Cedar Rapids Brewing Society

I am sure many of you run these and have an opinion on which models are a good buy and all that jazz. Heck there might be another manufacturer out there that is just as good I am just clueless.

I have 2 cheapo faucets and shanks I probably bought off ebay years ago. I haven't used them in 2-3 years and plane to install them in my fridge anyway. I will be looking to add 3 more to the mix over time and want to start keeping an eye out for deals if I know what models are the entry level "ok" ones to the ones that are damn near bulletproof. 525's seem popular, unsure I need forward sealing or not either.

No plans for nitorgen, just good ol CO2 for the time being.

I've never seen a Perlick that wasn't much better than other faucets. The forward seal design is what really sets them apart.

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For home use I think a forward seal faucet is an absolute must have. Non-forward seal trap more crap in them and it is pretty gross to pour a beer and have a hunk of mold or something be the first thing in to the glass. A non-forward seal faucet will also get stuck. I mean really stuck if it sits for a few days. You can often break the internal lever trying to pry it loose. Spend the extra cash on forwad seal, worth every penny.

Forward seal are easy to clean, maintain and don't get stuck. I have had mine over 10 years and they have needed no repairs are maintenance beyond running cleaner through them once in a while.

I made the mistake of buy krome non forward sealing taps to save money and they would get stuck all the time and I worried that I would break it and just got fed up with them and replaced them with perlicks.

I've never met anyone who regretted getting forward seal faucets.

Save a few extra cans and bottles, redeem them and get the pearlics they are great

jesus, you guys spend a lot on faucets. just stop in to my work and get these

http://rapidswholesale.com/beer-supplie ... cover.html

or these

http://rapidswholesale.com/beer-supplie ... -plug.html

if you're faucet isn't rinsed after every drinking session, and you only pour a few beers a week, it's gonna gunk up on you. a faucet cover or plug will cut down on that immensely, and it's a $2 fix instead of all new faucets.

I use cheap faucets and the little rubber covers. They can get sticky when sitting for a few days. Nothing a little cleaning can't fix.

I had the faucet plugs with brush that I used in mine but I'd still get a stuck one, usually stouts.

High final gravity makes for a sticky beer, and sticky faucets.

Another vote for forward sealing. Perlick Perl is nice, and I think Ventmatic started making faucets again. I have the Perlicks, and they are great. If you want to keep using your old standard faucets, a little food grade lube will keep them from getting stuck, but it still gets pretty gross, and need to be disassembled and cleaned periodically.

Pat

Yeah mine got stuck a fair amount when I used them in the past. I cleaned them up and put them away when I got the new beer fridge. That and I couldn't come up with an affordable way to lock them to keep kids or their friends from "sampling" so I have used picnic taps for the past couple years and they work fine, but the inside of the fridge turns into a tangled mess so I am looking at some upgrades over time.

When I got my forward seal Perlicks at Rapids they were only $27. Prices have changed. Break down your cost over the useful life. I am already under $0.03 per day. Plus, nearly maintenance free and no failures. Worth it to me. My taps can sit for weeks without being touched. I am a strong believer in do it right and do it once. You usually get what you pay for. At least go stainless. You ever look inside a chrome faucet that has been in use for a while? Not pretty.

I agree with Matt! I only touch my taps when I change a keg, which can be many months and then just run some BLC through the line & tap, flush with water & tap the next keg. Before I switched to Perlick taps I spent too much time disassembling and cleaning my taps. This was time I could have used for drinking or brewing!

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I bought 3 dozen tap caps by accident. I only wanted 3, but I got them very cheaply. I have some that I would be glad to share

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