Why no higher end picnic taps?

CornyKegs 728
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Which part is broken?Would you please put a picture here？ Then I will let the manufacturer know:)
If the market is bigger I think the manufacturer will consider to use ss plunger to instead of silicone plunger.
 
sure, i have two....it's the little second tier on the plunger that broke off, and now it doesn't pour...i'm thinking i can stretch the spring being i got it apart now anyway, should be a work around until i get the flare ones... :mug:

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the one on the right is the broken one, one on left hardly used....but yeah that little spacer sorta thing broke.....and i'm still saying, this isn't nessasarily a SERIOUS gripe just some feed back! i'll try it with a more streched spring, and see how it holds up....

if SS if too much for cost, maybe just make the plunger solid? for the pushing part?
 
I guess you should not stretch the spring at the beginning when you got the tap, ,you stretched the spring,then the "broken" happened at the part after a period. As i know,for the first batch taps, a few of them were not tighten by
some careless workers,customers only need to take part the taps and tighten them again carefully,
do not need to stretch the springs:)
 
@bluelaker The way I read it, @bracconiere did not stretch the spring in the beginning. He/she was "thinking" about stretching it after the middle spacer broke (ie so that the spring would reach to the outer lip). Still looking forward to the flared ones hitting the market but anticipation dropped 1 pt. . I hate spending $20 on something that might break like the $3 ones do.
 
When you open and close the tap,the plunger goes up and down,there is no strength to hit the plunger,
but if you stretch the spring, maybe a part of the spring may touch against the plunger,then the plunger
maybe broken after a period.Bracconiere said he stretched the spring when he got the taps last summer:)
 
agentbud said:
@bluelaker The way I read it, @bracconiere did not stretch the spring in the beginning. He/she was "thinking" about stretching it after the middle spacer broke (ie so that the spring would reach to the outer lip). Still looking forward to the flared ones hitting the market but anticipation dropped 1 pt. . I hate spending $20 on something that might break like the $3 ones do.
Click to expand...


no, i did stretch the spring a bit in the beginning, because they dripped, nothing i haven't had to do with the cheapo plastic ones, didn't think much of it....

and honestly when i was looking at my plastic one just now they need that two flange thing to pull the plunger AND push it.....not sure what to say besides...it didn't last for me...(@bluelaker can i buy like a bag of 100 plungers for $20-25? i can try wrapping some aluminum tap around that top flange or something?)

i still LOVE the way they feel!

edit: honestly @bluelaker i don't remember if i pulled the plastic ones from the wide top or bottom small part that sits against the plunger....and i do twist the handles around a lot....could be a factor also....
 
Not to hi-jack the thread, but I switched over to these from plastic picnic taps, and I couldn't be happier. They are sturdy and pour amazingly. No swirl pours like a picnic tap. Highly recommend.
 
bracconiere said:
sure, i have two....it's the little second tier on the plunger that broke off, and now it doesn't pour...i'm thinking i can stretch the spring being i got it apart now anyway, should be a work around until i get the flare ones...
Click to expand...
The spring is there to make the taps self-closing, and keep them closed in resting (unengaged) position.

When you push or pull the handle, the rocker on the handle's bottom lifts the (plastic) lifting rod, which pulls the bottom of silicone plunger/seal upward, while compressing the spring. That creates a path for the beer to flow out.

The end one of the 2 flanges on the tippy of the lifting rod goes inside the bottom of the silicone plunger. The second flange, slightly higher up (the one that broke off) is the spring retainer. It prevents the spring from pushing against the inside of the silicone plunger, and probably from dislodging it when you squeeze the trigger handle, to open the tap.

That 2nd flange (the spring stop) should not just sheer off with regular use. Mind, there's quite a bit of tension on that spring, especially when engaging the tap, so that little plastic flange has quite a lot of force to endure. A stainless one should give much longer service time.

My plastic (barbed) picnic taps are 9 years old. Unlike yours, they get very intermittent use, such as on location, or on a fresh keg that's being forced carbonated, and such. Haven't broken one, yet...

But someone at our last campout had the lifting mechanism break off the bottom of the handle. The tap stayed closed, of course, but was inoperable. I just lent her one of my (spare) picnic tap assemblies.
 
IslandLizard said:
A stainless one should give much longer service time.
Click to expand...

i'd think some equally cheap pot metal one would be fine also...doesn't need to be shiny or anything....

but like @bluelaker said i did stretch the spring...but BEFORE i did that, i did try unscrewing them, and gently rescrewing them, and they still dripped? but i had the same problem with the cheap plastic ones, but stretching the spring didn't break them after a year?

and as i said, i love these things, don't think there's anyway i'll go back to the plastic ones whatever the outcome!
 
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bracconiere said:
BEFORE i did that, i did try unscrewing them, and gently rescrewing them, and they still dripped?
Click to expand...
I've never had any dripping issues, maybe they're made by different companies using slightly different dies or processes. A tiny bit of keg lube on the silicone plunger could help seat themselves easier, making them drip free?

Also look for any injection molding seams on sealing surfaces, another potential cause for leaks.

I think that lifting rod is made of some sort of nylon, rather than generic plastic. It's pretty tough, and also somewhat flexible, at least on the plastic ones I have, and have seen in use.

Yup, you need a bag of those lifting rods/shafts.
@bluelaker seems to have connections with the manufacturers, maybe he can get them for you?
 
IslandLizard said:
@bluelaker seems to have connections with the manufacturers,
Click to expand...


and always with a :) or ;) :mug: but being i feel these were custom made for me and a couple other people...i was already planing on buying the flare version, but yeah it's niche market, and i want it to be a win-win for both of us! at least they aren't food and spoil!
 
Miraculix said:
Honest question, what is a picnic tap?!
Click to expand...


it's what college party kids use with a keg of budweiser? but i'm a homebrewer, and still like the party feeling...but with bling in my hand?

edit: imagine how cool a freshman college kid would be at his first kegger whipping a SS tap out for some well whatever would be! that would be some straight up harvord, princton stuff!

and that's the way i feel every pour with these things!
 
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bracconiere said:
it's what college party kids use with a keg of budweiser? but i'm a homebrewer, and still like the party feeling...but with bling in my hand?

edit: imagine how cool a freshman college kid would be at his first kegger whipping a SS tap out for some well whatever would be! that would be some straight up harvord, princton stuff!

and that's the way i feel every pour with these things!
Click to expand...
Does it work via gravity?
 
I got two flow control taps, mounted. I still use my picnic tap around half the time. It's just convenient. It works. Picnic tap, 2m beer line and you can pour to your heart's content. Tap doesn't have to warm up, nothing.
 
Toxxyc said:
No, you still pressurize the keg. It's just a one-hand operated mobile little tap. It foams like mad if your beer line is too short or the beer is overcarbonated, and you can't control anything with it, but it's underrated.
Click to expand...
Ah ok, I see. Thanks for clarifying.
 


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.
 
Miraculix said:
Honest question, what is a picnic tap?!
Click to expand...
No kidding, huh? :mug:

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...
 
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! :mug:
 
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....
 
Malticulous said:


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.
Click to expand...

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


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.
 

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