discoloration in speidel chrome faucets

[brewzombie]

I clean and sanitize the chrome Speidel faucets for the speidel fermenter in pbw (30min) and starsan (2-20min), but can't remove what I'm seeing in them and now believe it is discolouration or damage from my beer (acidity) or my cleaning regimen. I have two and they both look the same and it gets worse with each use. I've only used them 3-4 times. Here's pics and it doesn't come off no matter what I do. Thoughts?

 

[day_trippr]

That's brass. You're not going to remove it

The plating has gone to Chromium Heaven.
That happens...

Cheers!

 

[wobdee]

Mine did the same

 

[brewzombie]

That's brass. You're not going to remove it

The plating has gone to Chromium Heaven.
That happens...

Cheers!

Thanks. Any idea if the spigot is still good to use in the fermenter. It doesn't look rusty, and I can't imagine speidel using lead in their brass. I guess I'm asking if the exposed brass will be susceptible to rust or leaching lead or other bad stuff in an acidic beer/starsan or oxidizing pbw environments. I only used them about 5 times and no long starsan soaks, so it seems odd this would happen unless it is supposed to happen and is safe (wishful thinking).

 

[day_trippr]

At some point, any lead that's going to leach out will have. It's not an infinite process.
You can accelerate that by "pickling" the faucet parts (look it up).
After that I wouldn't worry about it...

Cheers!

 

[Quasinovo1]

I've noticed the same discoloration and wasn't concerned about brass. However, I am concerned about the inability to thoroughly clean these faucets. Has anybody figured out how to disassemble them for a thorough cleaning? Is that even possible?
Without disassembly, simply soaking in PBW and later Star San will not get to the trapped wort in the valve packing.

 

[popsicleian]

I've noticed the same discoloration and wasn't concerned about brass. However, I am concerned about the inability to thoroughly clean these faucets. Has anybody figured out how to disassemble them for a thorough cleaning? Is that even possible?
Without disassembly, simply soaking in PBW and later Star San will not get to the trapped wort in the valve packing.

Yep, that's my main beef with these, and the reason I've stopped using it. I love my Speidel fermenters, but the chrome faucet was a complete waste of money. I assumed there would be some way to disassemble the ball valve to do a deep clean, but if there is I sure haven't been able to figure it out. I just don't trust that it will get clean enough without disassembly.

 

[brewzombie]

Yep, that's my main beef with these, and the reason I've stopped using it. I love my Speidel fermenters, but the chrome faucet was a complete waste of money. I assumed there would be some way to disassemble the ball valve to do a deep clean, but if there is I sure haven't been able to figure it out. I just don't trust that it will get clean enough without disassembly.

I gave up the chrome faucets too. There were no bad reviews of them when I bought them. We should get the word out.

 

[popsicleian]

I gave up the chrome faucets too. There were no bad reviews of them when I bought them. We should get the word out.

You are right! I'm going to post an honest review today.

 

[Quasinovo1]

Here is a possible solution if you like Speidel fermenters but don't like their faucets. I was re-reading an issue of BYO and saw and advertisement for stainless fittings for Speidel fermenters (Norcal Brewing). The 1.2" NPT adapter makes it easy to use a 2 or 3 piece ball valve (first picture). I had been autoclaving my Speidel faucets. I've since thrown them in the garbage.

If the first picture, you can see that I am using a bushing adapter to go from 1/2" to 1/4" flare fitting for transfer to a keg. The keg transfer is shown in the third picture. Since I am doing a closed transfer, it is every handy to have Norcal's Speidel gas-in valve (picture 2). One word of caution concerning the gas-in valve. I had a hard time getting it to hold pressure (2-3 psi). At first I thought that the over-pressure relief valve (OPV) was leaking. (It was, but that wasn't the main problem). There are two o-rings. There is the obvious one on the outside of the keg post. There is also an internal one where the keg post attaches. I don't know if this adapter normally leaks, but mine did. I had to replace that inner o-ring with a slightly thicker o-ring. (Since I am a cave diver, I have lots o-rings of various degrees of thickness lying around.) That solved that problem. I also had to add some washers to tension the spring on the OPV and trim the silicon gasket so that it wouldn't push the OPV off-center to get it to hold 2-3 psi to facilitate transfers. (see 3rd picture).

Hope this helps anybody that likes the Speidel fermenters, but hates their faucets.