Duofiller?

Brewer's Friend 728
Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
I watched the video on it a while ago. I'm sticking to kegs and bottles until the consumable price plummets. You can reuse a bottle but not a can.
 
I'm using the Tapcooler setup for filling cans. Lucked into getting one while they were going through the redesign, since the new design does nothing for me. I put mine on a mesh cart (clamping through the mesh). Works decently enough out of the box, but I'm making a new base for it since the back drain is problematic. I also wish the pressure relief setup was better designed. You have to back it almost all the way out to get it to release at a low enough pressure to work well. IMO, THAT part needs a redesign. I've already cut one loop from the spring after the poppet on that and might need to trim more.

I wouldn't get an 'open can' designed dual filling station. Since that means you have plenty of O2 exposure to the beer. Better off spending the $$ on getting a counterpressure filler. I do plan to get a better setup at some point, but I need to pay off all the gear I already bought this year, first.

Last batch of beer I pushed 3 gallons into a keg and then canned the balance. It's easier to store cans than bottles where I am. I have a couple of milk crates in the keezer I can keep them in, as well as stack them pretty deep in the food fridge. I size my recipes to get about six gallons of finished beer at the end. Putting half the batch on tap, and having the other half for people to take home is very convenient. Add the can 4-pack rings to the mix and it's easy for people to go home with them. I'm working my way through the first boxes of 11oz and 16oz cans. I'll probably order more 16oz cans before the 12oz cans. I use the 12oz cans for bigger beers as well as stouts. The larger cans are for pale ales and cider.
 
Last edited:
Is there a better counterpressure setup for cans? I do see the Tapcooler is back in stock with a new design but haven't found much info on it yet.
 
Tapcooler is the only affordable item I was able to locate when I was looking. I didn't want to spend a couple of grand (or more) on this. I do see a more automatic counterpressure filler in my future though. From what I've seen, the main part of the filler is the same. It's just how it mounts and how the can is 'mounted' that's changed with the newer design. IF you want to have it on your fridge/keezer, the new design is OK. If you want to have a dedicated station/cart (like I do) then I don't see any value add to the new design.

As I mentioned, the base they sell is 'meh' depending on how you'll be using it. IF You have a solid surface where it will be set, it works OK. If you want to do like I did and have the mesh cart (I have the Cannular Pro setup on the same cart) then it's of far less value. The base I'm machining currently is going to have the drain in the bottom (centered in the working area of it) with a simple NPT to barb fitting where I'll connect tubing to run into a catch bucket.

BTW, the hose they used for the pressure relief side is insanely flimsy. It bends far too easily (kinking) making it more of an issue as you're moving the filler to get cans into position (or when filled). A slightly thicker tubing size would have made this less of an issue. It seems like they went with the cheapest option on that part. Also, the part where it goes into the relief fitting is difficult to get into place initially and you really don't want to go through that more than once. Again, they could have done some easy redesigns there to improve things, but I don't see any indication that they have. I might work on making something to take place of that tube once the new base is completed.

BTW, the can base I'm making will be larger than the can resting on it. The current one is barely larger than the can, which means any overflow will run over the back and not catch. I plan to bevel the back groove (top edge) more so that anything getting close to that will flow into the base and not over the back. Since they obviously used CNC to make the current base, they could have made it so that it was biased to move fluid to the drain plug more actively. I'm not using a CNC mill, so that won't be as easy. I still might try to get things so that the fitting in the center is a low point (milling off any part that extends up).
 
I did find some "small" counterpressure fillers that are a few thousand or more but seems like Tapcooler is the only hobby option. Seems like most canning lines are open fillers so I think this makes sense.
 
The commercial canning lines I've seen in person are all open, just with heavy amounts of CO2 before they are filled. Seems to work out ok, I've never had an oxidized beer from any of them. Just fill them to the top and make sure to cap on foam and I don't see any real problems. 🤷‍♂️
 
If any of you guys have a duofiller we would be keen to get some feedback from you. Ideally we would like to send you our filler that we have here:
https://www.kegland.com.au/products/cannular-can-and-bottle-filler-rapt
Then get feedback from you to see how the two devices compare. We would be happy to send you one of our units for free but you must already own a duofiller to compare it against. So if you would like to be involved please send us a private message.
 
KegLand said:
If any of you guys have a duofiller we would be keen to get some feedback from you. Ideally we would like to send you our filler that we have here:
https://www.kegland.com.au/products/cannular-can-and-bottle-filler-rapt
Then get feedback from you to see how the two devices compare. We would be happy to send you one of our units for free but you must already own a duofiller to compare it against. So if you would like to be involved please send us a private message.
Click to expand...

I currently been using the Duofiller Gen 2 for little over a year. Whatever feedback or insight you need, let me know.
 
ItsReck1 said:
I currently been using the Duofiller Gen 2 for little over a year. Whatever feedback or insight you need, let me know.
Click to expand...

We have already selected some customers who contacted us and sent out some free units. Most of them have given us feedback which we have acted on and been able to put in a few extra features in our new firmware that I think they will appreciate.

ItsReck1 - With respect to your Duofiller Gen 2 if you could make any changes to this unit what would they be? Is there anything that would make the unit more usable, easier to setup, faster to clean or use? Do you have any issues or paint points at all?
 
KegLand said:
We have already selected some customers who contacted us and sent out some free units. Most of them have given us feedback which we have acted on and been able to put in a few extra features in our new firmware that I think they will appreciate.

ItsReck1 - With respect to your Duofiller Gen 2 if you could make any changes to this unit what would they be? Is there anything that would make the unit more usable, easier to setup, faster to clean or use? Do you have any issues or paint points at all?
Click to expand...

1. A catch tray for the beers as it drips between cans. I purchased my own drip tray to go under the unit but honestly it would be better it was all included in one solid unit. Since both the Duofiller and the Cannular Can filler both need to be bolted down, most likely to a wall it would be nice as a way to keep things clean. as opposed to buying a secondary unit and putting more holes in the wall. Even if it was an addon at an extra cost I would have went that route completely if it saved some holes in the wall.

2. The solenoid on the Duofiller Gen2 does get stuck from time to time for the beer line. Even more so if you go a decent length like a month or so between can filling sessions. That is even with cleaning the lines after each use with PBW, StarSan, Water, then co2 to purge the lines. Only known remedy is to put 14 PSI or so pressure on the solenoid while pinching the other end to create a suction to force it open that way. So for my opinion with the Duofiller a better part for the solenoid so that doesn't happen.

3. The amount of hose needed for the Duofiller is pretty intense. It is very small diameter hoses that runs nearly 10 feet for the beer line, since you need equilibrium in the tank and PSI gauge or it will be a foamy mess for several cans. Duofiller does offer a flow control that helps but doesn't quite correct the issue. It is similar to a flow control tap on a kegerator. It helps but doesn't truly solve the issue. From Duofiller you are supposed to remove the PSI line from your keg, crash your keg to near freezing temperatures then add the psi line back in at a low psi and start filling. But this is a process that will take over a day to set up, so the amount of planning needed to ensure a successful canning session is also excessive.

4. I would probably have some sort of PSI regulator to restrict the psi going into the unit. Some of the homebrew gauges are a bit tough to measure out that 1 to 3 psi the Duofiller recommends. So by taking that guess work out of it by having the unit take control of that to keep the PSI at a stable 1.5 or 2 psi and stay in that range would make the set up MUCH easier as well.

5. I do like the sleekness of the button configuration but the calibration needed on each keg and set up is also not a streamline process. The idea of holding the button for 2 seconds not 4 or you switch from mode to calibration is not very user friendly. I have long got used to it but the process is seriously help up by not adding a second button for calibration and potentially a 3rd to change from a sensor fill to a timed fill.

6. I do enjoy the ability to put a larger purge time on the fills via the direct connect portion that Duofill has. I have noticed that the standard 3 second purge was not suitable for me. Likely user error on my part with the filling process, but adding a much longer timer for the purge time reduced and eliminated all of my oxidation issues made via canning.


For homebrewers that are canning only a few at a time, the setup for the duofiller and planning is pretty daunting. I use the Duofiller when I need to empty a keg or two. But when I just need to draw a couple of beers for any reason, I am using the Tapcooler Nanocanner Counter Pressure Filler. Way easier to use, takes roughly the same time albeit more manual labor but the process is cleaner and less planning is needed for successful canning sessions with it.
 
For 1, I mounted mine on a monitor mount and slide a large baking sheet under. That way I catch all my sloshing and whatever else drips too. I even have the canner itself sitting in the baking sheet.

For 2, contact them about new tubing. They changed to a softer tubing that eliminated issues for me. I was sent that free of charge.

I wish one could use a web UI for the calibration.

I agree on the gauges. I ended up mounting a set of gauges on a 3D printed bracket to the monitor arm. I leave them set, one for the keg, one for the duofiller and it seems better. Having everything mounted on a rolling cart has greatly reduced setup time. I just plug in a CO2 line to the cart, and plug lines into the keg after releasing the existing pressure from the keg. I seem to have it set up right now to be able to can right from my kegerator now..

I tried a beer gun, Tapcooler, and now the Duofiller. Beer gun was slow because I needed to fill a can, seam it, and repeat. Tapcooler was better since I could seam a can while filling but I had issues with consistency and random foaming, possibly because I couldn't consistently "mount" the can. I thought I made a mistake going to the Duofiller at first but now that its set up, my last run went great.
 
Beer gun was a nightmare for me. I have the blichmann beer gun and it was an awful experience all the way around. Leaks in the handle, replaced the unit twice, and all it did was leak like a sieve. I only use it for the CO2 if I am filling from the tap lol. I use oddly enough the kegland in line regulator for the duofiller and swapped their analog gauge with their digital one. Just set and forget it when I hook it up to the tank and regulator. But it shouldn't have to come to that for PSI control in a unit that says you need the specific range for it.
 
We are a little banked up with orders at the moment but once we are able to manufacture enough stock for the Australian market we will start to ship orders to America early next year.

We have already had some customers compare the unit side by side with the duofiller. I do think Stig from Duofiller is a top bloke and I really like the guy but unfortunately we were not able to purchase and distribute his product so we decided to make our own version. We have done a reasonable amount of side by side testing and in my biased opinion here are the differences:

Duofiller - Advantages
Made from stainless steel
Is able to fill two cans at a time
Is generally quite robust in the way its assembled

Duofiller - Disadvantages
It's a pain to adjust the fill level or switch between one container type to another
It's pretty expensive

RAPT Cannular Can and Bottle Filler - Advantages
Using the screen and buttons you can adjust the fill level on the fly
You can save fill presets for different vessel types
It can fit larger bottles as well as cans. (for instance champagne bottles and wine bottles also fit)
It connects to the internet for further firmware updates and also sync's your filling profiles to your free RAPT account
It has a more sanitary design that allows you to easily remove the entire beer line assembly as the pinch jaw is external to the machine
It's been designed with ball lock QD fittings so you can easily disconnect the beer and gas line from the unit
It's substantially cheaper to purchase

RAPT Cannular Can and Bottle Filler - Disadvantages
The body of the unit is made from plastic

With that said I would be keen to get some feedback from some other people too. If you guys like, I can ask Bradley from this youtube Channel has the duofiller. If you guys like I can send him one of our RAPT Cannular Can and Bottle fillers and get him to do a side by side comparison. Do you think that would be helpful for you guys? He already has quite a bit of experience in canning so I feel like his channel is the best one for this side by side comparison.
 
KegLand said:
We are a little banked up with orders at the moment but once we are able to manufacture enough stock for the Australian market we will start to ship orders to America early next year.

We have already had some customers compare the unit side by side with the duofiller. I do think Stig from Duofiller is a top bloke and I really like the guy but unfortunately we were not able to purchase and distribute his product so we decided to make our own version. We have done a reasonable amount of side by side testing and in my biased opinion here are the differences:

Duofiller - Advantages
Made from stainless steel
Is able to fill two cans at a time
Is generally quite robust in the way its assembled

Duofiller - Disadvantages
It's a pain to adjust the fill level or switch between one container type to another
It's pretty expensive

RAPT Cannular Can and Bottle Filler - Advantages
Using the screen and buttons you can adjust the fill level on the fly
You can save fill presets for different vessel types
It can fit larger bottles as well as cans. (for instance champagne bottles and wine bottles also fit)
It connects to the internet for further firmware updates and also sync's your filling profiles to your free RAPT account
It has a more sanitary design that allows you to easily remove the entire beer line assembly as the pinch jaw is external to the machine
It's been designed with ball lock QD fittings so you can easily disconnect the beer and gas line from the unit
It's substantially cheaper to purchase

RAPT Cannular Can and Bottle Filler - Disadvantages
The body of the unit is made from plastic

With that said I would be keen to get some feedback from some other people too. If you guys like, I can ask Bradley from this youtube Channel has the duofiller. If you guys like I can send him one of our RAPT Cannular Can and Bottle fillers and get him to do a side by side comparison. Do you think that would be helpful for you guys? He already has quite a bit of experience in canning so I feel like his channel is the best one for this side by side comparison.
Click to expand...
I don't need a side by side. I've watched many videos. I was planning on getting the duofiller or the duofiller mono. The single version like yours. But I hit YouTube and can't find any video of the kegland one in action. Not even on the site. So I'd just like a review and watch it work.

The Internet or wifi I don't need. I just want to press a button and it fill. I don't need tracking of anything. It's to fill a dozen or 2 cans for myself. Lol
 
Now that I've got my Duofiller dialed in its been great. And not to leave Kegland out, part of me dialing it in was setting it up on a cart with my canner and a set of Duotight regulators so I can pre-set the gas pressure to the Duofiller for purge and to the keg I'm filling from. I just pop my normal gas line off a keg in my keezer, purge the pressure and connect the preset line from my canning cart. Also found some kegland parts on MoreBeer that I use for cleaning using 2L bottles--part of the Oxebar keg system I believe.
 
matt_m said:
Now that I've got my Duofiller dialed in its been great. And not to leave Kegland out, part of me dialing it in was setting it up on a cart with my canner and a set of Duotight regulators so I can pre-set the gas pressure to the Duofiller for purge and to the keg I'm filling from. I just pop my normal gas line off a keg in my keezer, purge the pressure and connect the preset line from my canning cart. Also found some kegland parts on MoreBeer that I use for cleaning using 2L bottles--part of the Oxebar keg system I believe.
Click to expand...
Are you purging the keg because your dispensing your taps at say 12 but running your duofiller way less?
 
Yes, usually do more like 5PSI for the filler and tweak from there based on getting enough, but not too much foam for capping.
 
mggray87 said:
I don't need a side by side. I've watched many videos. I was planning on getting the duofiller or the duofiller mono. The single version like yours. But I hit YouTube and can't find any video of the kegland one in action. Not even on the site. So I'd just like a review and watch it work.

The Internet or wifi I don't need. I just want to press a button and it fill. I don't need tracking of anything. It's to fill a dozen or 2 cans for myself. Lol
Click to expand...
Yes we have not done any video as we are struggling a bit to keep up with production as it is. Once we get enough stock we will do a video and start to show the product off a bit more but as you can imagine it doesn't help for us to promote the product until we can actually keep up with demand. By the end of the year we will probably release the first video on this product.
 
matt_m said:
Now that I've got my Duofiller dialed in its been great. And not to leave Kegland out, part of me dialing it in was setting it up on a cart with my canner and a set of Duotight regulators so I can pre-set the gas pressure to the Duofiller for purge and to the keg I'm filling from. I just pop my normal gas line off a keg in my keezer, purge the pressure and connect the preset line from my canning cart. Also found some kegland parts on MoreBeer that I use for cleaning using 2L bottles--part of the Oxebar keg system I believe.
Click to expand...
How long does it take to fill a 12oz?? Have any rate like how many in 3 hours can be done?
 
What pressure do u use. I know to purge can 1-3psi but doesn't the manual say normal tap pressure like 12psi is fine?
matt_m said:
Now that I've got my Duofiller dialed in its been great. And not to leave Kegland out, part of me dialing it in was setting it up on a cart with my canner and a set of Duotight regulators so I can pre-set the gas pressure to the Duofiller for purge and to the keg I'm filling from. I just pop my normal gas line off a keg in my keezer, purge the pressure and connect the preset line from my canning cart. Also found some kegland parts on MoreBeer that I use for cleaning using 2L bottles--part of the Oxebar keg system I believe.
Click to expand...
 
I use a very low pressure set more to be gentle flow than any specific PSI to prevent mixing as much as possible. Fill time is right about what it takes to seam a can, set it in the sink and pick up another can from a bucket of sanitizer. Not sure how many seconds.
 
matt_m said:
I use a very low pressure set more to be gentle flow than any specific PSI to prevent mixing as much as possible. Fill time is right about what it takes to seam a can, set it in the sink and pick up another can from a bucket of sanitizer. Not sure how many seconds.
Click to expand...
Interesting. I'll soon be trying to dial it in. Two beers fermenting. Duofiller told me to keep my serving pressure the same as it is in keg if I change it they said it will create foam

If anything maybe extend their 7.5' 1/4 tubing used for the beer to maybe 15ft if I have too.
 

Similar threads

M
Box of 16oz aluminum cans kegland
Replies
5
Views
429
DuncB
D
ZeroKruel
Wanted 50 Amp Controller & Can Filler
Replies
1
Views
474
postalbunny
postalbunny
ItsReck1
Cheers from Cali
Replies
2
Views
331
DonT
DonT
MikeTHIS
For Sale Blichmann Beer Gun
Replies
0
Views
414
MikeTHIS
MikeTHIS
ShaneB
Has anyone used one of these Chinese counterpressure filler machines?
Replies
6
Views
1K
DuncB
D

Latest posts

Back
Top