A Tale of our Taps

If you've visited us in Downtown Billings, MT at Frae Collective... you've probably noticed the tap wall behind our cash wrap. 

Maybe you thought "Oh, great - another Montana Brewery." or "Hmmm, must be Kombucha. This place looks kinda crunchy - they would definitely sell that stuff." 

Or maybe - you had a chance to read the menu next to the taps which lists a PLETHORA of household refillable items... all lined up in a sweet little row!

Interested in the story of how these shiny spigots got to here? Keep reading.

In a not so distant land, Frae Everyday Goods owner/founder Tiffany spent some quality time behind the tap handles of a couple of the best breweries in town.

Malty Ambers and Hoppy IPA's... but the best part about a brewery? COMMUNITY.

There is something unique and amazing about the way people come together and discuss their differences and similarities over a cold pint and some stale popcorn.

When we decided to go forward with our expansion concept 'Frae Collective by Frae Everyday Goods' we knew that building community was our main goal. 

So, what the heck?! Throw in a tap system, build the cash wrap to look like a bar, and make the place feel a bit like a brewery! With the state of Montana ranking second in the nation for breweries per capita, we knew we had to give a shot! 

But wait. We don't sell beer.

Hmmm... What could we put on tap? Liquids... REFILLABLES - YES.

Dish Soap, Shampoo, Conditioner, Multi Purpose Cleaner, Laundry Detergent, Hand Soap, Bug Spray, Hand Sanitizer, Castile Soap, Lotions... so many possibilities! 

Well, the idea is always the easiest part. Now to EXECUTE the concept.

Step One: Find a tap system. A quick google search displays a variety of options. But we're all about reclaimed, recycled, repurposed... wouldn't it be cooler to use an old tap system and put it back into commission?  Yes, WAY cooler!

We call around town and our old friend Mike at Carter's Brewing said he might have one "laying around"... Sweet! Turns out, the tap system he had was the old set up that Tiffany had poured billions of beers from back in the day in the original brewery next to the railroad tracks on Montana Avenue... if you're a Ghost Train IPA fan, Tiffany designed that graphic and printed t-shirts for Carter's way back in her basement print shop days - We LOVE it when things come full circle! 

Step Two: Hardware - We sat down at our kitchen counter at home - old school style - with a graph paper notebook and lined out all of the parts and pieces we would need. From handles and spigots to hose barbs, lines, and washers. We made the list and checked it twice. But, ordering all of that stuff online seems pretty lame. How can we get all of this stuff locally? Call in another Billings Brewing Legend - Craig at Billings Home Brewery Supply to the rescue! All the parts and pieces were here in under a week - lickity split. 

Step Three: Installation - Measure. Measure again. Drill Holes. Mount Taps. Done.

Step Four: Plumbing - This is where things got tricky... ugly... tense. NIGHTMARE-ish. Ah - where do we even BEGIN!?

Soap is thicker than beer. We had thought through that. But honestly, we didn't want to deal with CO2 or Nitrogen to boost the flow. We're trying to keep things simple here... (remember that "idea" the further this story goes on - haha)

Gravity is the answer (we think). We're sure that having the jugs of product up higher than the taps will allow things to flow smoothly - no problem!  

The taps are installed. The parts are here for the system.

We just need to hook everything up - seriously, no problem!

Jaxson leaves to attend United Bicycle Institute in Ashland, OR and will return the week after we open Frae Collective to launch his own community centric bike repair shop... perfect plan... ZERO problems. This is gonna be GREAT!

Tiffany calls in her dad to help her hook up the hoses and tap in the products.  In true rancher fashion, he cuts the hoses with his pocket knife and gets it all hooked up with no major issues.  Things are looking great! 

Tapped. Plumbed. Time to test.  

Flip the first tap - we have a little flow! 

Flip the second tap - a little slow flowing, but that's ok.

Cool, cool! This all seems to be working fine - on to the next item on the punch list...

The punch list for this buildout was so freaking LOOOOONG, we weren't sure it would ever get done but thanks to the help of a few Frae Champions we were making some progress!

Fast forward to opening day.

The lists are mostly complete. The people are here. Music, snacks, coffee, and flowers - the Chamber of Commerce helps us with a ribbon cutting ceremony. 

WE ARE HERE. It has happened. Doors are open. Sell all the things!

Customer number 7 asks for a refill on their hand soap dispenser.

Of course - no problem! Unscented or Lemon Lavender? 

Smile. Tare the jar on the scale. Turn to the taps. Pull the handle.

NOTHING.

Put on the bravest retail face - apologize - ask for them to excuse you for a moment while you hustle to the back room. Proceed to tear the hose off the tap and fill their bottle directly from the jug -

It's fine! Everything is fine. Pretend everything is fine. 

Turns out our "gravity feed" theory is not enough for soap to flow.  It had worked on the test pour when we plumbed it in because we used our thinnest product - oops.

No time to dwell on that. It's opening day. The store is packed. Figure it out later.  

So we power through the day and it's GREAT and any refill items are filled from the back room. Sort of like a secret Speak Easy experience for your soaps! 

Our staff fills refillable household goods from the jugs in the back for over a month. 

Jaxson returns from bike school with certificate in hand and Tiffany whines at him long enough that he completely reconfigures the mechanics of the entire tap system.  We order more parts and pieces - pumps, wires, hoses, and push buttons. 

Find a window of time.  Rebuild the system.  Test taps.  Product ACTUALLY flows.

DUDE.  Here we go...

At present - each jug of product is hard wired to a little pump which can be adjusted for flow dependent on thickness and viscosity of each refillable item.  Every tap handle has a button to activate the pump which ensures you a swift and efficient refill experience!

Is it a simple system? Absolutely not. 

Does it work? ABSOLUTELY. 

Are there still a few kinks to work out? Yup. 

Life lessons from a brick and mortar shop? JUST KEEP GOING. 

Figure out how to make it work with what you have. 

Fix the problems when you get a chance. 

Done is better than perfect. 

Oh, and BTW - Thanks for saving the day again Jaxson :)