with no leakage. Nothing gets in, nothing gets out- until you screw it into one of our puncturing regulators and pierce the cap.

Back Story

The Leland CO2 PicnicTap® series of products were developed in 1997 and although we were already putting beverage grade CO2 into gas cartridges since 1965, we had not yet packaged CO2 specifically for draft beer applications. We had a lot of hurdles to clear with respect to the main US breweries. Getting approval is never easy, but with big breweries it took a couple years and a lot of explaining.

We wanted their blessing to dispense their beer. They have quality standards and brewers are very particular about CO2 as it is a key ingredient. One aspect is called mouth feel. When CO2 saturates into water it becomes carbonic acid and the fizz you get on your tongue are tiny droplets of acid. Depending on what else you recently had in your mouth will also make a difference…we digress….CO2 content in a beverage matters.

Now here we are, dozens of breweries around the world love our draft beer products because we pay attention to the quality. We have steady customers for decades and beer, well, it is a glorious invention:

The origin of beer is a story of rich cultural heritage and ancient tradition. For over 6,000 years, beer has been brewed and enjoyed by people across the globe, with evidence of its production dating back to ancient civilizations in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and China. The earliest known evidence of beer production comes from the ancient Sumerian city of Uruk in Mesopotamia, where clay tablets from around 4000 BCE describe the brewing process.

The art of beer-making was also revered in ancient Egypt, where beer was considered a sacred drink and was used as a form of payment for workers during construction of the pyramids. In China, the art of brewing was refined and perfected during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE - 220 CE), with the invention of new techniques and ingredients.

Throughout history, beer has played a significant role in shaping cultures, economies, and societies. It has brought people together, fostered community and camaraderie, and been a symbol of celebration and joy. Today, beer remains a beloved beverage around the world, with countless varieties and styles that continue to delight palates and bring people together. Its rich history is a testament to the power of tradition, innovation, and human ingenuity.

How it Works

The FlexHoseTap® comes assembled and ready to use. No tools needed.

Get your keg settled in its final place:

• Attach the FlexHoseTap® coupler into slot on keg and twist it into place.

• Make sure the FlexHoseTap® black dispensing handle is closed; its normal position.

• Lock the handle down on the coupler

• Turn the regulator to the off position

• Insert the CO2 cartridge, turning in firmly, but do not over tighten

• Get a glass

• Open the black faucet by pushing the handle with your thumb

• Now, with the faucet open, slowly turn the regulator knob until beer starts to flow, stop turning at that point.

•You can add some more pressure, but not too much, this will only waste gas and create foam.

•Saving the keg for the next few days is easy. Keep it cold and use the regulator, add about 10psi of pressure to the keg. Turn the regulator off and immediately remove the FlexHoseTap® from the keg. You can leave the CO2 cartridge in the regulator. The keg seals off when you remove the FlexHoseTap®.

Be Kind…Air Kills Beer™

When you see someone pumping air into a beer keg, rather than CO2, they are forcing the degradation of the beer as the hand pumped air forces the carbonation out of the beer…no wonder it goes flat so quickly!

The FlexHoseTap® comes completely assembled and ready to use. Just pick up a keg of beer and ice! Each unit comes with two of the 74g CO2 Filled cylinders which are truly beverage grade and brewery approved.

*California Residents' Prop 65 Warning: This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. Why is this applicable to this product? To learn more please click here.

Back Story

In 1989 we were at a 2-day party in a rural area of Ohio. There were 20 of us at an old farmhouse with a huge empty barn. We brought a keg, roasted a pig, chased down and cooked a few chickens. But we had arrived late the first night and could not kick the keg.

So, the next morning, we wanted the party to continue and tried the keg. It was still on ice, but we had been using a hand operated air pump. At that time, we did not realize that pumping air into a keg causes it to lose CO2 carbonation. We literally pushed the CO2 out and the result was horrible flat beer.

That next week, back at Leland Gas Technologies in New Jersey, we immediately took that hand pump off the picnic tap and replaced it with one of our regulators and screwed in a 74g CO2 cylinder that we had in stock. The Leland CO2 PicnicTap® was born and is hand made in New Jersey to this day.

Since then, we have sold thousands of this device to consumers and breweries around the world. Breweries love the CO2 PicnicTap® because they are very fickle about the quality and consistency of their beer. They spend a lot of time and effort to ensure quality and our device took away the variability of not having the correct CO2 content in their beer, a vital ingredient and key to proper mouth feel.

We round up our friend group and go back to that farmhouse every year. But now, when we arrive, everyone puts on a huge smile when we break out the CO2 PicnicTap®. We quickly became the hero of that party and the memories we have built can never be forgotten.

This FlexHoseTap® was the grandchild of the famous Leland CO2 PicnicTap® which we quickly developed once we realized that the CO2 PicnicTap® could not fit in a refrigerator! We finalized the CO2 FlexHoseTap® in the spring of 2001 just as we moved into our current manufacturing facility in South Plainfield, New Jersey where our well-trained technicians build out these great tap products.

You too have a chance to obtain the highest quality restaurant grade portable draft beer equipment in the world and you can be the hero of the party.