Best way to get Perlick Creamer to cream?

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Kaz

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 22, 2010
Messages
1,104
Reaction score
44
Location
Amish Country
I just got 3 Perlick Creamer faucets for Christmas to mount on the outside of my keg fridge. The fridge keeps the beer pretty cold at around 35F in the winter. I normally put the kegs in the fridge and set my PSI to around 10PSI which generally gives me around 2.5-2.7 volumes/CO2 and I just keep it there serving with a 10' 3/16" beer line. With the creamer faucets, I get a decent pour with the forward pull, but when I try to use the creamer function, I just get a beer trickle and not much in the way of a creamy head. What am I doing wrong? I've read that others have had the same problem, but can't find a solution. TIA
 
I've wondered this too.. not much documentation on them. I've read that homebrew clogges hop the little holes in the creamer function because its not filtered.

Let me know if you figure anything out. Mine trickles out too... Foams, but prob not much different than if I had shortened the dispensing line.
 
I'm wondering if its a pressure thing? Maybe the Perlick 575's need more pressure behind the beer to force it through the little creamer holes?

I know that a true creamer faucet like the ones used for guiness require a pressure somewhere in the neighbourhood of 30psi behind them...
 
I have a stout faucet that is on beergas. It works amazingly. And up till now, my other 3 faucets are just the standard old everyday faucets. I too received 3 Perlick 575ss creamers for Christmas and I am having the exact same issue. I turn my CO2 bottle just like yours and only receive a trickle as well. If I increase pressure to much, I'll receive too much power when pulling the faucet forward. Thanks for starting this thread as I am having the exact same issue.
 
I just got 3 Perlick Creamer faucets for Christmas to mount on the outside of my keg fridge. The fridge keeps the beer pretty cold at around 35F in the winter. I normally put the kegs in the fridge and set my PSI to around 10PSI which generally gives me around 2.5-2.7 volumes/CO2 and I just keep it there serving with a 10' 3/16" beer line. With the creamer faucets, I get a decent pour with the forward pull, but when I try to use the creamer function, I just get a beer trickle and not much in the way of a creamy head. What am I doing wrong? I've read that others have had the same problem, but can't find a solution. TIA

I recently purchased two 575's and had the same issue. I returned them to the vendor and received two replacement faucets which seem to function much differently than the first two. The label on the package of the replacement faucets was also different.

The original (now returned) faucets had a label on each box which stated "Sanitary Beer Faucet W/Push Back Lever". The new labels states "Beer Faucet, Stainless Steel W/Push-Back Creamer Feature".

Not that the label means anything, but the replacement faucets have a much different feel. Here was the big difference; the faucets I returned had a long "throw" when operating in normal fashion, then when you went to use the push back feature the handle had a very short "throw" and barely moved back from the "off" position, thus little to no flow. It is completely opposite with the new faucets; pulling the handle forward to operate in conventional fashion the faucet handle moves very little, maybe 3/4" at top of handle, then back to off and continuing to the creamer position, the faucet moves back past "off" maybe a full inch, giving a decent flow of "cream" at 10 psi. Inspection of each faucet yielded no observable difference in construction, components, etc., the replacement ones work, the first two did not...bad batch of faucets, I don't know?

I'm just speculating here and I did not disassemble the faucets this far, but if the main sealing o-ring was of insufficient thickness, the issue I was having would manifest itself. Who knows?
 
Interesting... I have just ordered some perlick 525's and a 575 creamer directly from perlick.

I'll report back how mine works when it arrives.
 
Kaz and TRG, I would definitely appreciate updates.

Westbrew, all of my faucets operate just like the first ones that you received. I'm fairly aggravated about this. These things are freakin expensive and I received them as gifts. Plus, I didn't keep the boxes. What a mistake on my behalf. If you're getting just the opposite effect on the new ones as opposed to the first ones you got, do you think perhaps they may be assembled backwards that in-turn could have prevented their range of motion?
 
I definitely have to play around with these. Kind of limited on time right now, but will see what I can find out. I remember that I read somewhere else that Perlick also claims that using these for homebrewed beer can clog the holes in the creamer plate. That they are really designed to for filtered beer. I can understand that, but I usually am pouring clear beer after the first few pints.
 
Kaz and TRG, I would definitely appreciate updates.

Westbrew, all of my faucets operate just like the first ones that you received. I'm fairly aggravated about this. These things are freakin expensive and I received them as gifts. Plus, I didn't keep the boxes. What a mistake on my behalf. If you're getting just the opposite effect on the new ones as opposed to the first ones you got, do you think perhaps they may be assembled backwards that in-turn could have prevented their range of motion?

First thing I thought was maybe the handle lever assemblies were backwards and that the piston and small holes which create the "cream" were pointing towards the front. When I disassembled the original faucets, these parts were installed correctly. I did not remove any o-rings. It seems like the new faucets handles push back much further, so the sealing ball goes more forward into the gasket and o-ring which form the primary seal and which the sealing ball of the handle must push against to seal the faucet and allow leverage for the creamer piston to open. The faucet is diagrammed reasonably well here on page 4.
 
Got my 575 yesterday. Its on the shank now, but my oatmeal stout won't be ready for another 2 weeks to test.

In dry operating the faucet, it seems to have a normal pour pull, with about ~3/4" back push for the creamer function. Not sure if that helps or not. I'll report back again with results once I have beer ready!
 
Thanks for sharing your personal technique Pdeezy..

Tried the creamer feature out on my Perlick tonight. I'm pushing around 12psi, the pour was like any other non-creamer Perlick, resulting in about 3/8" to 1/2" of head in a pint. I stopped about 1" from the top and pushed back on the handle. A reduced flow of beer came out forming a creamy guiness-like head on the top of this oatmeal stout. Its not fully ready yet, so i'm not going to pour another to take pics... but it seems to work as it should.

With the gift taps, I would contact Perlick. If they can't satisfy you, buy some new ones from them directly, then return the faulty ones in the new boxes... might work.
 
Now that I've run these faucets for a few weeks with some properly carbonated beer, will say this. They do seem to work, I think my initial reaction was mainly due to them not working how I expected. I carb in a non-temp controlled fridge in my garage, so beers go in and sit on gas at about 10psi @ 34F. When I push back the handle I get what appears to be a trickle of beer. That being said, that trickle of beer does turn into a creamy head. I think that the performance is going to vary greatly based on carbonation, temperature and make up of the beer. But I will say that they do indeed work.
 
when I got my two 575's I took them apart to see how they worked an I noticed one the bearing cup was assembled opposite from one faucet to the other (the bearing cup restricts the travel of the lever in one direction. I then looked at the parts diagram that came with the faucets and assembled them the way they were shown pictorially. Tried them out and the creamer function didn’t work at all. Tried turning up the co2 and that didn’t seem to make a difference. Took them back apart and turned the bearing cup 180 and they seem to work fine now… Not sure it’s right but they at least work this way.
 
I have a 575 and am not impressed. I will replace with a 525 at my next opportunity. I did contact perlick' but no response in two weeks...
 
With the gift taps, I would contact Perlick. If they can't satisfy you, buy some new ones from them directly, then return the faulty ones in the new boxes... might work.

If you go to perlicks website they will just direct you to a local dealer. How did you buy some new ones from them directly?
 
Back
Top