Kegland Flow Control Disconnects: Better than Flow Control Faucets?

[Clint Yeastwood]

Anyone using Kegland plastic flow control disconnects?

They made an impression on me with their pitch. The idea is that these things are better than flow control faucets, because faucets introduce turbulence.

I have two new flow control disconnects, and I will be playing around with them to see what happens.

 

[pvpeacock]

I ditched 2 Intertap flow control taps and replaced them with the Kegland plastic flow control disconnects which, in my opinion, work better than the taps did. I also use them on my Jockey Boxes because it is much easier to dial in a good pour with them that trying to use the CO2 regulator to do so.

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

Even though I spent a ton on Perlick flow control faucets, I just ordered a couple of SS Nukataps without flow control. I'll see how they work with the Kegland disconnects.

 

[day_trippr]

Thank you for single handedly keeping the home brewing and dispensing industries alive!

 

[DuncB]

I have found the metal flow control ball lock not satisfactory. Whether flow control faucet is better I do not know as they rest dormant in a box!

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

Thank you for single handedly keeping the home brewing and dispensing industries alive!

Golf and fishing are expensive. Brewing is a bargain.

 

[Bobby_M]

I've been kegging for 15 years and never felt like flow control anything was necessary. Especially with 4mm ID EVA barrier tubing these days, it's kind of a moot point.

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

So what do you do when you switch beers around in a limited space? If you have a beer that wants a certain level of carbonation, and you have to put it on a line measured for a different beer, does it just work anyway?

 

[CascadesBrewer]

I've been kegging for 15 years and never felt like flow control anything was necessary. Especially with 4mm ID EVA barrier tubing these days, it's kind of a moot point.

What length of lines are you running? Are you running different levels of carbonation? I have started to swap over to the 4mm EVABarrier lines for my picnic taps (it is nice!), but I need to bite the bullet and install my secondary regulator and swap over to real taps.

 

[Broken Crow]

Why not just find a comfortable balance in the "Have and not need, rather than Need and not have"? If you're using EVAbarrier, it really doesn't take up a lot of space and it coils up easily. Just think about what beers you'll have in there most of the time, and calculate your line length for the high end of that range. A low carb beer will pour just fine out of a line way longer than it actually needs. My own lines (4mm Evabarrier) are just a little over 6' and have served everything I've put through them.. should I need to serve a beer that wants greater resistance, only then will I swap out my ordinary tap for the FC I have gathering dust.

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

Well, if I can buy 5 cheap disconnects and not worry about it, that also seems like a good move.

 

[Broken Crow]

Having the solution to a problem on hand is always good, and that's what FC's were first put on the market for...as a workaround... But why not set the system up from the outset to work without that need? Are you trying to avoid 'excessive' lines in your keezer? ...beer losses? (cause even a long line holds only and insignificant amount of beer).
What kind of lengths are the caculators recommending? ( Determining Proper hose length for your Kegerator )
Do you find the lengths required for proper balancing unacceptable for some reason?
Not trying to be confrontational, in fact I love all your posts for the details, I just can't comprehend why you seem resistant to the tried and true standard practice?

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

I have 5 taps and a big variety of things I want to drink, so if I set 5 lines up just so, what do I do when I want to drink a beer that doesn't fit?

Actually, it's worse than that. One faucet is a stout faucet, so I only have 4 to play around with.

 

[Broken Crow]

Just put in long lines. I wish I had a pic of my first kegerator to share here.. When I switched it from Bevlex to EVAbarrier, I had 11'-12' lines, coiled with tin-ties and suspended from a couple glued on clips to suround the tower opening and catch the recirculated air. I took everything I threw at it with no foam and no FC.

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

Can't lines be too long for some beers?

 

[Broken Crow]

Nope.

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

Man, it's hard to get straight information about this.

 

[Broken Crow]

That's why I like your posts... you're relentless in the pursuit of details. I swear, since you started on this forum, I've seen a decrease in the number of new folk who sign up and post vague questions "I bought a kit and did thing... is it ok?...now what?"....and then never follow up or...ok.. I'm ranting.. But it's been great that the first page of posts always has your well-worded and detailed questions with quick follow up diving into more details. It's a gift for those who find the site and take the time to scan the 'new posts'.
Just sayin'

 

[BongoYodeler]

That's why I like your posts... you're relentless in the pursuit of details. I swear, since you started on this forum, I've seen a decrease in the number of new folk who sign up and post vague questions "I bought a kit and did thing... is it ok?...now what?"....and then never follow up or...ok.. I'm ranting.. But it's been great that the first page of posts always has your well-worded and detailed questions with quick follow up diving into more details. It's a gift for those who find the site and take the time to scan the 'new posts'.
Just sayin'

I've noticed that too. Nothing worse than vague questions and no follow-ups.

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

Glad my ignorance is helping people.

What I have read about line length is that it can be too long or too short, but Kegland claims you can slap a disconnect on a keg and keep the line length the same for everything.

 

[DuncB]

You can buy flow controls to attach to the tap rather than the keg much easier to adjust on the outside of a keezer etc than pour some, tweak it, tap cools after the pour so tweak again.

However I do second the get the line length right and forget.
With EVA barrier if you set all the lines to your standard beer vol when you want a higher vols beer say a witbier at 3.2 vols then just add the extra piece on with a connector. Remove it if you change back to a lower volume.

If you change to the kegland 3mm internal or williams warn 2.5mm internal your lines become very short. Just did the calculation and swap for a witbier in my keg fridge and it's 3.3 metres of 4mm internal or 0.38 metres of the 2.5mm internal. Such is the power of radius in relation to flow in a tube.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

Just put in long lines. I wish I had a pic of my first kegerator to share here.. When I switched it from Bevlex to EVAbarrier, I had 11'-12' lines, coiled with tin-ties and suspended from a couple glued on clips to suround the tower opening and catch the recirculated air. I took everything I threw at it with no foam and no FC.

Say you have a beer a 2.2 volumes and a beer at 3 volumes, will the 2.2 beer just pour slower?

I know that Marshall from Brulosophy has 10 ft EVABarrier lines. I asked him and he said he generally likes higher carbonated beers and they work fine.

I put 6 ft EVABarrier lines (4mm ID) on a picnic tap and on one of the Pluto Guns. That length pours slower than the same 6 ft length of 3/16" beverage lines I have on my other picnic taps.

 

[Gozie Boy]

Yep, I'm now rebuilding my 6-tap keezer with 3mm ID Eva to better manage the tubing jungle, as well as reduce the volume held in the tubing. These will operate from three secondaries with different pressures, so I'll be facing the issue of customizing lengths versus just running a little longer set of lines. The former should be easy, as the tubing is cheap and you can just start longer (e.g. 4-5 ft) and trim them back until you're good.

The main issue with having long lines is slower pours. I can live with that (within reason) if I get a good poor. I think there may also be a problem with overly long lines in having more of the carbonation remaining dissolved in the beer, rather in a desirable head. Views on this?

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

If I can shorten my lines, it will be a big help. I am cramming 5 kegs into a small keezer, along with a 4-body regulator and two tanks.

 

[day_trippr]

I think there may also be a problem with overly long lines in having more of the carbonation remaining dissolved in the beer, rather in a desirable head. Views on this?

Nah. You don't want any bubbles in the lines as it leads to a cascade before the beer even hits the glass resulting in a foamy mess
Head is properly produced at the faucet & glass, not in the lines...

Cheers!

 

[Gozie Boy]

Nah. You don't want any bubbles in the lines as it leads to a cascade before the beer even hits the glass resulting in a foamy mess
Head is properly produced at the faucet & glass, not in the lines...

Cheers!

No, I don't want gas breakout in the lines(!), but thought it might remain in solution in the glass (after pour) and not have some breakout into a head during the pour. In thinking about it, that is probably more of a "too cold" issue than pressure/line length issue...

 

[day_trippr]

In thinking about it, that is probably more of a "too cold" issue than pressure/line length issue...

I totally agree with that thinking. I mean, unless the beer is literally launched at high pressure

Cheers!

 

[Bobby_M]

Why not just find a comfortable balance in the "Have and not need, rather than Need and not have"? If you're using EVAbarrier, it really doesn't take up a lot of space and it coils up easily. Just think about what beers you'll have in there most of the time, and calculate your line length for the high end of that range. A low carb beer will pour just fine out of a line way longer than it actually needs. My own lines (4mm Evabarrier) are just a little over 6' and have served everything I've put through them.. should I need to serve a beer that wants greater resistance, only then will I swap out my ordinary tap for the FC I have gathering dust.

5.5ft of 4mm ID works great between 8-12psi with the lower end of the range yielding a slightly slower than ideal pour speed.