Kegland Flow Control Keg Ball Locks?

[Horseflesh]

Bringing this thread back from the dead.

I am considering trying these out, but they seem to be out of stock everywhere. Williams doesn't even have a catalog listing any more. Nukatap flow control faucets are also gone everywhere, but the previous version Intertaps are still around. Did Kegland get sued or something?

 

[day_trippr]

Supply chain issues, presumably. Eventually something had to give. That paradigm is going to affect a broad spectrum of trade. I mean, it's not even the specific production part that's been affected, the transport part has gone way out of balance such that the side of the economy that doesn't need them is sitting on stacks of containers it can't fill (and thus "return") while the other side of the economy that needs containers can't get them. That's a broad issue that will affect everything...,

 

[DuncB]

I heard that they had a lot of issues with the flow control ball locks and think the design is being evolved.

I'm not that impressed with mine the control isn't good enough on them.

 

[Horseflesh]

I heard that they had a lot of issues with the flow control ball locks and think the design is being evolved.

I'm not that impressed with mine the control isn't good enough on them.

Too bad! I'll put it out of my mind until I see a new version. Thanks!

 

[twd000]

It's not a supply chain issue. It's a design flaw. I emailed KegLand and they admitted they don't work, that the technical requirements were "more difficult than expected" and they have no estimated redesign date until they crack the design problem

 

[day_trippr]

Interesting - I do remember complaints about the minimum restriction being too high.
Maybe just solve the problem the old fashion way - with tubing?

Cheers!

 

[Noob_Brewer]

Interesting - I do remember complaints about the minimum restriction being too high.
Maybe just solve the problem the old fashion way - with tubing?

Cheers!

Agreed. I went with the intertaps (no flow control), got some EVA barrier tubing, consulted the Soltys website for tube length, and have zero issues.

 

[Horseflesh]

I'm using tubing now and things are OK, but I like the idea of adding flow control so that I can adjust carb level more easily.

The other day for kicks I put an Intertap flow control faucet on my carbonated water keg -- which did have a line that was always too short -- and it worked great. So I like the idea of having some wiggle room on the beer, too.

 

[twd000]

I'm using tubing now and things are OK, but I like the idea of adding flow control so that I can adjust carb level more easily.

The other day for kicks I put an Intertap flow control faucet on my carbonated water keg -- which did have a line that was always too short -- and it worked great. So I like the idea of having some wiggle room on the beer, too.

What are the symptoms on a water keg with a short line? Since it can't foam up like beer. I run 30 psi on my seltzer keg and I feel like it degasses quickly in the glass

 

[Craiginthecorn]

I have a had a pre-order pending since December for the Nukatap FC faucets with KegFactory. I wrote to KegFactory a week or so ago and was told that manufacturing was being moved to the USA and that they had no further information on availability. Sounds improbable to me, actually. A couple weeks ago, though, I saw them available for sale on Kegland's own Australian website. At the moment, the site says they're out of stock, but expected back on May 10. That being the case, it sounds more likely to be a production issue as opposed to a design issue.

I would buy CM Becker's X1 faucets except their faucets all have a small groove in the ball of the lever which provides a bit of venting when the lever is in the open position. This is intended to reduce dripping. The problem for me is that it makes it impossible to use my beloved Tapcooler counterpressure filler without making a mess, as beer sprays out from that groove. Apparently, the groove can be filled with food grade epoxy, but I'm disinclined to go that route. One feature of the X1s that intrigues me is their plastic composite body. I expect that this would reduce first pour foaming because little thermal transfer is likely to occur. They are used nationwide at Twin Peaks restaurants for the super-cold pours.

Anyone want to share their experience with the X1s?

Finally, I have three of the original Kegland flow control ball lock disconnects. They're just OK and only where you need significant restriction because the baseline restriction is high, even fully open. I think that's what Laphroaig's mod above is intended to address. I haven't tried that. I use mine only for highly-carbonated beers -- say, over 3 volumes. I imagine that they would be useful for connecting a faucet directly on a keg or a for short picnic tap line. However, when I use a picnic tap, I'm expecting to kick the keg and am unconcerned about the potential of my beer going flat, so I just reduce the serving pressure.

I had hoped the the Kegland flow control disconnects would eliminate the need for fiddling with line length in my keezer, but the high baseline restriction makes that impossible. I cannot use them, for example, with a stout where my secondary reg is set to 7 psi. The flow from the faucet would be a trickle. My understanding is that a Gen 2 version has been created which addresses this issue, but when I last checked several months ago, Williams Brewing was still selling the Gen 1 units.

BTW, the disconnects are also prone to leakage, especially from the threaded barb. I had to swap out the original o-ring with something more robust.

 

[DuncB]

The oring can partly ride off with the screwing up and down and get pinched and then you get a leak.

 

[Horseflesh]

What are the symptoms on a water keg with a short line? Since it can't foam up like beer. I run 30 psi on my seltzer keg and I feel like it degasses quickly in the glass

The water comes out too fast, churns in the glass, and loses some carbonation. As I had kinda been planning to upgrade to EVA Barrier lines, I just lived with it ... until the other day when I tried a flow control faucet for kicks. It was easy to simply slow the flow to an appropriate pour which preserved more carbonation.

It would have been better to balance the line right the first time, but I didn't and flow control delivered. It seems like it would be very handy to have on the beer taps too, for fine tuning. Or maybe I just like complications!

 

[Garfield43]

Has anyone tried these?

US Standard Faucet Flow Control Valve
No idea what they are made off, probably chrome plated Chineseium.
It would give you flow control with whatever faucet you want and the ability to use a return spring and still have flow control.
BTW anyone know if you can use return springs with creamer faucets?
I would assume not, just curious if anyone had tried it.

I was wondering about the CMB faucets as well.
Sounds like if you are just going to use them to pour beer in to glasses they are fine.

 

[DuncB]

That companies quick carb is a lot less than the Blichmann one.

 

[Bassman2003]

Thanks to all for sharing their experiences. I was hoping to get some of these to eliminate beer lines and have taps directly on the keg in the fridge. Less cleaning and better pours with adjustments for every beer style. Hopefully they will continue developing the product.

 

[MrBJones]

Has anybody heard anything recently about availability and what has been done about redevelopment/redesign?

 

[JJinMD]

They are in-stock at MoreBeer, not sure if they are old stock or a redesign. I bought one two years ago and used it for a stout that I kept outside the kegerator and poured it at whatever the ambient temp was at the time, probably between 40 and 60F most of the time in my garage. I put a tap with a stout spout right on the flow control ball lock, worked great since I didn't have the room in the kegerator and it was typically a better serving temp for that beer than the 38F I keep the kegerator at usually.

Update: Williams Brewing also has them in stock and they are listed as "New Improved for 2021".