Why no higher end picnic taps?

[Malticulous]

I just got one of these but have yet to use it. I think it probably works best a on growler, not in a keezer. It may be difficult to use one handed if not fixed to the keg. He says you can serve at 15 psi with one. It was added in with my flotit for another $20. I guess it should be on ebay soon.

 

[IslandLizard]

Honest question, what is a picnic tap?!

No kidding, huh?

IIRC, their proper name is "Cobra tap" here in the U.S.
But yeah, it is what the others said.

I don't recall what they have or what they're called in Europe. Or the rest of the world.
I only peeked in at the start of one frat party (45 years back, in Amsterdam) and thought I could do without that experience. Sadly it turned out to be a major lack in my education...

 

[bracconiere]

well to update, for the broken plunger....i drilled a 1/8" hole where the upper flange used to be, and put a short piece of bailing wire through it, and bent it around...put it back together, feels right, but i'll have to wait till this keg kicks to get my other tap going, think it's a good fix for it.....

i'll report back...i would say unlike my cheapo plastic one i had apart to compare, the torpedo has a nice hard plastic washer on the silicon plunger, or that's what it looks like, i liked that. instead of all silicon...might be something that did it in, but still nice thinking! i like it!

 

[IslandLizard]

i drilled a 1/8" hole where the upper flange used to be,

You drilled a 1/8" hole through that 1/8" diameter plastic shaft?
If so, you're a true magician!

1/16" hole maybe?

 

[bracconiere]

You drilled a 1/8" hole through that 1/8" diameter plastic shaft?
If so, you're a true magician!

1/16" hole maybe?

i just had to double check the bit...it was actually 1/16"....but it fit the bailing wire perfectly.... thank you for correcting me!

 

[agentbud]

i drilled a 1/8" hole where the upper flange used to be, and put a short piece of bailing wire through it, and bent it around

Macgyver it

 

[bracconiere]

Macgyver it

more like the trailer park boys....

 

[bracconiere]

well, i just poured a drink with it...good pour, and no drips after....and i did notice the silicone part is all silicone, must have been the light before....

 

[IslandLizard]

well, i just poured a drink with it...good pour, and no drips after....and i did notice the silicone part is all silicone, must have been the light before....

Hope it holds up...

Are "they" gonna send you a replacement or at least some spare shafts?

 

[bracconiere]

Hope it holds up...

Are "they" gonna send you a replacement or at least some spare shafts?

no? i'm just still hoping they still release the flare nut versions....i've been visiting morebeer every few days hoping for them....

 

[agentbud]

....i've been visiting morebeer every few days hoping for them....

Me too. Haven't seen them yet...

 

[Gusso]

I just got one of these but have yet to use it. I think it probably works best a on growler, not in a keezer. It may be difficult to use one handed if not fixed to the keg. He says you can serve at 15 psi with one. It was added in with my flotit for another $20. I guess it should be on ebay soon.

I've used Trong's picnic tap on a corny a few times now. It works really well - no excess foam and no dripping.

 

[bracconiere]

@agentbud Morebeer has the flare taps now!!! just ordered my two!

 

[lumbergh]

Would these work for the biermuncher bottle filler/beer gun?

 

[agentbud]

@agentbud Morebeer has the flare taps now!!! just ordered my two!

@bracconiere . Thanks for the heads up. Just placed an order.

 

[Yesfan]

Well add me to the list. I ordered one too along with some other goodies.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

For those that use 4mm ID EVABarrier line, what length works well for you? Making the switch over would be one reason I would want to try these flare connector taps. I currently use around 6 ft of 3/16" tubing. I find that it works okay for me, but my friends struggle to get a good pour without too much foam due to how fast it pours.

 

[bluelaker]

https://www.morebeer.com/products/torpedo-keg-handheld-stainless-steel-beer-faucet.html

 

[bracconiere]

https://www.morebeer.com/products/torpedo-keg-handheld-stainless-steel-beer-faucet.html

"with stainless components and internal parts"

i plan on reporting back on this....but if true, well it'd be cool, but honestly i'd buy two more when i set up my other kegerator anyway! using these things make me feel like i've got a rich daddy, and i'm at a harvard frat party!

 

[Yesfan]

For those that use 4mm ID EVABarrier line, what length works well for you? Making the switch over would be one reason I would want to try these flare connector taps. I currently use around 6 ft of 3/16" tubing. I find that it works okay for me, but my friends struggle to get a good pour without too much foam due to how fast it pours.

I use about 5ft on mine with no issues.

I had to buy my line in full 39ft spools which was about $13. No big deal since I was going to use all of it. If you're not needing that much line, @Bobby_M sells 5.5ft sections.

 

[renstyle]

For those that use 4mm ID EVABarrier line, what length works well for you? Making the switch over would be one reason I would want to try these flare connector taps. I currently use around 6 ft of 3/16" tubing. I find that it works okay for me, but my friends struggle to get a good pour without too much foam due to how fast it pours.

I use pluto taps, some older with a 1/4" barb. Heated the 4mm EVA line in water and friction fit. Sits with the EVA coils on top of their respective kegs in the keezer (no mods yet, just an inkbird).

I mention the pluto taps because I've found they produce a slightly faster pour than a cobra tap at the same pressure (at least in my experience). With that in mind, I went a bit longer on the lines, a pair 8ft and another about 9ft to use the rest of the line I had.

Running at 15 PSI most of the time and the temp in the high 40s in the keezer, I am getting a 12-14 second pour (12oz) with these lines. No other flow control, and it's a good fit for stouts as well as crisp lagers (that keg gets the 9ft line).

 

[renstyle]

I use about 5ft on mine with no issues.

I had to buy my line in full 39ft spools which was about $13. No big deal since I was going to use all of it. If you're not needing that much line, @Bobby_M sells 5.5ft sections.

Yeah, two 39ft spools covered both my gas and beer lines for 5 kegs and several utility/jumper lines for closed transfers. Actually, I think I have most of that 2nd spool still...

 

[agentbud]

"with stainless components and internal parts"

i plan on reporting back on this....but if true, well it'd be cool, but honestly i'd buy two more when i set up my other kegerator anyway! using these things make me feel like i've got a rich daddy, and i'm at a harvard frat party!

It's the "and" that's the get out of jail free card. Maybe they mean it has stainless components "and" it has internal parts. Depends on how you read that as to whether the internal parts are stainless. Agree it would be cool if the innards are stainless too. Regardless, got three on the way...

 

[bracconiere]

stainless components "and" it has internal parts

didn't think of it that way.....i know the plunger would still be silicone....

 

[day_trippr]

I've been a practicing cynical pessimist for verging on 6 decades now, yet in this case the clumsy ad copy doesn't take away from what I believe is a faithfully executed all-stainless steel design.

Hopefully that's not misplaced faith on my part. That would suck

Cheers!

 

[bracconiere]

faithfully executed all-stainless steel design.

Hopefully that's not misplaced faith on my part. That would suck

i'd say so...said they sold 1,500 at $20 a pop...that only 30k in a year, for a nich market...i think about the fabrication, shipping...everybody's cut to my door...these things are a steal and awesome. despite my technical dificulty with the thing inside (my bailing wire is holding up)

 

[Toxxyc]

@bracconiere can you confirm if the dimensions on these are identical to regular picnic taps? Asking because I found out a 3/8" regular Valpar beer line fits perfectly into the opening on a regular plastic picnic tap. I use that fact, with a longer beer line and a piece of 3/8" cut to around 1ft to fill my beer bottles. Simply pop the picnic tap on the keg, stick the short piece of beer line in the picnic tap, insert into the bottle and fill it from the bottom with no foaming.

It works a treat.

 

[agentbud]

Received my three yesterday. Very nice. Solid. May be a few days before I can hook one up but I have a couple questions. I unscrewed the cap to see what the insides look like but it doesn't seem like it wants to come apart. The cap unscrews all the way but when I try to lift out the insides, it feels like something (like a spring) is holding everything in place. I gave it a decent tug but didn't want to break anything. Should the inside pieces come out (ie for cleaning, etc)?
Also, the flare threaded end does not have a built-in gasket like you would see on 1/4" flare quick connect fitting. Do these taps require a 1/4 flare gasket to make a good seal?

 

[agentbud]

can you confirm if the dimensions on these are identical to regular picnic taps? Asking because I found out a 3/8" regular Valpar beer line fits perfectly into the opening on a regular plastic picnic tap. I use that fact, with a longer beer line and a piece of 3/8" cut to around 1ft to fill my beer bottles. Simply pop the picnic tap on the keg, stick the short piece of beer line in the picnic tap, insert into the bottle and fill it from the bottom with no foaming.

It works a treat.

With my plastic picnic taps, I used the hard plastic tube from a broken bottle filler that fit nicely into the tap for filling bottles. That piece of tube does not fit in the new SS tap so the opening appears to be ever so slightly smaller. However, I found that a piece of 3/8 OD silicone tubing fits snugly around (not in) the output of the SS tap so I will just switch to using that instead to fill bottles with

 

[IslandLizard]

Do these taps require a 1/4 flare gasket to make a good seal?

On homebrew equipment, metal to metal flare surfaces need a (fisheye) flare gasket, so I guess you may need one with your picnic tap flare connection too. But if the surfaces mate perfectly you can probably get away without, not sure, you can try...

With my plastic picnic taps, I used the hard plastic tube from a broken bottle filler that fit nicely into the tap for filling bottles.

Hah! I do the same. And for filling growlers too.
I use a drilled rubber stopper over the tube to reduce foaming and keep the beer better carbonated.

I wonder if that's common knowledge around homebrewers...