keggerator hard sticky taps

[jamiek86]

Hello everyone/anyone has anyone got any sort of keggerator old or newer series x that taps stick on? If I'm not using every night and don't pour a beer trying to get stocks up taps become quite hard to pull for occasional taste test. Is this normal? is it the cheap basic tap thing or they all do it? 

I feel like I'm going to break it the way the font shakes around even why trying to hold steady why trying to move taps around to loosen up. @Red devil 44 @ozdevil @Shamus O'Sean not really sure on keggerator users or who built own ones is there anything I can do including spending more money on better taps ortas it normal problem without use? 

[Shamus O'Sean]

16 minutes ago, jamiek86 said:

Hello everyone/anyone has anyone got any sort of keggerator old or newer series x that taps stick on? If I'm not using every night and don't pour a beer trying to get stocks up taps become quite hard to pull for occasional taste test. Is this normal? is it the cheap basic tap thing or they all do it? 

I feel like I'm going to break it the way the font shakes around even why trying to hold steady why trying to move taps around to loosen up. @Red devil 44 @ozdevil @Shamus O'Sean not really sure on keggerator users or who built own ones is there anything I can do including spending more money on better taps ortas it normal problem without use? 

I had something similar with one of my Keg King Intertaps.  Not too stiff, just kind of sticking.  The next time I finished that keg, I dismantled the tap.  It had been slightly leaking near the upper part of the tap.  Some beer gum had built up and made it difficult to operate the tap handle.  A good sodium percarbonate soak, lubricant on the seals and sanitise and the problem has not come back.

[jamiek86]

48 minutes ago, Shamus O'Sean said:

I had something similar with one of my Keg King Intertaps.  Not too stiff, just kind of sticking.  The next time I finished that keg, I dismantled the tap.  It had been slightly leaking near the upper part of the tap.  Some beer gum had built up and made it difficult to operate the tap handle.  A good sodium percarbonate soak, lubricant on the seals and sanitise and the problem has not come back.

thanks mate was almost thinking of pulling it apart but the missus reckon every time I do that make it worse  it was never this bad when sitting for 2 weeks when first got it. It has started leaking a bit too if walk away to let foam.settle. I lost 5 litres of eclipse pale ale last week why pissing on lawn and waiting for foam go down had turned itself back on.

Soaked it in what nspisan stuff? I've only got bleach, Milton or starsan

[Shamus O'Sean]

9 hours ago, jamiek86 said:

Soaked it in what nspisan stuff? I've only got bleach, Milton or starsan

Napisan is fine for cleaning.  I think it has about 30% Sodium Percarbonate (my Aldi version does anyway).  I use 1 teaspoon Napisan to 1 litre of warm water.  Half hour soak and then rub clean and rinse.  Then dunk or spray with starsan.

Not sure about your taps coming back on.  Maybe your tap handles are a bit forward heavy?  You can put springs in the back of the tap to make them automatically close.  I have two with springs and two without.  Other than the spring-loaded closing they seem to operate identically.   

[jamiek86]

@Shamus O'Sean have a couple of springs but found them really tight to put on and was meant to fiddle around with them a bit to get where want them but haven't yet

[Journeyman]

2 hours ago, jamiek86 said:

@Shamus O'Sean have a couple of springs but found them really tight to put on and was meant to fiddle around with them a bit to get where want them but haven't yet

Can you take a pic of your taps and post? If you hav e rear-closing ones it might pay to get forward closing. i.e. Intertaps or Nukataps - there's another type I can't recall, but the usual taps handed out with systems are the cheaper backward closing ones and the problem with them is exactly what you describe - build up and sticky stuff inside.

Do you run cleaner through your taps after each keg and let it sit a while? Then sanitiser ditto, and leave it sit until the next keg is ready to use?

Also, some taps have tapered springs so make sure you get them around the right way.

I have 'brush plugs' for my taps - they will not fit in the back closing taps but help keep my taps clean and bugs out. I think you can get silicon caps to go on the back-closing taps. But I'd replace them.

 

Edited April 15, 2021 by Journeyman

[jamiek86]

@Journeyman yes they the cheap back closing ones that come with them when I get home I'll pull apart and have look. Have only been running water through last couple of times but probably could do with proper cleaning  out and soak.

Edited April 15, 2021 by jamiek86

[Journeyman]

4 minutes ago, jamiek86 said:

@Journeyman yes they the cheap back closing ones that come with them when I get home I'll pull apart and have look. Have only been running water through last couple of times but probably could do with proper cleaning  out and soak.

When I had those ones, I found sticky happening even after I changed kegs which is why I started the sod perc soaking process even before I got the nukataps.

[NicolasW]

2 hours ago, Journeyman said:

Intertaps or Nukataps - there's another type I can't recall,

Perlicks are the other main forward sealing tap. Keg King also has the Ultratap. I've got Nukas and they seem to be good.

The thing with rear sealings taps is you will always have some beer left in the tap. Outside of it not being very sanitary it makes everything very sticky when it dries. I've heard stories of rear sealing taps fusing shut (from stale beer) and requiring so much force to open they break (not sure how true it is). Maybe use a spray bottle to spray some starsan or warm water into the tap when you finish pouring.

You could also try doing seals but if were me I would put that money towards new taps.  I would think about replacing the line (depending on age) and the (shanks if they aren't stainless) at the same time.  

You can also build yourself a line cleaner for cheap to clean everything in place:

- Pressure Sprayer https://www.bunnings.com.au/aqua-systems-5l-garden-pressure-sprayer-kit_p2960992

-Carbonation cap (make sure it has the tail) & line clamp

Pretty simple build unscrew the handle, put the line clamp on the line, shove the carb cap on and tighten down the clamp.

I use mine to clean all lines when I blow a keg.   I run  sodium percabonate, wait 5 minutes, run warm water to rinse, and then sanitser (stansan).

Edited April 15, 2021 by NicolasW

[Journeyman]

1 hour ago, NicolasW said:

You can also build yourself a line cleaner for cheap to clean everything in place:

- Pressure Sprayer https://www.bunnings.com.au/aqua-systems-5l-garden-pressure-sprayer-kit_p2960992

-Carbonation cap (make sure it has the tail) & line clamp

Pretty simple build unscrew the handle, put the line clamp on the line, shove the carb cap on and tighten down the clamp.

I just pulled the spray nozzle out and the beer line fits straight in with no leaking. That way I have a tap on the line - bucket under tap, hold tap on sprayer and open beer tap. Not sure it matters but I liked the idea of no pressure when putting the disconnect on the carb cap at the sprayer end until I press the sprayer tap.

[Hairy]

If the budget extends that far, definitely get yourself some forward sealing taps.

I have never had this problem with my Intertap taps, even when they haven't been used for weeks.

[Journeyman]

1 hour ago, Hairy said:

I have never had this problem with my Intertap taps, even when they haven't been used for weeks

Ditto on the nukataps - definitely worth getting the forward sealing taps IMV. 

3 hours ago, jamiek86 said:

@Journeyman yes they the cheap back closing ones that come with them when I get home I'll pull apart and have look. 

Note if you get the other style of tap, the springs for the back sealers do not work with the forward sealers. Shanks etc are all fine but make sure you get springs specifically for the taps.

[NicolasW]

20 minutes ago, Journeyman said:

I just pulled the spray nozzle out and the beer line fits straight in with no leaking. That way I have a tap on the line - bucket under tap, hold tap on sprayer and open beer tap. Not sure it matters but I liked the idea of no pressure when putting the disconnect on the carb cap at the sprayer end until I press the sprayer tap.

Yeah that's a good way to go if you want to keep the tap on the sprayer. I normally will have my kegerator tap closed when I hook it up - so the liquid has nowhere to go. 

Its probably one of my most used homebrewing tools. I think if your going down the pressure fermenter route its invaluable. I store my diluted starsan in it, and I am thinking of building another one so I don't have to empty it for sodium perc.

33 minutes ago, Hairy said:

If the budget extends that far, definitely get yourself some forward sealing taps.

I have never had this problem with my Intertap taps, even when they haven't been used for weeks.

I've found the same for the two kegerators I look after (mine and my old one at my brothers). I've got 4 Nukataps and 3 Perlicks. The thing about a good tap is they go unnoticed and just do their job opening & closing. A sticky tap has the ability to dump 19l of beer and empty a gas cylinder.  If your budget can do it $25 for a nukatap (or 30 for the Ultra tap if your a keg king fan) is a good way to go.

[Journeyman]

7 minutes ago, NicolasW said:

I am thinking of building another one so I don't have to empty it for sodium perc

 I am ahead of you. But I left the sprayer on for general purpose sanitising and I have a keg full of dilute stellarsan for lines etc.

[jamiek86]

@Journeyman just pulled taps apart and soaked in warm water but didn't appear to be anything that really stuck out. Even coming out of font wasn't really any build up or crap tiny bit sticky. The one that was real bad took a lot of mucking around to get it loose. I'll forgot had line cleaner brush before put all back together so will save that for next time and might look at upgrading.

[Journeyman]

14 hours ago, jamiek86 said:

just pulled taps apart and soaked in warm water but didn't appear to be anything that really stuck out

Did the water discolour at all? Maybe it needs the sod perc rather than just water. But I know with my back closing taps it didn't seem to take much build up to affect them - just a smear on the metal piston part was enough to make them sticky.

[jamiek86]

46 minutes ago, Journeyman said:

Did the water discolour at all? Maybe it needs the sod perc rather than just water. But I know with my back closing taps it didn't seem to take much build up to affect them - just a smear on the metal piston part was enough to make them sticky.

pretty much all it was mate felt everything with finger before soaked could feel it little but not really see. can u show me pic of front closing one so can see difference and understand it. If that little rince out gets me month or 3 I'll be happy though as only just started happening after 10 kegs passed through.

[jamiek86]

@NicolasW this tap is good with no sticking?

[Journeyman]

1 minute ago, jamiek86 said:

@NicolasW this tap is good with no sticking?

I have those except I didn't go for the black - I read up and found some people complaining they were getting black flecks in their beers and the black exterior wears off. SS all the way for mine. 

[jamiek86]

@Journeyman thanks for that so is that a front closing one? my local one only had black ones ill have a browse for the SS

[Journeyman]

14 minutes ago, jamiek86 said:

@Journeyman thanks for that so is that a front closing one? my local one only had black ones ill have a browse for the SS

Yes, Nukataps and Intertaps are both front seal taps.

[ozdevil]

3 hours ago, Journeyman said:

I have those except I didn't go for the black - I read up and found some people complaining they were getting black flecks in their beers and the black exterior wears off. SS all the way for mine. 

I also have 4 of the nukataps  and i must say i have not had a issue with these taps what so ever.

they are reasonably priced , however they don't come with the springs,   that allow you just to take your hand of the tap and close automaticly
the springs are not expensive to purchase either   

 

[Journeyman]

14 minutes ago, ozdevil said:

I also have 4 of the nukataps  and i must say i have not had a issue with these taps what so ever.

they are reasonably priced , however they don't come with the springs,   that allow you just to take your hand of the tap and close automaticly
the springs are not expensive to purchase either   

I think mine were $1 each. And from memory I think they go big end towards the tap - will have to check next time I take them apart. I bought the taps thinking I already had shanks with springs in them but the nukatap ones are tapered.

Edited April 16, 2021 by Journeyman

[Classic Brewing Co]

On the subject of Kegerators, I had lunch today with a friend of mine who has had one for 10 years in working order with a free keg/fittings etc. He used it last Xmas but the SWMBO wants it gone as they are renovating & she feels it is taking up space & unnecessary. He wants $500 for it but I am hesitant as it needs a bit of a clean-up & I am thinking a new one would have a warranty & it may be a better option. It is a 2 tap model. How much do you reckon it should be worth. 

[NicolasW]

5 hours ago, jamiek86 said:

@NicolasW this tap is good with no sticking?

I am running the stainless ones as well. I have also heard the black ones were loosing paint was coming off. There's a thread on fb about it - let me know if you want me to dig it up. Apparently the punisher ones were better.

Kegland:

1. Tap: https://www.kegland.com.au/nukatap-ss-tap-only-stainless-steel.html
2. Spring: https://www.kegland.com.au/nukatap-auto-close-spring.html

Cheeky peak:

1. Tap https://cheekypeakbrewery.com.au/304ss-nukatap-faucet-only
2. Spring: https://cheekypeakbrewery.com.au/304ss-auto-close-tap-spring (I couldn't find nukatap spring but apparently nukatap and intertap are compatible - maybe check with cheeky peaks to be safe)

Flow control version for $50 (not sure if its worth it):

1. https://cheekypeakbrewery.com.au/nukatap-flow-control-tap-only
2. https://www.kegland.com.au/nukatap-fc-tap-only-stainless-steel.htm