Picnic Tap 2.1 trouble

[Barleycapable]

Has anyone had leaking and foaming trouble with the Picnic Tap 2.1? It's pretty frustrating that the thing I bought to avoid a certain problem is now causing that problem.

The leak appears to be coming from the twist tap on the faucet. Would love to hear how anyone hear solved similar problems.

 

[mac_1103]

Never had any leaking or foaming problems. Only "issue" I have is that they pour slow, but I think that's by design. Yours is leaking from the tap valve itself? As in not shutting off, or leaking where it attaches to the stem as opposed to dripping through the faucet?

 

[Barleycapable]

It’s leaking from between the twist top and the faucet itself, and it only leaks when I turn it off, but the drips quickly subside.

 

[mac_1103]

So it leaks where it twists? I can't come up with a good explanation for that. I thought maybe you had some trub or something stuck in there that was keeping it from closing, but then I wouldn't expect it to stop quickly. Maybe you should email Trongo. I hear he's very responsive and helpful.

 

[Chorgey]

Has anyone had leaking and foaming trouble with the Picnic Tap 2.1? It's pretty frustrating that the thing I bought to avoid a certain problem is now causing that problem.

The leak appears to be coming from the twist tap on the faucet. Would love to hear how anyone hear solved similar problems.

I've never had that issue. Maybe e-mail Trong and see what he suggests.

 

[quantumguy]

Never an issue with mine (I have two). Have you taken it apart and reassembled? But if that doesn't help, definitely email Trong - he's quick to reply.

 

[SanPancho]

I've only bought one, and wont buy another. First time i plugged it in it spit beer out from three places. I checked pressure, looked it over, adjusted, etc. Still shot beer out all over the place. Emailed the dude, got a bunch of BS about how they've sold thousands and never had a leak. sure, ok. but he did replace it - and i sent the old one back for "review" by them.

new one still leaks. right out of the box. waste of money.

ymmv.

 

[GoodTruble]

I just used mine for the first time this week. If i turned the top knob all the way closed (to where it locked), it would leak around the outside of the top crease on the knob. But if I turned the knob just enough to stop the tap (with out it locking), it did not leak. Usable, but clearly not working as intended.

It was also super foamy coming out of the tap. It didn't matter too much because I was just pulling a sample from the fermenter to get a gravity reading. So i just waited for the foam to die down, but I can't imagine trying to use it to pour a pint. The pint would be more than half foam. (The fermenter was spunding at 5 PSI).

Here's an unnecessary pic ....

 

[SanPancho]

its been a while, but that sounds familiar. my first couldnt hold pressure at all, as soon as i popped it on the keg it started shooting foam. but the replacement unit leaked from about the same area as yours as best as i recall.

 

[mac_1103]

It will definitely foam if the beer and the tap aren't cold. The instructions say so.

 

[GoodTruble]

Good to know. I don't think mine came with those instructions.

 

[sibelman]

Mine (bought aug2022 — v. 2.0 I think) has been consistent - no leaks or unexpected foaming. These are the first complaints I've read. All 2.1?

 

[GoodTruble]

Mine (bought aug2022 — v. 2.0 I think) has been consistent - no leaks or unexpected foaming. These are the first complaints I've read. All 2.1?

Yes, mine is 2.1. Bought in early July.

But my beer was room temperature (as was the picnic tap 2.1). So maybe that was part of the foaming issue.

 

[mac_1103]

But my beer was room temperature (as was the picnic tap 2.1). So maybe that was part of the foaming issue.

I think that and pouring into a narrow sample cylinder probably explains the foaming. But it still shouldn't leak.

 

[GoodTruble]

Here are the only instructions that came with mine.......

 

[mac_1103]

FWIW...

I have the regular ball lock taps, not the low profile ones. But the part that's leaking on you is the same AFAIK.

 

[GoodTruble]

Wait, I am supposed to sanitize? =c)

Thanks for posting. Reading that, my theory is that what I thought was an intended "snapped/locked" position was actually me tightening it too far to point that the o-ring was buckling. (Having instructions included would have been really helpful there).

But since it stopped leaking when I loosened it a bit, I'm hopeful it isn't too damaged/is still functional. Will see.

 

[mac_1103]

Wait, I am supposed to sanitize? =c)

Hey, I sanitize my arms before I pour beer. I draw the line at sanitizing my lips before I drink it.

 

[vmaxept]

I have 4 of these. Original and new 2.1. I found the leak the OP has to be an issue. BUT the fix is serve PSI under 10 closer to 5 and make sure the tap is cold. I have sent 2 back due to breakage of the tap valve. Replaced NC. Make sure the coil insert is installed correctly, as in notes above. I like them. I do have the std tap-on-keg flow control faucets - they work well but take up so much room. I no longer use the breakable picnic tap -well because they do break.

 

[GoodTruble]

I'm hosting a beer tasting party later this month. It will get tested a lot that day (and I have backup options onhand if needed).

If nothing else, it makes pulling samples easier and gives me a way to observe the carbonation level of beer in the fermenter before I try to keg or bottle it.

 

[Barleycapable]

So it leaks where it twists?

Yep

I've never had that issue. Maybe e-mail Trong and see what he suggests.

Done and done!

Never an issue with mine (I have two). Have you taken it apart and reassembled? But if that doesn't help, definitely email Trong - he's quick to reply.

Yeah, I took it apart to clean and made sure the spiral flow reducer was seated properly and facing the right direction, the problem persists. Trong replied to my email within minutes and then offered to send me a replacement part kit. Trong seems like a great business owner, anyone else having trouble should reach out as well, he'll take care of ya.

I'll try to remember to update this thread on whether the replacement parts work out.

 

[mac_1103]

Good luck with the microscopic hex nuts and key!

 

[Closet Fermenter]

I have two, and had no problems. I am paranoid about leaks in the cooler. I had one CO² hose clamp let go and I lost a bottle of gas. I had a picnic tap fail, and it emptied 2 gallons of carbonated water (so glad it wasn’t beer) into the cooler. I always shut off the gas after every pour and remove the tap after my last pour of the day.
It’s a little hard on the o-rings, but I can handle changing them better than dumping a keg or losing my gas.

 

[KegLand]

Just out of interest how does this tap differ to this product:

https://www.liquibox.com/products/worldwide-dispensers/twist-taps/
The tap you guys seem to call Picnic Tap 2.1 looks it's been chopped off the TruTap for bag-in-box. Is this the same product but someone has modified it to fit onto a ball lock disconnect? We do not see these Picnic Tap 2.1 units in Australia.

 

[quantumguy]

It looks similar but I don't think the TruTap would provide the flow control under 10-18 psi without foaming like the Tap 2.1 does. I believe you can get the Tap 2.1 shipped outside the US from Trong's eBay store.

 

[GoodTruble]

They both twist to open. But beyond that, it is hard to tell if they have anything else in common. I doubt the TruTap has the same horizontal tube components (because they would seemingly be unnecessary for uncarbed beverages).

 

[fluketamer]

yeah it likely lacks the flow control that is provided by the thin plastic spiral inside the arm. i think ebay and amazon offers them so i imagine you can get them outside US. they do have to be very cold to work. i love mine the only problem i have is that it sometimes sticks and requires a little more torque to open it the first few times . i guess its from beer in the threads? the pours i get with this are far superior to any other tap i have used.

 

[Barleycapable]

The tap you guys seem to call Picnic Tap 2.1 looks it's been chopped off the TruTap for bag-in-box. Is this the same product but someone has modified it to fit onto a ball lock disconnect? We do not see these Picnic Tap 2.1 units in Australia.

The picnic tap 2.1 does seem to use the same twist tap you posted, and it does come attached to a disconnect, but the real magic is that thanks to the spiral flow reducer, it can attach directly to a keg and dispense without foaming, without any beer line. Of course, my post and some of the replies poke holes in the product's reliability.

 

[GoodTruble]

I'm going to try mine again this week with cold beer and cold tap. I'll update with any different experience.

Also, if this does work without much foaming, a bottle/growler filler attachment would be sweet. I always have trouble with my counter-pressure bottle filler, and it seems like a straw or tube attachment on this could potentially serve the same purpose.

 

[Barleycapable]

Also, if this does work without much foaming, a bottle/growler filler attachment would be sweet.

He mentions that it does just that with an adapter called the Cheap & Cheer bottle filler, but I can't find any sites selling it stateside.

 

[quantumguy]

I have the Cheap & Cheer bottle filler and it works fine. It's on his website (Home - Homebrewer LAB). Well it used to be and that's where I bought mine from. Don't see it there right now

 

[sibelman]

a straw or tube

Seems the opening is about 6mm. This 6.3mm tubing might work. I don't have that size to try, unfortunately.

 

[GoodTruble]

I have the Cheap & Cheer bottle filler and it works fine. It's on his website (Home - Homebrewer LAB). Well it used to be and that's where I bought mine from. Don't see it there right now

Ha. As @Barleycapable said, I don't see for sale stateside, but that's definitely what I was picturing. I may try to rig up something similar (if I can get my tap to work correctly in then first place).

 

[whovous]

It's in drop down menus for the 2.1.

 

[GoodTruble]

It's in drop down menus for the 2.1.

The only drop down menu I see if for ball lock or pin lock disconnect.

I checked it out last night. I have tubing that fits snug over the mouth of the tap, but side area is so small/limited that there is no good way to keep the tube snug. Not enough room for a clamp (or even a zip tie), and the friction from the tube itself is not enough to hold in place even when the tube is empty. So I will focus on trying to locate and purchase a proper one.

 

[sibelman]

Try here for the filler (with another tap)

 

[GoodTruble]

Try here for the filler (with another tap)

Sweet. Ordered one. Thank you.

 

[sibelman]

Sweet. Ordered one. Thank you.

Terrific. Let us know how it works.

 

[Barleycapable]

An update for anyone interested:

I noticed that the foam only started coming out when I opened the tap all the way, but if I twisted just short of the tactile click—say 90% of the twist tap's throw—it pours perfectly.

The leak continues, but much slower with the partial twist method. It seems like the problem is with those OEM taps Trong uses, so hopefully the replacement kit he sent me fixes that.

 

[GoodTruble]

Okay, tried it out tonight with cold beer and a cold tap, and it worked great. This was from a fermzilla all-rounder that had been spunding at 10 PSI for about 10 days....

The beer was plenty carbed, but no foaming issues at all. And no leaks, though I did not turn it all the way to the "locked" position.

My bottle filler version arrives Saturday, and I will trying it out this weekend when I keg and bottle these two beers. I'll update with my thoughts of the Picnic Tap 2.1 as a bottle filler.