Intertap beer faucets

Yakima 728
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sabotenfighter said:
Has anyone ordered these off Aliexpress? I saw some pop up for a decent price recently. Shipping would certainly be less than from AUS and should be the real deal.
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Well crap! They're a lot cheaper at AliExpress! Of course, shipping takes a long time, so there's that. I just got the ship notice for mine today from Brew Pump, and they'll be here Wednesday. But if I ever need more, hello Ali!

EDIT: If Ali gets the tower shanks I might have to pick up a few, but they're not listed yet.
 
eulipion2 said:
While I patiently wait for an opportunity (read SWMBO's permission) to pick up a couple FC faucets, does anybody have feedback, or perhaps a video, of the stout faucet in action? Maybe a side-by-side comparison with a traditional stout faucet?
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I dont have any traditional stout faucets to do the side by side, and I only have coffee on my stout faucet right now (coffee with 100% nitro), so Im not sure how well it looks, but I will see if I can get a good video.

For what it is worth, it is pouring fairly well. I could tell there was some aeration when I was pouring some slightly carbonated Saniclean through it.
 
JoshuaW said:
I dont have any traditional stout faucets to do the side by side, and I only have coffee on my stout faucet right now (coffee with 100% nitro), so Im not sure how well it looks, but I will see if I can get a good video.

For what it is worth, it is pouring fairly well. I could tell there was some aeration when I was pouring some slightly carbonated Saniclean through it.
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Even a video of coffee would be good. I haven't seen any of the Intertaps in action yet, so every little bit will add to the goodness. I ordered a couple FC faucets with stout nozzles (don't tell the missus), and I have a Micromatic stout faucet as well. As soon as I get a beer gas tank -- whenever that may be -- I'll just have to make my own side-by-side video.
 
eulipion2 said:
Even a video of coffee would be good. I haven't seen any of the Intertaps in action yet, so every little bit will add to the goodness. I ordered a couple FC faucets with stout nozzles (don't tell the missus), and I have a Micromatic stout faucet as well. As soon as I get a beer gas tank -- whenever that may be -- I'll just have to make my own side-by-side video.
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No problem! Ill try to do some videos tonight. I have all FCs, and I have a stout faucet for my coffee, and an IPA on tap too. I have some soda on one, but its not carbonated yet. Still trying to fill up the other five taps :)
 
eulipion2 said:
Even a video of coffee would be good. I haven't seen any of the Intertaps in action yet, so every little bit will add to the goodness. I ordered a couple FC faucets with stout nozzles (don't tell the missus), and I have a Micromatic stout faucet as well. As soon as I get a beer gas tank -- whenever that may be -- I'll just have to make my own side-by-side video.
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I don't have a video and I need to get my nitrogen tank filled so I can't make one, but I replaced a guinness faucet with an intertap/stout nozzle. The intertap adapter works great. I didn't do a side by side comparison, record any data with a stop watch, etc., but it seemed like the intertap was a little faster. Like if the first pour took 6 seconds, the intertap did it in 5. And judging by my drip tray, the guinness faucet dripped more. My guess is more beer sticks to the plastic guinness nozzle than to the stainless steel intertap nozzle.
 
Just read through all 33 pages. It looks like the Intertaps can be found, but not in the US. Below are a few links for the flow control:

http://www.brewpump.com/Intertap-Flow-Control-Faucet-p/intertap-fc-faucet.htm

http://www.ontariobeerkegs.com/Intertap_Flow_Control_Faucet_p/intertap-fc-faucet.htm

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/High..._6&btsid=b2651c4e-bdd8-4e08-8280-ba0eb7038d7a

Also looks like you can pick up the Perlicks pretty cheap at RiteBrew.com. I just received an email that they will have more in stock by the end of the week. Even with the Intertap hype, I think these Perlick flow controls are the way to go at this price!
http://www.ritebrew.com/product-p/843179.htm
 
Received and installed my Intertap FCs today, replacing two Perlick 630SS faucets that I bought before the 650SS was released. Now all 8 of my taps have FC, 6 Perlick 650SS, 2 Intertap FC. A brief inspection and side-by-side gives me the following impressions:

1) Machining work is cleaner on the Perlicks. I imagine if it's bad enough it could lead to excessive foaming. Fortunately I didn't have that problem on the two pours I made from each tap.

2) Perlicks have a steeper angle on the spout, meaning the Intertap sticks out about an extra half inch. Perlick claims the steeper angle leads to fewer drips, but I didn't notice any extra dripping on the two pours I made. Still too early to decide yet.

3) The tubing for the growler filler spout is huge! I can fit the tubing from my Perlick 600 series filler into the Intertap tubing. Since I routinely bottle from the tap using the growler filler, this could be a problem. Fortunately, the Perlick 600 series growler filler FITS the standard Intertap spout! That being said, I haven't tried running beer through it, so I'm only assuming that it won't leak.

4) The flow control mechanism is a little finicky. It seems like the most open position (on mine anyway) is right in the middle, with flow diminishing the higher AND lower you get from the midpoint. At either extreme the mechanism doesn't completely stop the flow, but it does slow it down to a bare trickle.

5) The pour wasn't as smooth with the Intertap as with the Perlick. It was almost like there was a bubble in the faucet that took a couple seconds to work out before the pour smoothed out.

Again, these are just my first impressions from installing the faucets and testing them out over the course of a few minutes. Based purely on these first impressions I prefer the Perlick flow control mechanism over the Intertap, but the Intertap is still a pretty solid contender. When you factor in the enhanced functionality from the additional spouts it's a pretty sweet deal!

Since I don't have a nitrogen tank I can't test out the stout spout yet, so no data there, but I'm betting it'll be easier to change the spout than to change a whole faucet.
 
^Fantastic comparison! Thanks!

I plan on picking up 3 Perlick FC faucets when Rite Brew gets them in this week. At under $50 a pop they are just as if not cheaper than the Intertaps.
 
eulipion2 said:
Received and installed my Intertap FCs today, replacing two Perlick 630SS faucets that I bought before the 650SS was released. Now all 8 of my taps have FC, 6 Perlick 650SS, 2 Intertap FC. A brief inspection and side-by-side gives me the following impressions:

1) Machining work is cleaner on the Perlicks. I imagine if it's bad enough it could lead to excessive foaming. Fortunately I didn't have that problem on the two pours I made from each tap.

2) Perlicks have a steeper angle on the spout, meaning the Intertap sticks out about an extra half inch. Perlick claims the steeper angle leads to fewer drips, but I didn't notice any extra dripping on the two pours I made. Still too early to decide yet.

3) The tubing for the growler filler spout is huge! I can fit the tubing from my Perlick 600 series filler into the Intertap tubing. Since I routinely bottle from the tap using the growler filler, this could be a problem. Fortunately, the Perlick 600 series growler filler FITS the standard Intertap spout! That being said, I haven't tried running beer through it, so I'm only assuming that it won't leak.

4) The flow control mechanism is a little finicky. It seems like the most open position (on mine anyway) is right in the middle, with flow diminishing the higher AND lower you get from the midpoint. At either extreme the mechanism doesn't completely stop the flow, but it does slow it down to a bare trickle.

5) The pour wasn't as smooth with the Intertap as with the Perlick. It was almost like there was a bubble in the faucet that took a couple seconds to work out before the pour smoothed out.

Again, these are just my first impressions from installing the faucets and testing them out over the course of a few minutes. Based purely on these first impressions I prefer the Perlick flow control mechanism over the Intertap, but the Intertap is still a pretty solid contender. When you factor in the enhanced functionality from the additional spouts it's a pretty sweet deal!

Since I don't have a nitrogen tank I can't test out the stout spout yet, so no data there, but I'm betting it'll be easier to change the spout than to change a whole faucet.
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Thanks for the info! Can you take a pic or video of a beer poured with the Intertap vs a beer poured with the Perlick? Also can you just take a pic of one poured with the stout spout?

My faucets are coming tomorrow but I still need to buy shanks, a chest freezer, and build a collar.
 
For those that have the Intertaps can you let me know how they perform as far as dripping after pours? I've got 6 Vent-Matics at home and love them, rarely a drip. At work I've got 4 Perlicks. They get quite a bit of use, and I'm starting to get really tired of all the messes I have to clean up from the dripping. I was going to swap them out with Vent-Matics; however, that doesn't really seem to be an option at this point, so I was interested in getting 4 of the Intertaps instead.
 
Just picked up 3 Perlick 650SS w/ flow control for under $50 a pop :)

See ya later foamy pours!
 
I had Perlicks before the intertaps, and can say that I get less drips after a pour with the intertaps.
 
I don't seem to have any issues with drops... maybe one from time to time... my drip tray looks fairly clean to me. I had one Perlick FC but wanted the Intertaps for two reasons - 1) the sulfur issue with low-pH beers and 2) I liked the interchangeable spouts (especially with a sparkler spout supposedly in the works).

Comparing the Perlick and the Intertap, I haven't seen much difference... the poster who mentioned that the FC is finnicky wasn't wrong about the two position minimum flow, but that's not really an issue once you realize it and just start making adjustments around the central point of it's axis. You're not supposed to use the FC to turn the faucet off anyway, so I don't really find that a problem. At the end of the day, I don't think you can go wrong with either tap... they both work well IMO and it really depends on what you want from the tap to determine which one to go with - I liked the flexibility, so I converted to Intertaps.
 
mintyice said:
Thanks for the info! Can you take a pic or video of a beer poured with the Intertap vs a beer poured with the Perlick? Also can you just take a pic of one poured with the stout spout?



My faucets are coming tomorrow but I still need to buy shanks, a chest freezer, and build a collar.
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Sorry, I'm out of town for a few days, so it'll have to wait until after the weekend. On the bright side SWMBO approved a nitro tank purchase, so hopefully I'll be able to do a nitro tap side-by-side soon.

drgonzo2k2 said:
For those that have the Intertaps can you let me know how they perform as far as dripping after pours? I've got 6 Vent-Matics at home and love them, rarely a drip. At work I've got 4 Perlicks. They get quite a bit of use, and I'm starting to get really tired of all the messes I have to clean up from the dripping. I was going to swap them out with Vent-Matics; however, that doesn't really seem to be an option at this point, so I was interested in getting 4 of the Intertaps instead.
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My Perlicks drip maybe two or three times after each pour, and the Intertaps seem to perform about the same. If your Perlicks drip a lot, maybe you need to change the gaskets/o-rings/seals.

jmark said:
I don't seem to have any issues with drops... maybe one from time to time... my drip tray looks fairly clean to me. I had one Perlick FC but wanted the Intertaps for two reasons - 1) the sulfur issue with low-pH beers and 2) I liked the interchangeable spouts (especially with a sparkler spout supposedly in the works).

Comparing the Perlick and the Intertap, I haven't seen much difference... the poster who mentioned that the FC is finnicky wasn't wrong about the two position minimum flow, but that's not really an issue once you realize it and just start making adjustments around the central point of it's axis. You're not supposed to use the FC to turn the faucet off anyway, so I don't really find that a problem. At the end of the day, I don't think you can go wrong with either tap... they both work well IMO and it really depends on what you want from the tap to determine which one to go with - I liked the flexibility, so I converted to Intertaps.
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I never noticed a sulfury flavor or aroma with the Perlicks, but I know some have. For some reason I feel like someone had attributed the cause to incorrectly closing the faucets via the FC lever, but I don't know if the link was ever definitively proven.
 
eulipion2 said:
[...]For some reason I feel like someone had attributed the cause to incorrectly closing the faucets via the FC lever, but I don't know if the link was ever definitively proven.
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That's been disproved by a few HBT members. There's a couple of threads extant...

Cheers!
 
I posted this over in the comments section on Brulosophy, but wanted to post it here as well, as I was just blown away by the amazing customer service of Ontario Beer Kegs/Brew Pump.

Have to say I was hesitant to order the Intertaps when I found out they might be patent infringing. I've heard lots of discussion on both sides of that argument, but nothing concrete. I ordered 6 Vent-Matics when they first came back on the market, and I've been nothing but pleased with them. There was a bit of a communication gap when I first ordered them, but that was right when the article came out, so understand the unplanned for publicity caused them some problems, but once they responded to my email the communication was regular, and I had my faucets about 3 weeks after I ordered them.

I've been wanting to replace 4 Perlicks on my kegs at work that I'm unhappy with, and I've been waiting for Vent-Matics to come back in stock to do so. Once the website went down and I saw Marshall's new post, I figured it was a lost cause, so I pulled the plug on 4 Intertaps using the brewpump website posted here. Not only did my order ship within an hour of placing it, but when I emailed as I accidentally forgot to add the auto-closure springs to my order, I got an email saying they couldn't charge me for them as they didn't have my card on file, so they just threw them in for free.

Talk about your customer service!
 
Received my order from Australia last night (ordered on 3/27, sent via Air Post even though I had chosen the cheapest "Sea Post" method). It'll be awhile before I can put this into service, but here're photos of the shiny new arrivals.

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Just got my faucets in the mail yesterday. Pretty quick shipping from Canada! They look great though. I probably won't get them installed for another week or so though.
 
imasickboy said:
What does that have to do with the Intertap faucets? Looks nice, though.
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The whole flow of the thread has been about Intertap faucets and how they compare to Perlicks and other brands. I'm here representing the standard and FC Perlicks :)
 
HiImBrian said:
Back on topic: So has Intertap been sued yet?
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Not that I've seen. I do recall reading something in this thread within the past week or two where someone said a licensing agreement was reached for US sales. They are free to sell them anywhere else, because the patent that the faucets allegedly infringe upon is filed only in the US, as far as I'm aware.

Personally, I have nothing nice to say about Ventmatic as a company. They seem like patent trolls, to me. They own the rights to a patent, but can't seem to be bothered to manufacture the product that the patent covers. But they are quick to threaten lawsuits against anyone who might actually be willing to fill the demand for a similar product. Manufacturing and selling a product takes effort, and requires real work. Threatening lawsuits is effortless, and a perfect job for the lazy.
 
imasickboy said:
Not that I've seen. I do recall reading something in this thread within the past week or two where someone said a licensing agreement was reached for US sales. They are free to sell them anywhere else, because the patent that the faucets allegedly infringe upon is filed only in the US, as far as I'm aware.

Personally, I have nothing nice to say about Ventmatic as a company. They seem like patent trolls, to me. They own the rights to a patent, but can't seem to be bothered to manufacture the product that the patent covers. But they are quick to threaten lawsuits against anyone who might actually be willing to fill the demand for a similar product. Manufacturing and selling a product takes effort, and requires real work. Threatening lawsuits is effortless, and a perfect job for the lazy.
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To top it off, their patent is shaky at best. It is old, and it isnt a "novel" idea, as it was done in older faucets prior to their existence. We covered all of this 15 pages back or so :)

Im all for protecting intellectual property, but you have to play by the rules. If you arent going to actually consistently manufacture a product, or if you dont have a valid claim, you dont have any right to protection.
 
They have an issued patent so are free to enforce it. They are playing by the rules. It is the rules which are broken
 
As I've probably said before, all these patent issues and such make wish I could design and make my own faucet. Also, competition is good for the consumer. The more (good) choices, the better.
 
By the way, the 630 and 525 Perlicks can be somewhat improved with the drip situation by switching the forward seal to a #204 silicone ring.. it doesn't eliminate it but it seems to help. It works in both my used 525SS's and my new 630PC's.. it's worth a try for the $3-6 a bag of them cost off of Amazon or e-bay...

Having said that, the Intertaps were high on my list initially but I was also concerned if I ever needed parts or anything for them. Rumor was that KegKing was considering a challenge to the patent, so maybe the licensing was the compromise. One can hope. IMHO there was a ALOT of prior art when I looked...
 
Received my 4 Intertap faucets for my kegerators at work today. I've not installed them, but I have to say I was more impressed than I expected in the craftsmanship. They're not quite as nice as the 6 Vent-Matics that I've got at home, but as these are actually available for purchase, they are a darn fine second choice.
 
I purchased and installed mine in January and they have sat untouched until this past Saturday as I was away for work. I was extremely happy to find that these didn't leak or stick in any way shape or form. Very impressed with these faucets.
 
Is anyone going to post pics of stout spout vs regular spout?

I should hopefully have my keezer done by this weekend so I can compare an english bitter with and without the spout.
 
Anyone interested in splitting an order from AliExpress? With shipping they come out at about $30 each
 
Just got my 4 taps from AliExpress. The shipping took a bit of time but well worth it for $30/tap.
The build quality is solid and these taps do have a good weight to them.
The action of closing and opening them feels a bit more deliberate than my outgoing perlicks. The closing action for sure feels better.
I have no foaming issues and I get a single drip after the faucet is shut.

My only gripes are the barb diameter of he grower filler (too big), and the gasket between the faucet and the nozzle can fall out a bit easy (not a big problem just something to pay attention to).

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