Kegregator install project

Matt F · Post by **Matt F** » Tue May 31, 2011 8:09 am

And two more pics of the overall fridge. (pics removed)

carrisr · Post by **carrisr** » Wed Jun 01, 2011 11:23 am

I stopped by Rapids today to get prices. The prices they gave me are straight out of the catalog. That makes them around $100-150 more for the same setup I can get from kegconnection.com.

Here's a couple of questions though: He really tried to talk me out of the Perlick faucets. He said they don't work as well as the regular faucets and tend to leak unless run at higher pressure. Everyone else seems to have high praise for Perlick. So those that have them, would you spend the money on them again and do you have any problems with them?

Second: for CO2 I was planning on doing a tank exchange. Do I need to buy a new tank to take in or can I "buy" one or put a deposit on a tank when I get it filled?

TappedOut · Post by **TappedOut** » Wed Jun 01, 2011 12:29 pm

I have ventmatics (same basic design) and have had absolutely no problem with them. The advantage of the forward seal is that they don't stick up on you. I would definitely buy the forward seal faucets if I were doing it again.

I got a tank from Hawkeye fire. I've found them to be the most cost effective but haven't shopped around lately. They refill, not exchange. You can definitely get a tank locally from wherever you would get gas. It was a lot cheaper to get it locally than to get one online. You can call around and check prices.

BrewHound · Post by **BrewHound** » Wed Jun 01, 2011 12:33 pm

carrisr wrote:I stopped by Rapids today to get prices. The prices they gave me are straight out of the catalog. That makes them around $100-150 more for the same setup I can get from kegconnection.com.

Here's a couple of questions though: He really tried to talk me out of the Perlick faucets. He said they don't work as well as the regular faucets and tend to leak unless run at higher pressure. Everyone else seems to have high praise for Perlick. So those that have them, would you spend the money on them again and do you have any problems with them?

Second: for CO2 I was planning on doing a tank exchange. Do I need to buy a new tank to take in or can I "buy" one or put a deposit on a tank when I get it filled?

I don't know if that dude at rapids is smoking crack or what. Now probably a couple of things he does not understand. As home brewers we do not use our taps like a commercial pub. Therefore forward sealing is the way to go due to them sitting ideal at times for a week. The rear sealing facuets tend to stick badly under those conditions because the sugars crystalize on the the plunger giving you that tap that is stuck shut. I have had my taps for about 2 years now and never had them leak and I run mine at about 8# which is not very high.

Now after thinking about it, he may be right about it in a commercial environment, which most like what their experience and customer reports are based on. Under that scencario, the taps are run every day and opened and closed problem anywhere from 25 - 100 times per day, which is very different from us. Anyway, I love my forward sealing facuets and would not go any other way.

As for the CO2 to do exchanges you have 1 of 2 choices either you can rent the tank or you can purchase a tank. In one year you will pay the amount in rental it costs to just purchase the tank. So my suggestion would be to just go ahead take the plunge and purchase the tank. you can purchase the tank itself from almost anyone that fills them then all you have to do is pay the gas fee on exchange usually around 20 bucks. You may be able to put down a deposit, but I would still suggest buying one as the deposit would most likely be quite high anyway.

hoboscratch · Post by **hoboscratch** » Wed Jun 01, 2011 12:35 pm

Yes, Perlick is the way to go. I have never experienced any leakage and my faucets are probably 5 years old. Spend the money and don't look back.

+1 for Hawkeye Fire.

Post by **JimPotts** » Wed Jun 01, 2011 1:01 pm

I just bought 100 feet of 3/16 tubing from Rapids, and it was $0.49 a foot, not $0.57.

Also, Keg Connection's price for SS Perlicks looks to be higher: $29.95 vs $29.89.

Is there a discount code or something for Keg Connection?

-Jim

On Fri, May 27, 2011 at 3:09 PM, carrisr <brew-equipment@crbeernuts.org (brew-equipment@crbeernuts.org)> wrote:

Does Rapids generally give deals on the stuff you get from there? I picked up a catalog from them and their pricing is the same or even higher than online.

For exmple, they list SS Perlick faucets (They don't list which model) for $29.89 at Rapids while I can get 525 SS online for $26.99. Not a huge difference but not the big savings I keep hearing about. For 3/16" hose they are $1.35/ft versus $0.49 online. Even if I buy 100' it's still $0.57/ft.

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Mr T · Post by **Mr T** » Wed Jun 01, 2011 1:18 pm

Randy.. once you pour your first pitcher of beer… cost will be no object!

Keg of home brew = 28.50
Sliders and fries on the grill = 6.75
Pouring a pitcher of home brew for the deck = priceless!

From: hoboscratch [mailto:brew-equipment@crbeernuts.org]
Sent: Wednesday, June 01, 2011 1:36 PM
To: brew-equipment@crbeernuts.org
Subject: Re: Kegregator install project

Yes, Perlick is the way to go. I have never experienced any leakage and my faucets are probably 5 years old. Spend the money and don't look back.

+1 for Hawkeye Fire.

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Matt F · Post by **Matt F** » Wed Jun 01, 2011 1:46 pm

T is right, buy what you want the first time. I have no regrets. Do not even consider getting any faucet that is not forward seal like the Perlick. The traditional kind stick and grow mold. When I say stick, it means like super glued shut. You have to really pull on those to get them lose once stuck and then you can break the parts on the inside. Also, if you already have cobra taps with 5’ of beer line, just cut the tap off and put the hose on the nipple of your shank and faucet assembly. I did not use a clamp on mine and have had no leaks. Been running my keg setup the same for about 6 years and no issues with my Perlick.

Remember, the Rapids guys on average don’t know jack about homebrewing or home use. They deal primarily with restaurants and bars. I have only recommended them because they are convenient in town and usually have low prices. The small at home retail customer is not their bread and butter. You need to know what you need from their catalog as they are not much help. Just find what all the homebrew shops recommend and buy the same thing at rapids or where it is cheapest. Here is a comparison for the parts you will need to complete the faucet and mount it in your fridge. This does not include regulator or and cornie connects you need. It is the faucet, cheap tap handle, 3" S/S shank with flange and nut, coupling nut, washer, and ¼” tail piece (makes tight fit with 3/13” ID tubing). Looks like Rapids is cheaper to me, plus this is one tap, each one you get increases your price difference. Midwest was way high at $39.95 a faucet! Also, Jim may have some beer line he can sell you.

Rapids $58.40
Northern Brewer $65.13
Keg Connection $64.29

Post by **JimPotts** » Wed Jun 01, 2011 1:55 pm

Matt F wrote:Also, Jim may have some beer line he can sell you.

I've probably got 50-60 ft of 3/16 beer line. Let me know if you want any.

-Jim

JimF · Post by **JimF** » Wed Jun 01, 2011 2:20 pm

carrisr wrote:I stopped by Rapids today to get prices. The prices they gave me are straight out of the catalog. That makes them around $100-150 more for the same setup I can get from kegconnection.com.

Here's a couple of questions though: He really tried to talk me out of the Perlick faucets. He said they don't work as well as the regular faucets and tend to leak unless run at higher pressure. Everyone else seems to have high praise for Perlick. So those that have them, would you spend the money on them again and do you have any problems with them?

Second: for CO2 I was planning on doing a tank exchange. Do I need to buy a new tank to take in or can I "buy" one or put a deposit on a tank when I get it filled?

I have been upgrading my standard taps to Perlicks and wouldn't go back. I have 1 left to do, and have been watching for sales. My old ones stuck all the time, the Perlicks don't stick or leak.

Check craigslist for CO2 tanks. Seems like there is someone selling one just about every week. Sometimes they are even filled.

If you want to get started cheap and find out how bad standard taps stick, I've got one I replaced over the weekend, a shank, tail piece, trim rings etc...

carrisr · Post by **carrisr** » Wed Jun 01, 2011 3:55 pm

Rapids must have raised prices on some things. The catalog lists the Perlick SS as $29.89 but the quote he wrote up for me is for $33.99 each. Maybe that's the "F*ck You Very Much" discount from Rapids?

I'm not using a special discount at KegConnection. They offer substantial discounts if you order a package deal. They'll also customize the packages for you.

The bottom line comes down to this:
Keg Connection $311.27 delivered.
Rapids: $370.52 + sales tax = $396.46

This is for a 3 line ball-lock fridge setup with all SS parts and Perlick 525-SS faucets. Upgraded to a 4-way gas manifold (so I have a gas line for bottling), without CO2 tank or kegs. The KC kit also comes assembled which is a bonus.

Thanks guys for talking me out of the regular faucets. That's the info I needed and will definately invest in Perlicks no matter who I go with. I'm also going to go with SS shanks too. The comment about commercial vs home use really made sense.

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Post by **JimPotts** » Wed Jun 01, 2011 4:08 pm

Odd. They still have the $29.89 price online. But regardless, I'd order from whoever was cheapest.

-Jim

On Wed, Jun 1, 2011 at 4:56 PM, carrisr <brew-equipment@crbeernuts.org (brew-equipment@crbeernuts.org)> wrote:

Rapids must have raised prices on some things. The catalog lists the Perlick SS as $29.89 but the quote he wrote up for me is for $33.99 each. Maybe that's the "F*ck You Very Much" discount from Rapids?

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tompb · Post by **tompb** » Wed Jun 01, 2011 4:11 pm

Matt, from the pictures you could save a lot of room and lighten up that shelf a bit. I think 1x lumber will hold anything you can put on it. Maybe even use some of the factory braces and no support.

JimF · Post by **JimF** » Mon Jun 06, 2011 4:37 pm

More Beer just cut their prices on some of their taps and kegging equipment. Also free shipping on orders over $59 (I think...)
On Jun 1, 2011 5:15 PM, "JimPotts" <brew-equipment@crbeernuts.org (brew-equipment@crbeernuts.org)> wrote:> Odd. They still have the $29.89 price online. But regardless, I'd order from whoever was cheapest.

-Jim

On Wed, Jun 1, 2011 at 4:56 PM, carrisr <brew-equipment@crbeernuts.org (brew-equipment@crbeernuts.org) (brew-equipment@crbeernuts.org (brew-equipment@crbeernuts.org))> wrote:

Rapids must have raised prices on some things. The catalog lists the Perlick SS as $29.89 but the quote he wrote up for me is for $33.99 each. Maybe that's the "F*ck You Very Much" discount from Rapids?

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carrisr · Post by **carrisr** » Tue Jun 14, 2011 9:51 am

My kegregator kit arrived yesterday. Now I need to figure out a time to install it. Tom, were you still interested in helping? I won't be able to do it until next week.