New Wireless Keg Monitor: Kegtron

[Kegtron]

Hey Folks,

They say necessity is the mother of invention, and this holds true for brewing. After kegging for 20 years we decided there had to be a something better than the lift-and-shake method of tracking the beer in your kegs.

That in mind, we decided to create a product called Kegtron: a wireless device that monitors your keg levels from your phone or tablet. It's for anyone with kegs, but especially brewers with kegerators & keezers.

We're reaching out to fellow homebrewers to spread the word and keep those interested informed via our newsletter as we ramp for an upcoming Kickstarter launch.

More details can be found here: www.kegtron.com

Questions/commentary welcome...

Cheers!
Steve @ Kegtron

 

[jimmayhugh]

Your newsletter link doesn't have a way to sign up...

 

[kh54s10]

Got an idea of what the price would be? I doubt I would be interested though. I monitor my kegs at the tap - when no beer comes out it is empty!

 

[Jtvann]

Depending on price, I would be interested. I’ve got one tap right now that I’m expecting to kick any second. It keeps on giving though.

Staying tuned to see what you’ve got

 

[pumpkin02]

Your newsletter link doesn't have a way to sign up...

Got an idea of what the price would be?

Head to the website, there's more info there. No dates for the Kickstarter or anticipated ship dates though.

According to the FAQ: "...you can expect it to be in the range of a 5-gallon keg of craft beer." I guess that means $75-$100? It depends what your definition of craft beer is and who you're buying from. The last time I priced out a Raspberry Pints setup it was going to cost me about $200 to get started with 1 flow meter and each additional flow meter was another $60 (I'd still need a display on top of that). I think if they can do these for about $80 each, it would be a no brainer. $320 to setup a 4 tap basement bar versus $380 with Raspberry Pints and there's nothing to build or code to make it work.

 

[Kegtron]

Your newsletter link doesn't have a way to sign up...

Hey Jimmy,

You can follow the link from the original post or click the red button under the Kickstarter logo on our homepage. They'll both take you here: http://www.kegtron.com/signup/

I'll tweak the page to make it more clear... as you can see, we spend more time on beer than website design!

Anyhow, thanks for the interest!

-Steve

 

[kh54s10]

For me they would have to compete with this - https://www.ballandkeg.com/ at $20.00

 

[Kegtron]

Got an idea of what the price would be? I doubt I would be interested though. I monitor my kegs at the tap - when no beer comes out it is empty!

KH:

Ha! That method is tried & true - unfortunately it tends to happen at just the wrong time, right? Kind of like propane...

Anyhow, pricing won't be officially announced until the Kickstarter launch, but you can expect it to be close to a 5 gal keg of good craft beer. More details on our FAQ page.

We're trying hard to making this as cost-effective as possible.

-Steve

 

[lablover]

For me they would have to compete with this - https://www.ballandkeg.com/ at $20.00

I recently purchased two Ballandkeg units and have them in kegs now. They work quite well for the price. I see this kegtron thing being more suited to commercial applications if they are really going to be $75 to $100 each.

 

[kh54s10]

KH:

Ha! That method is tried & true - unfortunately it tends to happen at just the wrong time, right? Kind of like propane...

-Steve

Yes it does happen at just the wrong time, but if I have planned well it only means I have to choose one of the other beers instead.

 

[Kegtron]

I recently purchased two Ballandkeg units and have them in kegs now. They work quite well for the price. I see this kegtron thing being more suited to commercial applications if they are really going to be $75 to $100 each.

Hey Lablover,

Ball & Keg has some similarities with Kegtron but they are different products to be sure. Ball & Keg is certainly an option if all you need is approximate beer level and your kegs are easily accessible. Kegtron gives you a lot more data (precise volume data, servings remaining) along with simultaneous views of all your kegs at once. It also works for both corny & commercial kegs.

To your point, Kegtron is geared to both homebrewers and commercial beer sellers.

Cheers,
-Steve

 

[lablover]

Hey Lablover,

Ball & Keg has some similarities with Kegtron but they are different products to be sure. Ball & Keg is certainly an option if all you need is approximate beer level and your kegs are easily accessible. Kegtron gives you a lot more data (precise volume data, servings remaining) along with simultaneous views of all your kegs at once. It also works for both corny & commercial kegs.

To your point, Kegtron is geared to both homebrewers and commercial beer sellers.

Cheers,
-Steve

The Ball and Keg units are very accurate. When the float hits the bottom of the keg and the bead is on the bottom weld, I know I only have one beer left. I can also see all four of my keg levels at once since the beads are quite visible. Kegtron would allow me to keep the door closed, that is true.

 

[FunkedOut]

Nice packaging and very clean software interface.
A few thoughts that I will offer for FREE!!!

I’m interested to know what materials the beer comes in contact with. All stainless would be ideal for CIP chemicals. Plastics or other metals would be a showstopper for me.

I would offer a version with male flare fittings for the same reasons people prefer flare fittings on their lines; flexibility.

5 gallons of good craft beer goes for $55 around here.

eta: one more thought; still FREE!!!
multiple keg units (2, 4, 6), or an auxillary unit that connects to the master so only one wireless radio and power supply is required per setup.
This would simplify installation and make additional keg metering cheaper.

 

[Kegtron]

Nice packaging and very clean software interface.
A few thoughts that I will offer for FREE!!!

I’m interested to know what materials the beer comes in contact with. All stainless would be ideal for CIP chemicals. Plastics or other metals would be a showstopper for me
....
multiple keg units (2, 4, 6), or an auxillary unit that connects to the master so only one wireless radio and power supply is required per setup.
This would simplify installation and make additional keg metering cheaper.

FunkedOut:

So much FREE advice, how could I turn it down?

- Fittings are 304 stainless steel, internal tubing is food grade silicone, flow meter is FDA-approved food grade plastic & stainless steel (FWIW: food-grade plastic is industry standard for commercial beverage flow meters). All parts in contact with beer are intended for CIP, i.e. run your beer line cleaner through it when you normally clean your lines. More details on our FAQ
- Multi-tap units makes sense for all the reasons you list. We'll have something to announce on this soon (before the Kickstarter launch).

-Steve

 

[GoeHaarden]

I'll give my opinions...

I like the design which is very clean, but it seems like a rather large footprint to only monitor one keg. I think @FunkedOut has the best advice, and that is to go after a sort of master-slave configuration to allow for expansion...

Kegtron gives you a lot more data (precise volume data, servings remaining)

Not sure this level of precision makes a difference in the homebrewing world as I don't think many brewers are going to say to themselves "I only have 109.6 ounces left, it's time to brew." I feel that the BallandKeg solution provides enough info for this purpose.

On the other hand, for commercial monitoring I think you may be a little behind the game. There are several commercial products that already exist that track beer dispensing. There are some that will link with sales and flag discrepancies for possible theft.

For instance: http://bevchek.com/bevchek-monitoring/

What makes Kegtron better? A serious question to ask yourself before you spend more money...

Anyways, this is just my humble uneducated opinion. I'd be happy to do some unbiased product testing, but as they say in the Shark Tank...as of right now, "I'm out"

 

[Kegtron]

All opinions welcome & appreciated, Mr. Wonderful.

Our view is that there is a place for a product in between the two extremes of a simple Ball & Keg and an all-signing/all-dancing commercial setup. One size fits all only works for hats.

As for multi-tap solution, stay tuned for an update on that front.

Cheers!
-Steve

 

[GoeHaarden]

All opinions welcome & appreciated, Mr. Wonderful.

Haha. Nice, incognito jab...I like it!

I applaud your openness to silly opposition. I think targeting the intermediate market is a good idea. Contrary to my initial post, if you can get the price point lower and add options to expand (cheaply) then I'd probably be in the market. I will indeed stay tuned for an update. Good luck!

 

[FunkedOut]

FunkedOut:

So much FREE advice, how could I turn it down?

-Steve

Great! Now let’s remeber this come launch time.
I’ll volunteer for some unbiased testing of the whole line up.

 

[Jtk78]

This is something i may be interested in. I would have to take a further look at the footprint of the hardware, as space is a premium in most kegerators. I do agree with the comment above about the male flare fittings. I am doing away with as many barbs a possible and wouldn't really want to add something with barb fittings back into the system. Would be nice to have the option.

Please update the thread as things progress

 

[Northern_Brewer]

For me they would have to compete with this - https://www.ballandkeg.com/ at $20.00

To be fair, to be comparable you'd have to throw in the cost of a webcam to enable remote monitoring...

 

[raysmithtx]

You might get more interest if you post this in the Bottling/Kegging forum.

 

[day_trippr]

Nah - too focused on solving foam issues over there
If anywhere else, it'd be the Kegerators & Keezers forum, home to this erstwhile product's competition.

But, this is fine. Much wider audience, and if you're trolling for eyeballs, that's where you go...

Cheers!

 

[Horseflesh]

Neat product. Making it CIP-friendly is super important to me.

My possible interest hinges on the total cost to do 3 kegs.

I do love gadgets, but I'm price sensitive for luxuries as opposed to tools. Precise keg monitoring is a luxury for me, and I'd probably need to see a price break for buying a set before I became seriously tempted.

 

[kh54s10]

To be fair, to be comparable you'd have to throw in the cost of a webcam to enable remote monitoring...

Nah! Two easy methods for me. 1) My current method. No beer comes out it is empty. 2) If I was really concerned with how much I have left. It would be the ball and keg for $20. (open the door to see how much is left) Or bottling for the cost of caps.

 

[Jtk78]

Nah! Two easy methods for me. 1) My current method. No beer comes out it is empty. 2) If I was really concerned with how much I have left. It would be the ball and keg for $20. (open the door to see how much is left) Or bottling for the cost of caps.

For my particular situation, the remote monitoring would have value. My son is 11 now, and a good kid. But he'll be a teenager soon enough, and have teenager friends, so it would be nice to have this feature.

 

[kh54s10]

For my particular situation, the remote monitoring would have value. My son is 11 now, and a good kid. But he'll be a teenager soon enough, and have teenager friends, so it would be nice to have this feature.

A lock would be cheaper and more effective!

 

[r4dyce]

For me they would have to compete with this - https://www.ballandkeg.com/ at $20.00

That's really neat

 

[r4dyce]

It's interesting enough. I think for me personally its a little too much. I'm not at a stage where that's really solving any problem I have. I can imagine it being great for brewers with many taps or even small production tap room. At my levels if I ever need to really know how much I have left I can simply use a scale to get a good estimate.
Good luck though, always fun to see new brewing tech.

 

[day_trippr]

[...]Not sure this level of precision makes a difference in the homebrewing world as I don't think many brewers are going to say to themselves "I only have 109.6 ounces left, it's time to brew." I feel that the BallandKeg solution provides enough info for this purpose.[...]

Aside from the decimal point that's actually big factor in how I plan my brew schedule - knowing what I have in the keezer across seven kegs combined with awareness of what's behind them in cold storage. If there's been a run on a brew that has no backup, that's the one I'm likely to do next.

So, just a different way of tracking from the ball and magnet approach, suitcase scales, whatever.
But, fwiw, I can do it from anywhere in the world, including my lhbs...

Cheers!

 

[Kegtron]

This is something i may be interested in. I would have to take a further look at the footprint of the hardware, as space is a premium in most kegerators. I do agree with the comment above about the male flare fittings. I am doing away with as many barbs a possible and wouldn't really want to add something with barb fittings back into the system. Would be nice to have the option.

Please update the thread as things progress

Jtk78:

Noted on the flare request. Can't promise this for the initial design but will investigate it.

Regardless, I'll keep this thread updated. If you want the latest & greatest updates, you can also sign up for our newsletter which will have additional details above and beyond this thread.

Cheers!
-Steve

 

[GoeHaarden]

knowing what I have in the keezer across seven kegs

I guess you have too many kegs to be able to adequately keep track of your quantities. I'd gladly help you out and take some off your hands...

On a serious note, I guess it's easier to lose track of how much you have in each keg with that many on tap. But on the lower apprx. price point ($75) you're still talking > $500 to track all taps. Maybe its just me, but I just don't see the value for that price. Get it down to ~$30 a pop, and I might be able to justify it.

I can do it from anywhere in the world, including my lhbs..

But why????? Do you show up at your LHBS without any plan and pull up your keg monitor to see if you should buy ingredients for the next brew?

 

[Kegtron]

For my particular situation, the remote monitoring would have value. My son is 11 now, and a good kid. But he'll be a teenager soon enough, and have teenager friends, so it would be nice to have this feature.

Jtk78:

In the interest of full transparency, the initial product launch will be based upon Bluetooth technology so real-time remote monitoring will not be available out the gate (more performance data in the FAQ). This is something that we may consider adding in the future (i.e. without having to replaced your initial gear) if there is sufficient interest.

Having said that, you can always check your stats after your out-of-town trip and lay down the law.

 

[day_trippr]

I guess you have too many kegs to be able to adequately keep track of your quantities. I'd gladly help you out and take some off your hands...

More like pry them out of my cold dead fingers while beating back The Spousal Unit

On a serious note, I guess it's easier to lose track of how much you have in each keg with that many on tap. But on the lower apprx. price point ($75) you're still talking > $500 to track all taps. Maybe its just me, but I just don't see the value for that price. Get it down to ~$30 a pop, and I might be able to justify it.

I'm not here to justify the cost of the proposed device, only the comparable functionality expressed by a home-brewed solution. In my case the cost happened to benefit from the serendipity of finding SF800 meters for $20 each a few years ago, so my all-up cost to monitor 6 kegs was right around $300 to start.

But why????? Do you show up at your LHBS without any plan and pull up your keg monitor to see if you should buy ingredients for the next brew?

That has actually happened a few times over the years. My lhbs is between my home and the local Home Depot 15 minutes away, I've known the owner for over a decade, so I tend to pop in just to see what's up if I'm over that way. A quick check on my phone to remind myself where my cold-side is, another check of my inventory via BeerSmith, has caused me to buy ingredients for a brew on the spot...

Cheers!

 

[GoeHaarden]

More like pry them out of my cold dead fingers while beating back The Spousal Unit

Hah! I like the dedication! Can we be friends!?

You make some valid points. I guess if you had someone house-sitting, you could send them a bill for what they consumed!

Either way, I am curious to see where development takes Kegtron and what it will actually offer once released...

Cheers!

 

[DU99]

Hate websites that don't put a price on the page...

 

[lablover]

That's really neat

Yea, they work quite well. You can also buy one main kit for $20 and they have cheaper expansion kits to add. That's how I got all my kegs outfitted.

 

[Kegtron]

For those of you still watching this thread, we just announced a dual tap version of our wireless keg monitor. Same features, same app, lower cost per tap. Mix & match the single & dual tap monitors to best fit your setup.

More details on the new dual tap keg monitor are here. Both single, dual and combos will be available during our Kickstarter campaign. If that's of interest, hop on our newsletter to get the first announcements.

Cheers!
-Steve

 

[yowzers]

Why the Kickstarter campaign? I've seen too many of these that flop or early investors wait months and months for product.

 

[Kegtron]

Why the Kickstarter campaign? I've seen too many of these that flop or early investors wait months and months for product.

A fair question.

Why would someone launch a Kickstarter campaign? For the creator it has several compelling draws: 1) Validation of interest in a product 2) Obtain critical mass before building it (for hardware, it's all about volume) 3) Increased exposure vs. going it alone

Why would an individual back a campaign? First and foremost it would need to be a compelling & exciting story/solution/product that isn't readily available elsewhere. There's also the cool factor of participating in the launch of something new that is actually meaningful to you.

Having said all that, as a potential backer you have to go into things with your eyes wide open: not all creators are, um, created equal. There have been some fantastic KS projects that have come to life and then there are the horror stories <cough>GrowlerWerks<cough>.

If your considering backing any project, ask the following questions:

• What experience does this person/team have building similar products?
• How real is the product? How much work has been accomplished before the campaign has started and what remains?
• If the creator goes belly-up after you get your reward, will your product become a brick or it is still useful to you?

-Steve

 

[Jag75]

For me they would have to compete with this - https://www.ballandkeg.com/ at $20.00

Ok this is cool