Faucets. Different "nozzle" for different carbonation levels?

I have a couple of ventmatic faucets on my kegerator. They have removable "nozzles" (for lack of the proper term) on them. Are there different diameter ones that can be swapped out when you are serving lower carbonation beers?

Maybe this is not the answer but this is what I have observed. When I have a low carbonation beer (Ordinary bitter, dark mild, even a stout at 2 volumes) I get a much better pour with some head on it using my picnic taps than when I use the faucets.

My guess is that the picnic taps are a narrower diameter and therefore create a bit more turbulence as they restrict the flow a bit more. Other than that all the line lengths and diameters are the same. Is this correct?

Hmmm... I'm not sure I can picture what you're talking about. I only know of two types of faucets, regular and stout... I don't know how you would adjust the flow-rate on a "regular faucet"... although it's entirely possible I just don't know what I'm talking about.

"stout faucets" have small restrictor plates in the nozzle that cut back on flow rate and also aerate the beer a little to get the nitrogen/CO2 mix to come out of suspension a bit (so you get that cascading effect a little better)...

... but again... not exactly sure what yoiu mean by nozzles.

Do you have a pic?

ventmatics and perlick faucets have a removable tip. he's asking if they make a different diameter spout or not.


if not try a machine shop zym.

This is a perlick but it is similar in design (forward sealing) to my ventmatics.
The "nozzle" I refer to is the actual tip of the faucet where the beer comes out. It unscrews from the body of the faucet. I was thinking if there were different tips that had a narrower inner diameter it would provide more resistance.

Ahh... gotcha... I literally ordered a set of perlicks to replace all of my old faucets two days ago. I didn't realize the "nozzle" came off. My guess is that's simply for cleaning. Like I was saying, I've never heard of a different diameter for different beers other than "regular" and "stout"... but a stout faucet obviously looks completely different.

If your lines are all the same length, that might be a bit of your issue. There are a few websites you can google that will give you the equations for balancing lines depending on pressure, volume of gas in the beer, etc. I think you might have more luck slightly adjusting the length of your line than trying to have different nozzles made.

Or just grab a stout tap.

Well, what I meant by the lines being the same length is that I use the same size and amount of line on the picnic faucets as the regular faucets. So, the only difference between the two is the faucet.

I get a good pour on my lower carbonated beers when I have it pouring through a picnic tap with 5 feet of 3/16" ID beer line. When I pour the same beer through the ventmatic faucet also running through 5 feet of 3/16" ID line it flows more slowly and does not produce much of any head.

I suppose different line lengths would help but man what a pain in the arse having to change the lines everytime. That is why I figured a smaller diameter opening would give a better pour.

I'm following you, I've just never seen different nozzles other than a "regular" or "stout" and those aren't really nozzles as much as completely different faucets all together. Going to a machine shop is an option I guess. I was simply thinking that if you had a semi-regular selection of beers on tap, you might have a single line dedicated to "lower carbed" beers.

What about simply upping the pressure slightly?

I seem to have my lines balanced pretty well and I have a dedicated stout tap but I still have to fiddle with my pressure slightly once in a while to get the right head, carb level and flow.

I have both sizes of spouts for my faucets. Honestly I've gotten a little lazy and haven't switched to the smaller one now that I've got my stout on tap. I liked the pour with the smaller opening, but the one thing I found annoying was that with the smaller tip, I'd get a late dribble out of the tap after I finished pouring. I'd pour my beer as normal, then when walking away I'd hear a little dribble. I took to holding my glass under the tap an extra 5 seconds to catch the drops - or slightly unscrewing the tip so it would drip out quicker. Then I got tired of this and switched back to the larger tip.

I'll compare the pour with both tips tonight and report back

a HA! so there are different tips!

Now where do you get them? I have been looking but I cannot find anyone sellingthem, that is why I was not sure they existed.

It also does not bode well that Ventmatic faucets are once again not available. I got mine from Northern brewer last year. They no longer seem to have anything Ventmatic nor does anywhere else. Hmmmmm...

Hmmm... I did the same thing... and did a google search for all sorts of combination to see if I could find them and I couldn't find them either.

weird

I got mine from Northern Brewer - almost 2 yrs ago though. I couldn't find it currently listed on their website. It might be worth a call though.

I ended up drinking bottled beer last night so I can't report on a comparison - yet

What about These Things the Insta Balance insert that goes behind your faucet, in the shank? Then you could keep the large tip? Never used one, but I may have to buy one to see what makes it tick (probably just a small hole through a 1/4'OD pipe?).

My beer taps came with an adjustable flow regulator (just a little lever on the side or the tap)

And all the commercial beer taps I've worked with have had similar?

KiltLifter said:

What about These Things the Insta Balance insert that goes behind your faucet, in the shank? Then you could keep the large tip? Never used one, but I may have to buy one to see what makes it tick (probably just a small hole through a 1/4'OD pipe?).

Click to expand...

Those things are to help prevent a foamy pour. The goal of the smaller diameter spout is the promote head forming on lower carbonated beers.

Loweface, most of the taps available to us in the US don't have an adjustable feature like you describe. That sure would be nice.

pjj2ba said:

most of the taps available to us in the US don't have an adjustable feature like you describe. That sure would be nice.

Click to expand...

While I had noticed the absence of them in some pubs over, that still suprises me a bit...

Loweface are sure you're not looking at hand pumps for serving cask-conditioned beer?

ombre42 said:

Loweface are sure you're not looking at hand pumps for serving cask-conditioned beer?

Click to expand...

Yup. I fact you'll be hard pressed to find hand pumped cask conditioned beers in Ireland. We've a terrible selection on tap. Generally just Guinness, Heineken, Bud, Beamish, Bulmers, Fosters, Smithwichs, and then maybe some Coors Light or Carlsberg in pubs. Some carry Erdinger on tap but not many. I'm lucky that on of the three pubs on campus sells galway hooker too.

I'll try find a pic of my taps online...

I have seen the faucets Loweface is talking about. They are available here in the U.S.

these...


And hey they are only $130 each! Such a deal!

This is closer



But they look just like the normal one's ye have but with the little lever.

I paid €70 for three I think?