Abstract: A tap adapter suitable for use in dispensing an alcohol beverage from a keg which tap adapter has a hollow arm adapted for mounting to a valve assembly in fluid flow communication with a beverage dispensing valve in the valve assembly. The arm may contain a dispensing tube. A first end portion of the arm is adapted to releasably connect to the beverage dispensing valve to open the valve and has a tap permitting beverage to flow through the hollow arm and out the tap. An air line passageway is adapted to be connected to a second valve in sealed fluid flow communication therewith passing through the valve assembly or keg. A source of air is connected to the air line passageway for supplying pressurized air to the second valve and into the keg. A relief valve is provided which can be opened to allow air to pass into the discharge tube upstream of the discharge end portion whereby the beverage in the discharge tube downstream of the relief valve freely flows out of the discharge end portion.

Abstract: A cooling system for a home beer dispensing apparatus has a mediated thermal bridge providing a bank of latent cooling capacity. The bridge may have a cavity filled with a cooling solution with at least one series of spaced apart heat exchange fins extending substantially along and interstitially into the cavity from at least one wall of the cavity so as to enhance heat transfer across the cavity. The bridge is arranged in thermal conducting relation through a cooling plate between a keg containing the beer and a Peltier thermoelectric cooling device adapted to cool the cooling solution by extracting heat therefrom to an active heat sink. A fan directs air flow horizontally along the fins of the sink and out the two lateral open sides of the heat sink. This prevents heat from rising in the apparatus and thereby affecting other system component parts. The cooling solution may comprise 5% by volume glycol and freezes at a temperature below that of water providing an improved thermal bank.

Abstract: The method of installing an alcohol beverage bag into a container such as a beer keg through an aperture in the container has the steps of folding the bag into overlapping panels so as to have a cross-sectional area able to pass through the aperture of the container and then inserting the folded bag through the aperture and into the container. The beverage bag comprises first and second rectangular panels having peripheral edges welded together to form a first seam. Each panel has an area larger than a cross-sectional area for the keg and the panels are sized relative to the keg cross-sectional area to permit the panels to be forced apart during bag filling so as to expand bag internal space to approximate the volume of the keg. The bag has an open neck member passing through an aperture of the first panel and welded thereto to form a second seam.