Faucet Bamboozlement

[koomber]

I've got a growing collection of Cornies but have thus far kept the one set of ball locks and party tap that came with the first one, I'm based in UK and approx $40 (£20) for a set of ball locks makes my balls lock.

Fortunately with Christmas coming up I'm going to get a gaggle of them sent from the good ol' US of A. I'm also planning some major tappage. I'm not a huge fan of the party taps, but I know what to expect of them.

I am entrigued by the array of different taps available from the US. I just don't know which one would be best. I've seen perlicks mentioned here quite often but I'm not sure what the difference between these and 'standard' one are.

Does anyone have any advice on what would be the best bet in terms of buying taps? Are perlicks worth the extra cost?

Also, is there anything else I should consider ordering? I've already decided to order a grainmill (looking at a crankenstien) and I might as well use this oppertunity to try and get something else to give me brews or kegerator an american vibe.

 

[erikpete18]

As someone who cheaped out at the start and got the standard faucets, definitely get the perlicks. The standard faucets are great for bars where they are constantly being used and getting cleaned. With a kegerator though, if you go a couple of days without pulling a pint they get all gummed up and refuse to open, until you finally get it open then it refuses to close, leading to a panic where you pull open the door desperately trying to get the disconnect off the keg while beer is pouring out the tap. All hypothetically, of course .

As far as what perlick faucet, I think most people get the 525. There might still be some 425s out there, and people that have them really like them, but I thought they were cancelling production. There's also a 575 that comes with a creamer option where if you push back on the handle you get a little more foam, kinda like a poor-man's guiness pour. You can also get them in stainless steel and plated chrome, stainless is more expensive but handy if you want some peace of mind, not that the plated chrome won't likely work just as well.

Other than that, mills are great and you can justify by saying now you can buy grain in bulk and save even more money that way. I've got a barley crusher, but I think its hard to go wrong. If you want to add a little more to the keezer you could look at a nitro setup if you're a fan of stouts (or just wanna put everything else on nitro too). Won't help with the americanization, but I think Northern Brewer had some cask setups for your real ales also, but they'll cost a pretty penny!

 

[Lost]

I'm happy with the cheap chrome faucets but I pull a pint or two a night (we're talking American pints, not imperial). I have no problems with sticky taps. I'm also in Florida and perhaps the humidity helps prevent the beer from drying out and guming up the faucet.

I've heard the new line of perlicks (500 series) are not as nice as the older 400 series. There are also several people here who have had the perlicks not mate up with the shanks. Supposedly this is a compatibility issue with the chrome shanks and not the stainless shanks. So if you go with perlicks go with stainless steel shanks. Perlick has not been very responsive to customer complaints about the shank issue, they blame the shank manufacturer. But the chrome faucets don't have this issue so I think perlick's design or manufacture is the issue.

I've also heard of people who found that the perlicks do not seal positively. For example, they fall open easily, maybe if you bump them as you walk by the fridge.

If I were doing it over again I would consider the perlicks since everyone around here just raves about them. Plus they look nice. If I had several taps where each one only got used occassionally then I would definitely consider perlick but as it is I only have 2 taps and they receive such regular use that the sticky faucet issue is rarely a problem.

 

[koomber]

Thanks for the advce on the taps. I'll go with Perlicks I think. I don't plan on moving them around too much.

One last question: I know I'll need shanks to go with them but do I also need some sort of shank - tubning adaptor or does that come with the shank?

I'm thinking something like this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3-Shank-D...763?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item45ee2b6133

 

[Lost]

Those are chrome shanks. I would avoid chrome shanks if you're going with perlick faucets. Do a search. There are a lot of people on this forum who have found that the perlick faucets will not mate with the chrome shanks (they leak/spray terribly).

You want a shank like this (select stainless option):
http://stores.kegconnection.com/Detail.bok?no=303

You can find some shanks that have the nipple built onto the end for you to attach your beer line to it. I personally don't like these because if you were to ever drop it or otherwise damage the nipple then you've ruined the whole shank. But either will work so it's pretty much just a personal preference.

Ones like the one I posted in the link above and will require you to get a nipple for the end, a rubber washer, and a nut to secure it. These parts are generally referred to as the "tail piece." You don't need these if you go with a shank that has an integrated or built-in tailpiece.

The tailpiece assembly can be seen at:
http://stores.kegconnection.com/Detail.bok?no=131

Your line should be 3/16 so go with a 3/16" tail piece. Also buy some 3/16" beer line. Birdman brewing has a good deal on that line right now.

 

[audger]

One last question: I know I'll need shanks to go with them but do I also need some sort of shank - tubning adaptor or does that come with the shank?

i think i know what you are looking for- i just recently pieced together a whole tap setup and before i researched it, it wasnt entirely clear what parts you need. sometimes parts come together like in a kit, and other times they are sold individually. what you need to get are:

the faucet itself
the shank
the tailpiece (a hose barb that your beer line attaches to)
the 'beer nut' (holds the tailpiece to the back side of the shank)
and a washer to go between the tailpiece and shank

and perlick 525SS faucets are hard to beat. well worth the money.

 

[solbes]

Get the Perlicks!

 

[koomber]

Hmmm. I'm a little concerned about the cost once I get all the parts. Once I get UK shipping on top of the extra bits and pieces then it's going to geta bit pricey (I'm looking at $200 just for the taps if I go for perlicks).

From what I understand the biggest problem with the 'standard' taps is that they tend to get gummy and not seal/open after not being used for a couple of days. With this in mind there are two things I've found that I could do:

1. Use a different style tap. The type in the picture I've linked is availbable in the UK and sem to be quarter turn. This should get round the problem of them sealing. Here is the link to the tap I've found:
http://i.ebayimg.com/21/!B+6kh5!CGk~$(KGrHqR,!jgEzr-EqM+1BNBNvkcqIw~~_12.JPG
I'm sorry I can't provide much more information on this type of tap. It's on ebay and there is nothing beyond the picture and the details, but it looks like it should do the job.

2. I've found these little beauties:
http://i17.ebayimg.com/04/i/000/ec/51/2ac3_1.JPG
The idea seems to be that it fits on the tap and when you pour you open the plastic bit with the glass (apparently it's hinged) when not it use it shuts around the bottom of the tap and should stop it going manky.

Thank's for all the help so far guys. I thought that the taps would be a simple thing, but it's almost as bad as any part of brewing (chillers, boilers, mash tuns. So many options). I don't think I'll be able to afford the perlicks but I'd really appreciate any more help with the faucet issue.

 

[LandoLincoln]

Perlicks are pricey, but they last forever. You can leave them in your will to your kids or someone else that will appreciate them.

 

[Lost]

I haven't used them but the faucet covers/plugs are cheap and supposedly help reduce the sticky tap problem. I can't speak from experience because my chrome taps don't usually get sticky.

The cover thingy you linked to looks like just a fancy faucet cover which can be had for just a dollar or two.

What kind of faucets do they use in bars the UK? When I was in London I didn't even think to look. Surely they have perlicks or some equivalent there...

 

[koomber]

I haven't used them but the faucet covers/plugs are cheap and supposedly help reduce the sticky tap problem. I can't speak from experience because my chrome taps don't usually get sticky.

The cover thingy you linked to looks like just a fancy faucet cover which can be had for just a dollar or two.

What kind of faucets do they use in bars the UK? When I was in London I didn't even think to look. Surely they have perlicks or some equivalent there...

To be honest, I'm in Scotland where it's basically hand pumps if you are REALLY lucky) or it's branded taps. I've never really looked myself.

Edit: I've had a look on fleabay and quite a few seem to be plastic!