Stout Faucet Recommendations

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Bensiff

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I'm starting to look into putting in a stout faucet. Ideally I want an all stainless build, but those seem to be non-existent. So, now I am just looking for recommendations from folks on what brand is the best in their experience?
 
That's the one I'm looking at getting for my fridge as well. Don't have one yet so I can't give recommendations. Sorry!
 
Given that the description says that is not the case, I sincerely hope that their reply confirms what the description says. Otherwise... :drunk:
 
Given that the description says that is not the case, I sincerely hope that their reply confirms what the description says. Otherwise... :drunk:

The owner, Zach, was Johnny on the spot getting back to me...said it is all stainless short of the little black piece and another plastic piece below the restrictor plate. He even updated his web site to show the breakdown of the tap to reflect the other plastic piece. As well, it fits a standard shank so just a quick swap out of a Perlick...so, that said, good response from Zach and I pulled the trigger. Now just need to get the tank of gas and brew a suitable beer and I'll be in business.
 
Awesome. Thanks for confirming. I've been hovering over the Buy button on one of his stainless mesh baskets but I've been waiting because I want to order a stout faucet at the same time, but haven't got the scratch for it.
 
I bought two of these from Farmhouse a couple of months ago for my new kegerator build (pics in signature link).

They are a new model by Taprite. The old one isn't discontinued, just adding this one.

I had been using the old model Taprite tap (borrowed from a friend) and needed to get my own since I was going to put two of them on the new build. I had ordered two of the inexpensive Krome version ones (knock off of the Taprite SF2001 model) and I was disgusted at the quality. I promptly sent them back and ordered two of the Taprites from Farmhouse. I knew I was ordering Taprites, but I assumed that what was being shipped was the older style (didn't know a new style existed), so I was surprised when these arrived. I actually sent a pic to Taprite to confirm it was one of theirs and they confirmed it was and sent me back the pic below.

I have been VERY happy with these. The build quality is top notch. They do have a different style valve in them. It is more like a picnic faucet diaphram instead of the old plunger/o-ring setup. It seems to leak/drip after shutoff less than the old ones. Since it's a Taprite, you're also guaranteed that service parts will be easily available.

Taprite.jpg
 
Now just need to get the tank of gas and brew a suitable beer and I'll be in business.
Don't be afraid to experiment with beer styles on nitro. I had an IPA on nitro this summer at San Luis Obispo Brewing Co. I immediatly decided I was doing two nitro faucets on my new kegerator build because of this. I now try to keep an IPA on one nitro tap and an English, porter or stout on the other.
 
WARNING

If you're looking for a stout faucet, stay away from the Krome brand ones. The workmanship is terrible. I found several online places showing a picture of the Taprite SF2001 model, but when I inquired with them on the model, I was told it was Krome. The quality is night and day difference.

Attached is a picture of the nozzle/tips and the restrictor plates from the two Krome ones I had received. The tips look like the flat spots were ground by hand on a bench grinder and the restrictor plates looked like they were drilled by hand (noted by the lack of precision of the holes). The holes in the restrictor plates were blue and brown from heat discoloration from the drill bit they used. You could tell that they were not using the right bits for drilling this stuff.

Krome has recently become pretty big in the beer parts business - mostly by making cheap reproductions of existing equipment on the market. I got some of their standard faucets and I found nothing wrong with them, but the stout faucets were a whole different story. I don't have a problem with them competing with their products, but it seems that several online merchants are using the less expensive Krome items and charging the same prices as the better alternatives.

Krome_Stout.jpg
 
JonW, good info thanks. I just got my tap a few days ago, its the SF2001A. Initial inspection is that it is a solid, well made piece. My only concern is the plastic piece that the tap hinges on may wear poorly. I suppose time will tell; but, I figure Taprite knows what they are doing so all should be well. Given the garage is in shambles as I finish my dry walling project I won't get to brew until after Christmas, so it will be a while before I get my first pour off the stout faucet. I too have had a nitro IPA and was rather pleased with it. I will have to spend some time thinking about building an IPA to shine at low CO2 levels though. In the meantime I will probably brew a scottish ale as that style is one of my favorites and one my nemesis when it comes to brewing...I think the stout faucet will give me the edge I have needed to get the style to shine.
 

I bought two of these from Farmhouse a couple of months ago for my new kegerator build (pics in signature link).

They are a new model by Taprite. The old one isn't discontinued, just adding this one.

I had been using the old model Taprite tap (borrowed from a friend) and needed to get my own since I was going to put two of them on the new build. I had ordered two of the inexpensive Krome version ones (knock off of the Taprite SF2001 model) and I was disgusted at the quality. I promptly sent them back and ordered two of the Taprites from Farmhouse. I knew I was ordering Taprites, but I assumed that what was being shipped was the older style (didn't know a new style existed), so I was surprised when these arrived. I actually sent a pic to Taprite to confirm it was one of theirs and they confirmed it was and sent me back the pic below.

I have been VERY happy with these. The build quality is top notch. They do have a different style valve in them. It is more like a picnic faucet diaphram instead of the old plunger/o-ring setup. It seems to leak/drip after shutoff less than the old ones. Since it's a Taprite, you're also guaranteed that service parts will be easily available.

View attachment 87919

those posts are certainly interesting....


i just ordered this from Perlick:
https://www.perlick.com/store/webcatalog2.php?catno=1&sectno=1&grpno=6

and was sent what Big Jim posted in the top post... so... I just paid $40 more for the same thing... not to mention mine has something messed up with it, it appears to be missing an o-ring of some sorts near the nozzle and its not allowing me to use a high pressure with the nitrogen...

the picture that Jon just posted shows what Perlick advertises as theirs and then sent me the model on the left... both of which someone is claiming are Taprite brand...
 
Also the taprite models SF2001 is labeled as Chrome plated on their website... why is it so hard to get clarification on these things... i was spending the extra money through Perlick because i was under the impression i was receiving a perlick stainless steel stout faucet, not a taprite chrome plated...
 
Also the taprite models SF2001 is labeled as Chrome plated on their website... why is it so hard to get clarification on these things... i was spending the extra money through Perlick because i was under the impression i was receiving a perlick stainless steel stout faucet, not a taprite chrome plated...

That is why I started this thread, just wasn't good information out there as to what you were getting. Much of what listed as SS on my google search turned out to be mostly chrome with maybe a SS tip or plate in it...not an actuall SS body.
 
I just went through this with corny quick disconnects this week also. The vendor shows a picture of the CMB QD's, but ships the cheap chinese crap ones. Tells me ebay doesn't allow them to update their pictures. Yeah, right.

Either these vendors are down right stupid, or they're trying to pull a fast one on people. Either way, the situation is not good.
 
OMG. Off topic, but.... YOU JUST SOLVED MY MYSTERY! I bought some QD's recently that were drastically crappier than all of the prior ones I have owned. I just looked at my spares on the shelf, the "good ones" are indeed CMB's and the really, REEEEALLY crappy ones have an "S" on them.

They are flimsier, and if you so much as LOOK at them funny, the ring pops off and you lose all of the ball bearings from inside! I lost a pint of beer from connecting one, after the other, after the other to my keg, just trying to get one that would grab on to the post correctly. It was hilarious, and very sad, and hilarious. I had a bunch of towels and wrenches soaked in beer, beer all over the sides of my fridge, and a pile of broken crappy QD parts that later on, I soaked in StarSan and reassembled once clean.

You can also see the spring, through the gap in the plastic, much more obviously than the good CMB ones. It's like they significantly downsized the amount of plastic/shape of the retaining ring on the cheap China ones.

The cheap ones still work, but barely. You have to be so, so very careful when you connect them to the keg. I will probably try to find CMB's from a reputable source and eventually phase out all of my cheapies. They're a beer liability, to be honest.

Back on to topic, I will look closely when I order to be sure that I find a Taprite SF2001A and not a Krome. Thanks for the heads-up, I probably wouldn't have realized the difference until after buying.
 
I will look closely when I order to be sure that I find a Taprite SF2001A and not a Krome.
Look no further than the two supporting vendors listed in this thread: Farmhouse Brewing Supply and Stainless Brewing.

More OT: I just sold two kegerators with a bunch of the CMB QD's and used the crappy chinese ones on my new 8 tap build. Wish I had learned how bad they were before getting rid of my old ones.
 
I've had brass stout taps for years & never had a problem with any of them . I have had them completly apart for cleaning and never seen any buildup on the insides but to each there own with regards to stainless.
 
I've had brass stout taps for years & never had a problem with any of them . I have had them completly apart for cleaning and never seen any buildup on the insides but to each there own with regards to stainless.

i wanted stainless primarily because i have over $2k in materials into my kegerator and currently have 6 lines of Perlick 525SS's, with stainless shanks and even stainless collars to go with it...i wanted to keep stainless for uniformity across the board...

pic for reference:


kegerator1 by jmw5107, on Flickr
 
I just went through this with corny quick disconnects this week also. The vendor shows a picture of the CMB QD's, but ships the cheap chinese crap ones. Tells me ebay doesn't allow them to update their pictures. Yeah, right.

Either these vendors are down right stupid, or they're trying to pull a fast one on people. Either way, the situation is not good.

I don't buy that for a second. I'm an idiot when it comes to posting on ebay and earlier this week I put a phone up for sale...maybe my 5th thing sold in over a decade, and I could figure out pictures just fine, other stuff has been a challenge, the pics though, that is easy.
 
The SSB version looks an awful lot like the SF2001A from Taprite per the pics on this post. I just got this from Taprite:

"SF2001A is chrome plated brass, just as SF2001. The "A" version is an alternate product - it's shorter than its counterpart and it's inner workings aren't as easily accessible. My personal preference would be the SF2001; it's a bit more robust and it's one of the most reliable, low maintenance stout faucets available."

So if it is actually a Taprite ( I had asked for brand and model number in the past and got a "dunno" from SSB which was a bit disconcerting), it is NOT stainless. May still be better than another brand, but not because it is stainless.
 
The SSB version looks an awful lot like the SF2001A from Taprite per the pics on this post. I just got this from Taprite:

"SF2001A is chrome plated brass, just as SF2001. The "A" version is an alternate product - it's shorter than its counterpart and it's inner workings aren't as easily accessible. My personal preference would be the SF2001; it's a bit more robust and it's one of the most reliable, low maintenance stout faucets available."

So if it is actually a Taprite ( I had asked for brand and model number in the past and got a "dunno" from SSB which was a bit disconcerting), it is NOT stainless. May still be better than another brand, but not because it is stainless.

I updated the site with some additional information that "All wetted portions are stainless steel. The top section (cosmetic) is not." Basically the bottom IS STAINLESS and the top portion is not. The top portion never touches the media and is chrome plated to match the bottom portion that is indeed stainless. I made a mistake by not catching this and listing it on the site earlier.

The emails we exchanged stated that I would look into getting a manufacturer and that I can confirm that it is stainless. I could not confirm the manufacturer because they're purchased over seas and that's really none of my business where my vendor get's their product from. A lot of products over seas can be made from the same place but may have a different stamp, label or handle for the distributor. I did not know how else to prove to you that they're stainless other than my word from taking it apart and looking at it. I took some better photos and hope this can clear some things up. You can still see the machine work on the inside of the wetted portion. :mug:

dt.jpg
Top section that's abviously not stainless. See small scratches.
dt1.jpg
 
Zach...looks like you already have a piece that can't be sold...given that the SS stout faucet is an item that is sought by homebrewers but no one seems to carry them and even you are having difficulty verifying where your supplier obtained the item I vote for pulling out the old grinder and cut all the pieces in half.
 
Zach...looks like you already have a piece that can't be sold...given that the SS stout faucet is an item that is sought by homebrewers but no one seems to carry them and even you are having difficulty verifying where your supplier obtained the item I vote for pulling out the old grinder and cut all the pieces in half.

This will end up on my kegerator and it's towards the back of the faucet so no big deal. Unfortunately, cutting the faucet in half will not prove anything other than it's still stainless (wetted portion) and in two pieces that will end up in the trash.

Only way to prove something is a certain alloy is with heat numbers and an MTR (Material Test Report) from the material it was made from. It's been tested as 304 and that's all of the information I have. I have tried to scratch a small portion of the bottom portion and no change. I don't know how else to say or prove that it's stainless other than I've been dealing with stainless for almost 10 years and am almost certain it's a stainless alloy. I would be a liar if I said I was 100% certain this is stainless without test reports (still just a piece of paper or another persons word). Hopefully others who have purchased one can chime in with what they think.
 
Sorry to be a pain abut this, but you are your suppliers customer. They should be willing (just like you are for your customers) to give you the info you ask for, including brand and model number. How is it none of your business where they get them?
 
StainlessBrewing said:
This will end up on my kegerator and it's towards the back of the faucet so no big deal. Unfortunately, cutting the faucet in half will not prove anything other than it's still stainless (wetted portion) and in two pieces that will end up in the trash.

Only way to prove something is a certain alloy is with heat numbers and an MTR (Material Test Report) from the material it was made from. It's been tested as 304 and that's all of the information I have. I have tried to scratch a small portion of the bottom portion and no change. I don't know how else to say or prove that it's stainless other than I've been dealing with stainless for almost 10 years and am almost certain it's a stainless alloy. I would be a liar if I said I was 100% certain this is stainless without test reports (still just a piece of paper or another persons word). Hopefully others who have purchased one can chime in with what they think.

While I'm aware that getting an exact metal type would be an expensive testing proposition I suggested that because this type of item tends to be either 304 stainless or plated brass so cutting in would be a solid indication, perhaps not definitive but I would be amazed if you somehow got hold of anything but those two types.

What do I think? I think it is as stated, the wet parts are stainless. I have a few nicks on the shank connection that have no signs of brass showing through nor do the threads which is another place I would expect to see brass in a plated item. Further the machining on the unpolished interior surfaces are extremely crisp which I do not think would be the case if plated, they would look more like the smoothed over machine marks on the threaded rod and knurled nut of the tap handle connection. Further the machined corners on the wet parts are precise, they do not have the rough ridging I normally see on plated stuff which is evident on the dry portions. By look, feel, and close inspection the faucet I bought from you looks well made and accurately listed with your update (don't worry I don't care that you had it listed as all SS when I bought it). As far as performance, IDK as I haven't had the chance to set it up yet, been too busy in the past three months to brew and no money for a beer gas tank.
 
taprite confirmed the bottom tube that screws in and holds the restrictor plate and the internals(including restrictor plate and plunger) are SS, but the housing is brass. Maybe Zack's supplier makes a knockoff but in SS housing. That would be cool
 
Bensiff said:
While I'm aware that getting an exact metal type would be an expensive testing proposition I suggested that because this type of item tends to be either 304 stainless or plated brass so cutting in would be a solid indication, perhaps not definitive but I would be amazed if you somehow got hold of anything but those two types.

What do I think? I think it is as stated, the wet parts are stainless. I have a few nicks on the shank connection that have no signs of brass showing through nor do the threads which is another place I would expect to see brass in a plated item. Further the machining on the unpolished interior surfaces are extremely crisp which I do not think would be the case if plated, they would look more like the smoothed over machine marks on the threaded rod and knurled nut of the tap handle connection. Further the machined corners on the wet parts are precise, they do not have the rough ridging I normally see on plated stuff which is evident on the dry portions. By look, feel, and close inspection the faucet I bought from you looks well made and accurately listed with your update (don't worry I don't care that you had it listed as all SS when I bought it). As far as performance, IDK as I haven't had the chance to set it up yet, been too busy in the past three months to brew and no money for a beer gas tank.

I hear ya. I still have yet to use mine. Too busy doing orders and not enough time to brew.
 
geepmaley said:
taprite confirmed the bottom tube that screws in and holds the restrictor plate and the internals(including restrictor plate and plunger) are SS, but the housing is brass. Maybe Zack's supplier makes a knockoff but in SS housing. That would be cool

They may be talking about the upper part in terms of housing. That is where the plunger sits.

In sales, there are some suppliers you don't want to give out the name because they will sell direct. If you're considered a distributor on a website, you have a loyal supplier that will not sell to the public. It's possible that if we knew who was manufacturing these that we could go direct and that's a risk they might not want to take.
 
Not to thread jack but i have been having some stout faucet woes and all i'll say here is one thing (i plan on creating a thread when i have more time and am not typing on an ipad tomorrow)

I am now a full time taprite supporter in any product they make. At this point i know my setup isnt 100% stainless (the stout faucet being the only one) but it matches well enough. I will go more in depth why and link it here tomorrow, but i am now sold on taprite going forward. They have the best customer service of any manufacturer around and there is something to be said for that. They stand by their products and will go out of their way to assist anyone in need.

Work was long today and its late so more to come tomorrow
 
taprite confirmed the bottom tube that screws in and holds the restrictor plate and the internals(including restrictor plate and plunger) are SS, but the housing is brass. Maybe Zack's supplier makes a knockoff but in SS housing. That would be cool


The long and short of it is that I as a consumer can't tell you for sure what I have in my hands as I'm not a metalurgist. What I can say from my research is that all stainless stout faucets don't seem to exist. I have been homebrewing for a decade and have had my share of stainless and other metal parts in my hand over the years and can say that what Stainlessbrewing is selling is a solid quality piece of metal. If it turns out to be a brass body, well, its a very well made brass body as that would be some quality plating. I am happy with what I have as far as what I see. I still need to give it some real world experience but I'm too busy prepping the house for our first child and getting my brewery rebuilt to deal with setting it up at the moment though.
 
Wow...

I have a Krome stout faucet. It looks fine and works great. I didn't know until now that it's really a piece of junk. Maybe I got lucky?
 
Wow...

I have a Krome stout faucet. It looks fine and works great. I didn't know until now that it's really a piece of junk. Maybe I got lucky?

Yes, you should consider yourself lucky! I had a Taprite faucet that I used for the last year that was borrowed from a friend. When I went searching to buy my own, I saw lots of online places with pictures of the exact Taprite faucet that I had, so I bought a couple. Upon receiving them, they were Krome brand and the quality was no where near the Taprite, yet they were similarly priced. Instead of going by what was pictured on the websites, I started calling other online vendors as to what brand they had and found several that were selling the Krome ones - yet their online picture was a Taprite stock photo (easy to tell, the Taprite has a serial # on it).

The Krome one is probably fine, but I can tell you the quality of the Taprite is better. I also didn't like the fact that many of the online places switched to the less expensive Krome faucet (less cost, but same sales price) and didn't update their pictures or specifically say what the faucet is. They just call it a stout faucet. I think it's a bit deceptive to sell them that way. I could easily find at least half a dozen large retailers that show a picture of the Taprite, but are selling a Krome. Look at the details of the pic I posted earlier in this thread. Look close at the nozzle and the flat spots that are ground into it. Not one of the flat spots are the same - they look like they were done by hand. Look close at a picture of a Taprite one and you'll see that it is very consistent. The Taprite is made to more exacting standards and the Krome is a close knock-off.
 
Yes, you should consider yourself lucky! I had a Taprite faucet that I used for the last year that was borrowed from a friend. When I went searching to buy my own, I saw lots of online places with pictures of the exact Taprite faucet that I had, so I bought a couple. Upon receiving them, they were Krome brand and the quality was no where near the Taprite, yet they were similarly priced. Instead of going by what was pictured on the websites, I started calling other online vendors as to what brand they had and found several that were selling the Krome ones - yet their online picture was a Taprite stock photo (easy to tell, the Taprite has a serial # on it).

The Krome one is probably fine, but I can tell you the quality of the Taprite is better. I also didn't like the fact that many of the online places switched to the less expensive Krome faucet (less cost, but same sales price) and didn't update their pictures or specifically say what the faucet is. They just call it a stout faucet. I think it's a bit deceptive to sell them that way. I could easily find at least half a dozen large retailers that show a picture of the Taprite, but are selling a Krome. Look at the details of the pic I posted earlier in this thread. Look close at the nozzle and the flat spots that are ground into it. Not one of the flat spots are the same - they look like they were done by hand. Look close at a picture of a Taprite one and you'll see that it is very consistent. The Taprite is made to more exacting standards and the Krome is a close knock-off.

Do you know any specific problems to look for on the Krome faucet? I got one and I'm having trouble with my nitro system with it being foamy with no head retention. There are no small, creamy bubbles. I'm wondering if it's an issue of overcarbed beers, or if my cheap Krome faucet is to blame.
 
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