How do I keep a 19 year old out of my beer?

[MaltyWalty]

I have my brother in law, 19 years old, living with us. I'm looking for a way to keep him from accessing the homebrew. I've installed a chain and lock on the handles of the doors of the garage fridge where the bottles live. How do I keep him and his friends out of the kegs? I've got them in a kegerator, dorm style fridge with perlick flow control taps. I know there are tap faucet locks, but there don't appear to be any for the 650ss. Any suggestions?

 

[S-Met]

Is the fridge lockable or are you willing to add a lock? You can disconnect the taps and lock the fridge when not in use. Possibly add an in-line shut-off if popping the QDs is difficult to access.

Or you know, lay down the law and have serious consequences for a violation.

 

[MaltyWalty]

Is the fridge lockable or are you willing to add a lock? You can disconnect the taps and lock the fridge when not in use. Possibly add an in-line shut-off if popping the QDs is difficult to access.

Or you know, lay down the law and have serious consequences for a violation.

I could probably add a lock, but it would really detract from the aesthetics. Im thinking a clasp lock where the door meets the side. I do like the idea of an in-line shutoff. I may be able to rig up something that locks the shutoff closed with a padlock.

 

[AkTom]

Break his arm. Tell him his fingers are next.

 

[cswant88]

Buy a breathalyzer and beat him if he fails.

Edit: Seriously though, if securing the kegerator is not possible, you can put in a motion activated WiFi camera to keep an eye on things. You’ll get an alert on your phone and can see if they are pilfering your booze.

 

[schematix]

trust. him and his friends aren't 21 yet. they can't legally drink, so they won't.

 

[WBB]

Keep coors light and bud light stocked in a fridge away from the kegerator. After all they’re 19 years old give or take. They need to put in their time.

 

[WBB]

trust. him and his friends aren't 21 yet. they can't legally drink, so they won't.

 

[Greytop]

Time for your wife to put her foot on her brother's throat. Otherwise, pop the disconnects and get a big chain and padlock to keep him out until you are there to supervise.

 

[mongoose33]

I might have a sit-down conversation about theft of others' property. That's YOUR beer, not his, he did nothing to make it, and furthermore, he's not of age. He has no business drinking your beer.

The key here is if he persists, it won't be long before he's rifling through your wallet for cash, taking other things he can pawn, and so on.

I know there may be family repercussions, but kick him out. If he's living with you he already owes you and he's paying you back in the worst way possible.

You're just enabling him. Locking him out of the beer? Not the answer. Kicking him out? The answer.

My 2 cents. Good luck.

 

[Pkrd]

I'd tell him he can drink whatever he likes as long as he buys the ingredients and cleans up after my brew day.

 

[S-Met]

Shut-off valve, depending on your system.
John Guest Ball Valve BV-14Q John Guest Single Straight in Line Shut-Off Ball Valve Quick Connect, Tube OD x 1/4" (1 Pack), white and blue https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079K415J5/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_qtG7CbAJMNJZH

 

[FatDragon]

I'd tell him he can drink whatever he likes as long as he buys the ingredients and cleans up after my brew day.

There really is something to this idea. He and his friends are under the age where they can legally have booze, but they're choosing to drink anyway. It's worth considering to set some guidelines with him so that he's able to drink in a safe way (i.e. at home and not driving afterward, limit his permitted consumption, etc.) in order to kickstart his ability to drink responsibly. That's what my brother did with our much younger half-brothers when they were living down the street from him and it helped them learn to tone it down considerably.

Of course, you should probably keep the agreement hush-hush and put a lock (maybe with the key in an obvious place that he knows about) in order to establish plausible deniability in case there's an incident and the cops get involved...

 

[beernutz]

If he has underage friends coming over drinking your homebrew you are setting yourself up for possible contributing to the delinquency of a minor and/or providing alcohol to a minor charges. This happened to some parents in my area who looked the other way while their kids had alcohol get-togethers at their houses even though the parents didn't buy the alcohol.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Meh, do not lock the kegerator fill it with cat urine set up a nanny cam then submit it to AFV. You might win a trip to the happiest place on Earth and get paid for the humiliation of a family member/thief.

 

[SanPancho]

I was thinking more along the lines of a moderate pale ale mixed with about a liter of visine.

That’ll learn em.

 

[TheMadKing]

Locking the beer down is just like taking Tylenol for a cold. It treats the symptoms not the problem.

The problem is that you have a 19 year old who doesn't respect your property and can't be trusted. I'd have a serious talk about kicking him out if he can't control his impulse to steal things.

And why is he being allowed to invite friends to your house?

 

[S-Met]

Locking the beer down is just like taking Tylenol for a cold. It treats the symptoms not the problem.

The problem is that you have a 19 year old who doesn't respect your property and can't be trusted. I'd have a serious talk about kicking him out if he can't control his impulse to steal things.

And why is he being allowed to invite friends to your house?

I don't know the situation either, but @MaltyWalty has never said anything negative about his 19yro bil being disrespectful (though implied with the lock-down). We don't know if he's a delinquent or just a 19yro boy.

Me@19. I worked, went to school, but still liked to party. MaltyWalty may just be prophylacticly protecting his investment and making access to his alcohol more difficult.

Its a lot more difficult now than when I was 19. I've been buying booze and going to bars since I was 17. It wasn't legal then, but much less inforced.

Enough sidetrack from me...all I'm asking is to stay focused on the problem:
how to secure his taps?
Everything else is conjecture and not relevant. If we reask the question as: If the op brought a cat to keep mice out of his grain, but the cat liked to lay on top of the kegerator, how could OP secure his 650ss from accidentally being opened by the cat? How do we solve his problem?

 

[BongoYodeler]

Prune Juice IPA.

 

[passedpawn]

Put webcam over the taps. Add a sign that the scene is being recorded. I'd bet that would do it.

 

[S-Met]

Prune Juice IPA.

That might actually be really good. I've had tasty plum wine.

 

[MaltyWalty]

I don't know the situation either, but @MaltyWalty has never said anything negative about his 19yro bil being disrespectful (though implied with the lock-down). We don't know if he's a delinquent or just a 19yro boy.

Me@19. I worked, went to school, but still liked to party. MaltyWalty may just be prophylacticly protecting his investment and making access to his alcohol more difficult.

Its a lot more difficult now than when I was 19. I've been buying booze and going to bars since I was 17. It wasn't legal then, but much less inforced.

Enough sidetrack from me...all I'm asking is to stay focused on the problem:
how to secure his taps?
Everything else is conjecture and not relevant. If we reask the question as: If the op brought a cat to keep mice out of his grain, but the cat liked to lay on top of the kegerator, how could OP secure his 650ss from accidentally being opened by the cat? How do we solve his problem?

So, my bil is not disrespectful, just sneaky. Beer goes missing and nobody knows what happened to it. As does cologne, food, phone chargers, etc. Things where I've got no solid evidence, but it didn't happen before he moved in.

I like the idea of a webcam... but maybe not advertise it. The wife and I have already spoken about getting covert cameras to get evidence for the other shenanigans when we are not home. It's the wife that needs convincing with proof. IMO he has overstepped his boundaries too many times already.

Long term, I would like tap locks. I've got a 6 and 8 year old and at some point they too will be teenagers and I can't just kick them out... (but I could whoop their butts).

 

[pvpeacock]

My wife made me get tap locks for my Perlicks (but not flow control) when I had two teenage boys at home. I dutifully put the locks on and kept the key on a nail right above the kegerator. I never told her I would hide the key! Beer loss was the price of homebrewing and having teenagers at home. Now they're in college and I miss them.

 

[passedpawn]

My wife made me get tap locks for my Perlicks (but not flow control) when I had two teenage boys at home. I dutifully put the locks on and kept the key on a nail right above the kegerator. I never told her I would hide the key! Beer loss was the price of homebrewing and having teenagers at home. Now they're in college and I miss them.

Don't worry, you'll have the grandkids around before you know it. 2 of mine are done with college and working, last one is still in school getting his MD. I raised them with the taps open all the time and as far as I know they never touched them (they are all a little nerdy and not into the beer - no idea how that could have happened). Now that they are adults, they hit it occasionally when visiting.

 

[NGD]

So, my bil is not disrespectful, just sneaky. Beer goes missing and nobody knows what happened to it. As does cologne, food, phone chargers, etc. Things where I've got no solid evidence, but it didn't happen before he moved in.

I like the idea of a webcam... but maybe not advertise it. The wife and I have already spoken about getting covert cameras to get evidence for the other shenanigans when we are not home. It's the wife that needs convincing with proof.

This is going to be the time you find out your sleep walking to the keg and pulling a pint after a heavy spritz of colonge

 

[OG-wan Kenobi]

"Beer goes missing and nobody knows what happened to it. As does cologne, food, phone chargers, etc. Things where I've got no solid evidence, but it didn't happen before he moved in. "

Game changer.......

Get a Nanny cam(s) they come in picture frames and all kinds of inconspicuous options that one would not suspect

 

[kh54s10]

Stun gun or pepper spray! Of course that means you have to catch him in the act.

 

[MaxStout]

Put everything beer-related (and anything else you want to keep him from) in a room and install keyed entry door locks.

 

[Miraculix]

American problems. Been drinking beer legally since I've been 16


I Know this doesn't help a bit, but made me giggle a bit. Sry.

 

[z-bob]

I was thinking more along the lines of a moderate pale ale mixed with about a liter of visine.

That’ll learn em.

You want to kill him??? And anyone else who drinks that stuff? (maybe even you if you forget about it) Tetrahydrozaline (sp?) is a dangerous poison.

 

[Brew_Dude41]

I am going suggest a straight forward approach. Sit him down, lay out the concerns, the expectations going forward, and the consequences for not meeting those expectations.
Talk to him as an adult and show him some respect, and he might just respond accordingly.
I am not saying that I expect that he will straighten out, but this approach has worked for me on occasion at work when i deal with these type of behavioral issues. When it doesn't work we have to follow through with consequences as we lined them out.
I might still look into a camera to eliminate any questions about actions that you capture on film.

 

[MaxStout]

I am going suggest a straight forward approach. Sit him down, lay out the concerns, the expectations going forward, and the consequences for not meeting those expectations.
Talk to him as an adult and show him some respect, and he might just respond accordingly.
I am not saying that I expect that he will straighten out, but this approach has worked for me on occasion at work when i deal with these type of behavioral issues. When it doesn't work we have to follow through with consequences as we lined them out.
I might still look into a camera to eliminate any questions about actions that you capture on film.

Trust but verify.

 

[Dland]

American problems. Been drinking beer legally since I've been 16 .

So, we used to get one of the guys hanging out at the liqueur store at the strip mall to get us a case of Colt45, used to cost about $7.50, we'd give him a $10er, with the change, the guy who bought for us would buy a bottle of ripple or night train, not the smallest one either. We'd ride up on our bicycles in the snow, never had a problem getting "served". Case of malt liqueur goes pretty far with four 14 year old teenagers, (and we were the good kids).

Mid '70's 12 or 13 mile & Woodward, if I recall, outside Detroit.

Anyway, my point being, if the kid is already "set in his ways" chemical wise, there is little one could do but "hard secure" everything. Locked room, etc.

I had to lock down my beer 'fridge for one of my kids, but is may have almost been a relief for her, 'cause she had an excuse why she could not take my brews for her friends.

Back on subject to OP, if the guy is taking other stuff too, the beer is only one of your worries, but it is a source of potential liability, especially if he or anyone he gives it to drives.

I won't go any further, 'cause I am not a social worker, but good luck in any case.

 

[ISS IT Guy]

Meh, do not lock the kegerator fill it with cat urine set up a nanny cam then submit it to AFV. You might win a trip to the happiest place on Earth and get paid for the humiliation of a family member/thief.

Yeah, but harvesting all of that cat urine is going to be a pain!

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

When my son was 19 we saw our Vodka bottles were getting low and we dont drink Vodka ( for parties)
We swapped all the Vodka for water and left the bottles in the same place.

He actually had the balls to send us text later that night and said "thanks for ruining our night"
We still get a good laugh over that

If they're gunna drink they're gunna drink.....aint no way your going to stp them. If its not your beer its someones elses

!9 is close enough to drink a few beers at home. We always said if they're home haveing a few beers at least we know they're safe.

Give the kid a few and tell him if he drinks any he cant leave the house for the night....he might even lean a valuable lesson....its OK to drink just be responsible while doing it

 

[Miraculix]

When my son was 19 we saw our Vodka bottles were getting low and we dont drink Vodka ( for parties)
We swapped all the Vodka for water and left the bottles in the same place.

He actually had the balls to send us text later that night and said "thanks for ruining our night"
We still get a good laugh over that

If they're gunna drink they're gunna drink.....aint no way your going to stp them. If its not your beer its someones elses

!9 is close enough to drink a few beers at home. We always said if they're home haveing a few beers at least we know they're safe.

Give the kid a few and tell him if he drinks any he cant leave the house for the night....he might even lean a valuable lesson....its OK to drink just be responsible while doing it

Very good solution.

 

[Beernik]

You got me looking because I’m looking at stating kegging and I have a 13 year old.

I found this lock for the series 650, which I’m also looking at.

 

[bleme]

I like the idea of a webcam... but maybe not advertise it.

I love the Blink camera system.
No wires so I can put them anywhere and move them whenever I want.
I set them to my schedule so they are only recording when I'm not around.
Any motion sends the video to my phone.

They are not without issues though, so I would definitely spring for the extended warranty.
One unit always had a hard time connecting to Wi-Fi and went through batteries 3X faster than the others. After about 13 months it wouldn't even work in the same room as the wi-fi.

 

[MaltyWalty]

You got me looking because I’m looking at stating kegging and I have a 13 year old.

I found this lock for the series 650, which I’m also looking at.

Wow! That's perfect. I scoured the internet for exactly that. Good find.

 

[mongoose33]

Wow! That's perfect. I scoured the internet for exactly that. Good find.

If you focus on locks, you're treating the symptom, not the disease.