Intertap beer faucets

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Has anyone tried the stout adapter on a flow control faucet? I assume it would work fine, as long as the flow control is opend up.
 
BBBF said:
Has anyone tried the stout adapter on a flow control faucet? I assume it would work fine, as long as the flow control is opend up.
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I have that setup. Just fine, I prefer to start the flow with it opened up, but it doesnt make a huge difference if you start it slow and crank it open after the tap is already open.
 
I did the Aliexpress because, honestly, no matter what I suppose I'm cutting someone out, aren't I? I feel Ventmatic "Brad" sort of deserves it after going through 3 manufacturing iterations and 4 manufacturers, and only the first ones ten years ago being consistently good. Personally, I don't think he works well with others or thought he'd get rich off of this patent and hasn't. Just think if he would have done something along the lines of a 10-15% royalty with the Perlicks 425's back ten years ago?

But I wanted to buy ONE and the brewpump place really isn't practical for one.

The KegKing stuff, all of it.. is really cool. (Have a look at their Grainfather knockoff and the price.) America would be a great market to expand to even if the faucets were excluded. Lets hope some kind of deal is struck and there are more than one (not just Williams Brewing) source of the products. They won't become successful here becoming a WB house brand.

I suspect these are the typical foreign company orders 1000, the factory makes 1500 and 400 of them end up sold on the black market and/or domestically (100 are trashed). That or if they are legally sold in Asia someone was smart enough to resell them via Ali to get around not being able to do it on eBay. Who knows?

The price of them isn't so low it's an obvious counterfeit and the reviews so far of the Ali sourced ones have been as good as what I've read on the Aussie sites for the domestically sourced ones.. we will see in a couple of weeks.

What I'm curious about is their flow control faucet. I want one but the Perlick 650 gets mixed reviews with the whole "sulfur" issue... I'm waiting to see how the Intertap Flow Control shakes out. Ventmatic never made one of these IIRC.
 
FWIW - I just installed 4 of the Intertap faucets on my kegerators at work, and I did not need the special shanks for the auto-close springs to work.

These are definitely really nice taps. I do prefer them to the old perlicks they just replaced; however, I prefer the Ventmatics I have at home to these.

I would have ordered the Ventmatics for work; however, that is not an option so I went with the Intertaps from Brewpump.
 
UndeadFred said:
I did the Aliexpress because, honestly, no matter what I suppose I'm cutting someone out, aren't I? I feel Ventmatic "Brad" sort of deserves it after going through 3 manufacturing iterations and 4 manufacturers, and only the first ones ten years ago being consistently good. Personally, I don't think he works well with others or thought he'd get rich off of this patent and hasn't. Just think if he would have done something along the lines of a 10-15% royalty with the Perlicks 425's back ten years ago?

But I wanted to buy ONE and the brewpump place really isn't practical for one.

The KegKing stuff, all of it.. is really cool. (Have a look at their Grainfather knockoff and the price.) America would be a great market to expand to even if the faucets were excluded. Lets hope some kind of deal is struck and there are more than one (not just Williams Brewing) source of the products. They won't become successful here becoming a WB house brand.

I suspect these are the typical foreign company orders 1000, the factory makes 1500 and 400 of them end up sold on the black market and/or domestically (100 are trashed). That or if they are legally sold in Asia someone was smart enough to resell them via Ali to get around not being able to do it on eBay. Who knows?

The price of them isn't so low it's an obvious counterfeit and the reviews so far of the Ali sourced ones have been as good as what I've read on the Aussie sites for the domestically sourced ones.. we will see in a couple of weeks.

What I'm curious about is their flow control faucet. I want one but the Perlick 650 gets mixed reviews with the whole "sulfur" issue... I'm waiting to see how the Intertap Flow Control shakes out. Ventmatic never made one of these IIRC.
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I am pretty much exactly where you are at and I could care less about ventmatic. Bro had his chance on multiple occasions and now I would never send him a dime. Even if I were guaranteed delivery, I would still worry about getting replacement parts down the line.

I think ventmatic made "flowgates" at one point, but I don't know for sure. They could have been branded by one of the licensees that were used over the years.

I agree that your scenario regarding the contract manufacture is the case

I would be ok with Williams being exclusive, but I don't know that they will. King King lists another shop in MN, but they appear to be tailored towards the service industry; All Safe Inc. They do show a retailer in The Phillipines, but nothing in Shenzhen.

The spulpher and drips are wait kept me from pulling the trigger on the 650ss. I have a cider on tap now that I will be pushing through one of the FC faucets once I have them installed. I'll let you know. From what I've seen, nobody is complaining. This leaves me hopeful.
 
indolent said:
Ah, I see that was mentioned in this thread about a month back. I must have missed it.

They don't seem to have the longer intertap recessed shanks though.
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I went with all FC faucets, so the spring option is a no-go for me. It is pretty cool and I'm sure I'd like it after my butthead cat dumps a keg on the floor.

I also opted for shanks from Rite Brew as I wanted 3" stainless to minimize the space required inside my keezer.
 
Indian_villager said:
Anybody from a non aliexpress purchase care to put up an image of the box? The ones from aliexpress state "manufactured for kegkking" i know the box would be the easiest thing to replicate but I'm curious of the continuity.
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This is the box from the one I bought at William's Brewing before they stopped selling them. I'm still kicking myself for not ordering two. Like you said, the box is likely the easiest part of a cloned version.

IMG_20160512_215618.jpg
 
Well, that answers what the the threads on the spout are 3/8-19 British Standard Thread. Sigh. Guess I will have to order that growler filler after all. The box looks the same as I have seen posted from Ali.
 
skatz said:
I would be ok with Williams being exclusive, but I don't know that they will. King King lists another shop in MN, but they appear to be tailored towards the service industry; All Safe Inc.
Click to expand...

All Safe the fire extinguisher company? I used to get my co2 from them until they moved way outside of the twin cities. They did have a small assortment of home brewing stuff at their original location, so they did somewhat cater to home brewers. They may be worth checking out if I'm ever up their way.
 
weaselchew said:
This is the box from the one I bought at William's Brewing before they stopped selling them. I'm still kicking myself for not ordering two. Like you said, the box is likely the easiest part of a cloned version.
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Not sure you could tell anything from the box. The three I got from Australia came in plain white boxes and presumably are still the genuine deal.
 
Just got my faucets. In the middle of a brewday and I need to disassemble to clean.

Batch is 1603.

Somebody mentioned the spout o-ring falling out and this is very true. If anybody has a caliper, please measure so people can source backups.
 
All cleaned up an installed. The overall build quality is high, but there are some variances in the handle stopping point and he FC knob.

Unfortunately I don't have anything good to pour right now but for an overcarbed cider. FC is not capable of fixing an overcarbed beverage I guess. No sulphur smell which is a big plus.

Can't give a solid review with my current keg, so I'll hold off for now.
 
Edit: Got OD and ID reversed... see below...

I was going to measure it when I got mine, but I was beat to it! Those dimensions translate to AS568-016 sized O-ring. (ref: http://www.marcorubber.com/sizingchart.htm)

I would normally tell you to get silicone ones, but for the spout? eh...

(I hate Amazon, but...) http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FMYOSC/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 for 100 $3.68

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FMYOSC/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 for 100 $17.68

I would have to say, in this application even I'd go with Nitrile/Buna-N. Normally Silicone O-rings are not that pricey in such a small size. Maybe E-bay...

Yup e-bay... About $7 for 50 domestically. or $4.91 for 50 from Hong Kong in Silicone... if you are not in a hurry....
 
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UndeadFred said:
I was going to measure it when I got mine, but I was beat to it! Those dimensions translate to AS568-016 sized O-ring. (ref: http://www.marcorubber.com/sizingchart.htm)

I would normally tell you to get silicone ones, but for the spout? eh...

(I hate Amazon, but...) http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FMYOSC/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 for 100 $3.68

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FMYOSC/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 for 100 $17.68

I would have to say, in this application even I'd go with Nitrile/Buna-N. Normally Silicone O-rings are not that pricey in such a small size. Maybe E-bay...

Yup e-bay... About $7 for 50 domestically. or $4.91 for 50 from Hong Kong in Silicone... if you are not in a hurry....
Click to expand...

You're linking round o-rings, vs the square profile that come with the faucets. Probably not a huge difference either way.

But, you're also linking 3/4 inch OD rings which are definitely too big. If you're using inch size, you want 9/16 or 5/8 in. OD. I'd probably lean toward the smaller side of 15mm and go with 9/16 in. since they're sitting inside the faucet cavity.

Here are some inch size Amazon options that should work:

Buna-n: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FMYONC/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Silicone: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FN0XE0/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
 
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indolent said:
You're linking round o-rings, vs the square profile that come with the faucets. Probably not a huge difference either way.

But, you're also linking 3/4 inch OD rings which are definitely too big.

Buna-n: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FMYONC/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Silicone: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FN0XE0/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
Click to expand...

Yeah, it's hard for me to do this without having the faucet yet. It will be another week.

I did it based on 15mm x 2mm dimensions and not realizing that they are really flat washers and not o-rings. (Flat O-rings are washers!) The "Hong Kong" e-bay reference were actually sold as 15x2mm ones, but likely are round.

And... for the first time ever (because I measure them differently, I always do ID and thickness as the tables are that way...) I swapped ID and OD.. so you are correct that -016's are not the right size. 15mm OD-2mm Thick= 13mm ID thickness 2mm... If that is the case then the -014's (and I argue not -013's) are the correct size according to the tables I use, that Marco Rubber one being the easiest. That was the discrepancy.

So.. well.. the method has been 100% solid on O-rings from American manufacturers, anyway. Like a #204 silicone makes a dandy forward seal for both a Perlick 630 and a 525. Use them on both. Big improvement especially on the 525.

I wonder if the Intertap being all metric and, ugh, British Straight Thread, will make it harder for us to source O-rings as I can see some tolerance differences already... hmm.... Hong Kong eBay... ;)

---

Edited to say: I hope I can use a round silicone O-ring.. the square ones are pretty much nitrile only and are expensive little buggers.... Will try with a set I have at home when I get the faucet and will update.

Also, the linked Metric Buna-N rings in the original post are 13mm Od 11mm ID 2mm width. Did you actually mean http://www.mcmaster.com/#1171N158? Those are 15mm OD 13mm ID x 2mm width. At $6.88/25 those likely are the best "square profile" or "washer O-ring" out there, even with shipping tacked on. I am actually somewhat amazed in how few places carry them compared to the normal round ones. This was a far longer internet search than I expected!
 
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One last comment until I get my toy: It appears that the bonnet (lever) o-ring on my 525's are actually a -014 O-ring and I picked up a couple on the last Rite-Brew order. When I get my faucet I'll try it and if it seems to work I'll link to the Perlick repair part number as well. I agree it's possible that an -013 will be better. It seems the metric gasket is between US sizes. It also seems that really the McMaster idea might end up being the best one, even when factoring in shipping. Thanks for the discussion. It's almost never this difficult to reverse engineer!
 
UndeadFred said:
One last comment until I get my toy: It appears that the bonnet (lever) o-ring on my 525's are actually a -014 O-ring and I picked up a couple on the last Rite-Brew order. When I get my faucet I'll try it and if it seems to work I'll link to the Perlick repair part number as well. I agree it's possible that an -013 will be better. It seems the metric gasket is between US sizes. It also seems that really the McMaster idea might end up being the best one, even when factoring in shipping. Thanks for the discussion. It's almost never this difficult to reverse engineer!
Click to expand...

Yeah, it is possible either the -013 or -014 would work just fine. I'll probably give the silicone -013's a try since they're cheap enough.

If going the mcmaster route, don't forget to factor in the width twice. The one you linked to is 13mm + 2x2mm width = 17mm OD.
 
Thanks for the links. My bad on the nominclature. I emailed Keg King and they linked me to their pack of seals. That includes all the rings including those inside the FC and the ring on the shuttle. I imagine if properly lubed, these should all last a very long time, the spout and shank seals are the only ones that might get lost (spout) or worn (shank) easily.
 
Cool. I take it Canada and Australia sites only? The shank washer should be the same one that Perlick or the rear sealers use. I still want to get silicone if I can, it is a silver bullet at cold temperatures (and hot) compared to BUNA-N. We will see.
 
UndeadFred said:
https://www.williamsbrewing.com/mobile/INTERTAP-SEAL-KIT-P4057.aspx Well, duh. Can someone tell me where the hard nylon plastic seals go?
Click to expand...

Skatz answered your question, but the pdf's with cross section views of the faucets on this page may be helpful as well:

http://www.intertap.beer/products/


millstone said:
As a replacement washer/O ring, would these work?

http://www.theoringstore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2203_98_102&products_id=4472

thanks

tom
Click to expand...

I think it should. It just depends on how much compression the faucets put on the seal. Those 1/16" thick washers or orings just aren't as thick as the original ones. There's a chance the nozzle could bottom out on the shoulder at the base of the threads before it compresses the seal.

If you're placing an order from there, I'd probably tack on a couple of the 3/32" thick washers as well.

http://www.theoringstore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2203_98_101&products_id=4409
 
indolent said:
Skatz answered your question, but the pdf's with cross section views of the faucets on this page may be helpful as well:

http://www.intertap.beer/products/
Click to expand...

Ah, so that is a quite a bit different design than the plastic and metal bearing cups on the Perlicks. I was thinking in terms of Perlick. I saw that diagram before but it didn't occur to me that the pieces are nylon and there were two of them under the bonnet. It probably will be a good idea to put in a small Williams Brewing order to have at least one rebuild set on hand for five years down the road then, likely...

Again, it will be a lot more obvious to me once I get one in my hot little hands. Thanks for the discussion again, I didn't initially set out to have it become an obsession. ;)

Edited to say that it appears the faucet is 230 miles away now.. so it should be soon. (In Chicago).. I've been following VentMatic for a long time and was about to pull the trigger (late) and I am glad I didn't, but I still am very curious about these faucets... if you can't tell... ;)
 
I found my intertap flow control faucets sitting in my mail box. ~8 days after I ordered from aliexpress. Should have checked the mail on Friday.

Initial impressions are favorable. Hefty, feels solid. Outside finish is nice and shiny. They screw right on to the shanks I bought from ritebrew. Tap handles were included and feel nice in my hand (for a cheap plastic handle anyway).

Two questions as these are my first faucets other than some junky ones I inherited from my grandfather's kegging setup from the '60s.

- When I open and close the faucet, it slides decent but there is some resistance. Not as silky smooth as the bolt action on my deer rifle. Normal? Am I expecting too much?

- The flow control adjustment handle rotates fairly smoothly. It does have some side to side play though. I can pull it out a hair and then there are more degrees of rotation available. If I push it back in, rotates maybe half as much. Again, normal?
 
WI_Wino said:
- When I open and close the faucet, it slides decent but there is some resistance. Not as silky smooth as the bolt action on my deer rifle. Normal? Am I expecting too much?
Click to expand...

I don't have a flow control faucet, but I would guess it should be pretty smooth like the regular ones.

You can try loosening the Bonnet (Part No. 6 in this pdf; http://www.intertap.beer/Downloads/Intertap 8473.pdf) a quarter to a half a turn. I found that helped the sliding action on one of my faucets. Intertap's youtube channel has a video saying this is a normal thing you need to do when using the auto close spring, but it should help with the smoothness whether you have the spring or not. It starts around 10:40 in this video:

On my other faucet, I couldn't get a smooth sliding action no matter what I adjusted. They offered to send me a new one. They're pretty responsive if you send them a message saying you have an issue with an order.
 
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WI_Wino said:
I found my intertap flow control faucets sitting in my mail box. ~8 days after I ordered from aliexpress. Should have checked the mail on Friday.

Initial impressions are favorable.
- When I open and close the faucet, it slides decent but there is some resistance. Not as silky smooth as the bolt action on my deer rifle. Normal? Am I expecting too much?
Click to expand...

Well it couldn't be as bad as my Mosin Nagant was when I first got it! ;) It's smooth now. I suspect a little fluff and buff could be carefully done on these taps as well. ;)

WI_Wino said:
- The flow control adjustment handle rotates fairly smoothly. It does have some side to side play though. I can pull it out a hair and then there are more degrees of rotation available. If I push it back in, rotates maybe half as much. Again, normal?
Click to expand...

Please update us in a few weeks with what you think of the FC version of this. I do eventually want one (out of four on my setup) FC and with the 650SS issues, I'm thinking the Intertap is the way to go. Pictures if you can!
 
I'll see what I can do. The kids are going on vacation to the grandparents this upcoming week. I hope to drill some holes and get the system flowing. Right now I have a picnic tap setup and a pile of parts on the table next to it.
 
Got it. Out of the box the lever movement was "gritty kitty". Actually pretty bad. I hit the shuttle with wet 1000 grit a few times and a little keg lube. It's fine now... As good as a Perlick. What is a little weird about it is the travel of the lever is noticeably shorter than a Perlick Perl but despite this the seal actually seems to be much better. I will post a pour probably tomorrow. If anything I will go off and buy the stout spout and it was worth my money just for that. I intend on calipering all of the O-rings too and posting the dimensions in English and Metric. It is certainly at least okay for $31.09.

View attachment 1463788926572.jpg

View attachment 1463788951834.jpg
 
The spout washer works fine with a Perlick 525 bonnet washer. It is a #014 washer. A #204 silicon worked but you can't seal the faucet all the way does. I will need to look in between these sizes but I see no need for a flat O-ring here. Pictured is the 014 washer versus the original flat and it in the spout connection.

View attachment 1463791869442.jpg

View attachment 1463791883717.jpg
 
Now the bonnet washers/O-rings, particularly the top one seem to be critical. My guess on these will be that a McMaster order might be needed if the O-ring kits become unavailable.
 
Last comment for now. The Intertaps don't mix well with the Perls but I suspect that is Perlicks fault. The handle is back when off on the Perlicks but straight up on the Intertaps. Pouring the Intertap is forward and the Perls are straight up. I will correct that in my setup by modifing the tap handles but it is what it is. Which one pours better? Without a doubt the Intertap. Better than the 630PC and 525SS hands down. Which one is better build quality? Perlick hands down. You can get the Intertap there with very little work though.

View attachment 1463793991432.jpg
 
The Intertap is on a Stout that has been on tap for quite awhile. It had a 630PC on the shank before I switched it out. In my not so humble opinion it has a much more laminar flow than the ball of the Perls do. I suspect that was the "invention" in the ultraflow faucets. Because of this it actually pours better which I think is the point of this faucet or a Ventmatic over the Perlick.
 
I just ordered two regular SS intertaps from aliexpress this morning along with a growler filler and two stout spouts. A little bit cheaper than ordering from brewpump, the biggest difference is the shipping charge for each separate line item. I'll post back when they arrive

I'm looking forward to trying the stout spouts. That was one of the things which I wanted to try with the ventmatics but it never materialised
 

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