Totally agree. I’ve decided never to buy from kk again because of “awfulknauful” crap and a few others. Doing more harm to KK than good.@pauly i think you hit the nail on the head
I used to be impartial about KL/KK, but exactly the same as you, I don't want a bar of KK anymore for the same reason.
good luck with your fermenter and, if/when it does **** up, just get a stainless
Fermzilla
- Thread starter Nullnvoid
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malt and barley blues
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His holiday house is in Trentham, he's been working on that.
awfulknauful
Well-Known Member
Truth hurts does it not? I was a swinger, didn't care where I bought but after a let down with the FermZilla, then the MaltZilla luckily never got roped in by that one, I along with many others are dissappointed with the KL products, and the way they go about their business and will never buy from them again. Seeing there are many thousands more Fermentasaurus sold without complaint, and the FermZilla users claiming "User error" for the FermZilla I along with many others tend to believe the user error is using them.
I did say I’d never buy anything again from kk aka keg king. You know the company you endorse products for while belittling anyone who has a product from any other company on a thread that has nothing to do with kk. As I said before doing more harm than good.
Grmblz
Well-Known Member
You obviously haven't done any homework pal, if you had taken the time to check before spouting off you would have found I was banned from comment on the KK thread, hardly a fan boi.
I call it the way I see it for both teams, and if that upsets you do us both a favour, click the "ignore button"
awfulknauful
Well-Known Member
The threads about the FermZilla I doubt anyone gives a rats arse where you will and won't buy from. You have only had yours 5 minutes, and never even had a Fermentasaurus. I have had both so can compare. The Fermantasaurus is over 2 years old and still going strong, the FermZilla never even got out of the starting gate, I was willing to give it a go waited long enough to get it. Stress fractures around the neck and a large permanent dent, wait and see if yours will go the distance Beer Baron's didn't.
Nullnvoid
Well-Known Member
See, they can be friends!
Well my Fermzilla arrived and the butterfly valve piece seems to be defective, not even water tight without pressure added.. pretty disappointing. Spent half a day trying to get it to seal properly before noticing a bump on it that would stop the o-ring sealing properly.
Let's see how warranty goes...
Let's see how warranty goes...
BrewsWayne
Member
KegLand FermZilla vs KegKing Fermenter King G3: Observations and Comparisons
I purchased two, 27L FermZillas from More Beer in August 2019. Problems came up right away. There were multiple difficulties with trying to get the fermenters to hold pressure. First problem was the seal from the top cap to the fermenter body.
KegLand came up with a solution that involved buying another, thicker O ring. The O ring costs $1.00 AU$ or $0.70US. MoreBeer charges $3.00US. Williams Brewing charges $0.75US. The thicker O ring makes it very hard to remove the top cap now. KegLand suggests loosening the outer ring and using a screw driver under a carb cap to pry up the top cap.
The next problem was using the stainless steel pressure kits for gas in and liquid out. They are repurposed carbonation caps. The Fermzilla does not have a large enough lip for the gasket on the SS carb cap to seal effectively. The gasket tends to fold down into the fermenter. The solution was to not use the SS caps but to buy plastic caps that do not have a gasket, using the plastic body of the cap to seal. These had to be tightened very, very tight, or they would leak. Getting them that tight would usually deform the body of the carb cap.
The caps sell at 10 for $1.95 AU$ or $1.40US each at KegLand. More Beer charges $6.00US each.
With those changes, my Fermzillas were finally able to hold pressure.
I wanted to use the Fermzillas with a glycol chiller for temperature control. I needed to buy the KegLand thermoprobe and TempTwister cooling coil. At the time, one had to drill out the lid for the FermZilla. There are spaces marked on the interior of the lid to show where to drill. KegLand has a video showing how to do this using a handheld drill. I tried this and could not get the drill to stay centered. I ended up having to use my drill press and clamps with a second lid I had to purchase.
I now see the Williams Brewing is offering a predrilled lid for the FermZilla for $6.99. MoreBeer only offers the undrilled lid for $8.99.
Finally, in December, I was able to connect the FermZillas to my glycol system and brew into them. I brewed about 20 times with them until I noticed some stress cracks forming around the top neck area. I contacted MoreBeer and they quickly sent out the new design replacement bottles. They did not come with the graduation sticker to show the volume in the fermenter. These do not have the flat top of the original FermZilla, but are more rounded.
When I went to take apart the original FermZillas to replace the bottles, one of the valve assemblies, simply would not come apart. I tried all the hints suggested in the KegLand video on how to dissasemble the FermZilla and nothing would work. I gave up and ordered a new assembly.
The other FermZilla came apart with no problem and I was able to reassemble it using minimal amounts of torque. I tested it with just pressure for 48 hours and then with water, with no leaking. However, when I was going to take off the collection chamber, I foolishly left the butterfly valve open and the handle ended up breaking the collection chamber when the carb cap hit it. I managed to destroy the other collection chamber when I, again foolishly, tried to use the SS carb caps with a different gasket. I kept tightening the cap to prevent leaking, untill the threaded assembly just broke away from the chamber. Another order went in for three collection chambers, so I would have a spare, seeing how easily they break.
I was able to start using them again, about two weeks ago.
A couple of months ago, Will Fiala], @CEO Keg King, was asking if there was anyone who cared to try out the KegKing Fermenter King G3 on HBT, I contacted him and after some conversations, he arranged to have a unit shipped to me with a cooling coil included.
It took some time to arrive and I had some personal issues come up, but I finally got to brew into it this week.
Here are some comparisons between the two fermenters:
The 27L FermZilla is roughly 32" tall to the top of the carb caps. It is 14" in diameter The main body PET is roughly 2.6mm thick.
The G3 is 37" tall to the top of the thremoprobe/valve. It is roughly 14.8" in diameter. The PET is roughly 5.8mm thick.
The FermZilla cone is 45 degrees. The G3 is 60 degrees.
The top opening of the FermZilla is roughly 4.75" wide. The G3 is 3.5" wide.
The FermZilla uses a complex bottom connection to a 3" butterfly valve. The G3 is a simpler connection using a plunge valve.
The Fermzilla has a collection chamber that holds 1 liter and has the ability to add carb caps so you can release any pressure in the container before removing it. You could also use the two caps to add CO2 and purge the chamber of air before you open the valve to add dry hops of anything else.
The G3 has a 1/2 liter collection bottle. There is no ability to purge the bottle. The G3 does come with an adapter to add 2 inch Tri-Clover accessories to the bottom of the fermenter.
The FermZilla cooling coil is 6 meters total length, it is about 4.3" in diameter and 26.7 " high. It is VERY tight getting it into the FermZilla with the dip tube. The tube and float valve does get caught between the coils at times. The dip tube does pull put trub that is on the cone of the fermenter. Kegland has introduced an extension screen in Oz but it has not arrives in the states yet. The top third of the coil is above the fermenting beer.
The G3 coil is smaller than the Fermzilla, but it is angled off to the side. The plunge valve/thermo probe assembly has a ring around it the the dip tube and float attatch to. This will prevent the tube from pulling up any trub from the side of the fermenter.
I have only just brewed into the G3 this week. I can say there was no problem with the coil dropping the wort down 10 degrees within 1 hour to fermenting temp. It has held fermenting temp within 1 degree F all week.
The FermZilla is an very good concept with rather poor execution. KegLand seems to have put out a Beta version and attempted to fix the problems after the release.
The G3 took longer to come out but it has none of the leaking or poor material problems of the FermZilla.
At this point, there is little to no availability of the Keg King products in the US. The Beverage People are supposed to offer the full line shortly. @CEO Keg King is looking for additional retailers/distributors.
I purchased two, 27L FermZillas from More Beer in August 2019. Problems came up right away. There were multiple difficulties with trying to get the fermenters to hold pressure. First problem was the seal from the top cap to the fermenter body.
KegLand came up with a solution that involved buying another, thicker O ring. The O ring costs $1.00 AU$ or $0.70US. MoreBeer charges $3.00US. Williams Brewing charges $0.75US. The thicker O ring makes it very hard to remove the top cap now. KegLand suggests loosening the outer ring and using a screw driver under a carb cap to pry up the top cap.
The next problem was using the stainless steel pressure kits for gas in and liquid out. They are repurposed carbonation caps. The Fermzilla does not have a large enough lip for the gasket on the SS carb cap to seal effectively. The gasket tends to fold down into the fermenter. The solution was to not use the SS caps but to buy plastic caps that do not have a gasket, using the plastic body of the cap to seal. These had to be tightened very, very tight, or they would leak. Getting them that tight would usually deform the body of the carb cap.
The caps sell at 10 for $1.95 AU$ or $1.40US each at KegLand. More Beer charges $6.00US each.
With those changes, my Fermzillas were finally able to hold pressure.
I wanted to use the Fermzillas with a glycol chiller for temperature control. I needed to buy the KegLand thermoprobe and TempTwister cooling coil. At the time, one had to drill out the lid for the FermZilla. There are spaces marked on the interior of the lid to show where to drill. KegLand has a video showing how to do this using a handheld drill. I tried this and could not get the drill to stay centered. I ended up having to use my drill press and clamps with a second lid I had to purchase.
I now see the Williams Brewing is offering a predrilled lid for the FermZilla for $6.99. MoreBeer only offers the undrilled lid for $8.99.
Finally, in December, I was able to connect the FermZillas to my glycol system and brew into them. I brewed about 20 times with them until I noticed some stress cracks forming around the top neck area. I contacted MoreBeer and they quickly sent out the new design replacement bottles. They did not come with the graduation sticker to show the volume in the fermenter. These do not have the flat top of the original FermZilla, but are more rounded.
When I went to take apart the original FermZillas to replace the bottles, one of the valve assemblies, simply would not come apart. I tried all the hints suggested in the KegLand video on how to dissasemble the FermZilla and nothing would work. I gave up and ordered a new assembly.
The other FermZilla came apart with no problem and I was able to reassemble it using minimal amounts of torque. I tested it with just pressure for 48 hours and then with water, with no leaking. However, when I was going to take off the collection chamber, I foolishly left the butterfly valve open and the handle ended up breaking the collection chamber when the carb cap hit it. I managed to destroy the other collection chamber when I, again foolishly, tried to use the SS carb caps with a different gasket. I kept tightening the cap to prevent leaking, untill the threaded assembly just broke away from the chamber. Another order went in for three collection chambers, so I would have a spare, seeing how easily they break.
I was able to start using them again, about two weeks ago.
A couple of months ago, Will Fiala], @CEO Keg King, was asking if there was anyone who cared to try out the KegKing Fermenter King G3 on HBT, I contacted him and after some conversations, he arranged to have a unit shipped to me with a cooling coil included.
It took some time to arrive and I had some personal issues come up, but I finally got to brew into it this week.
Here are some comparisons between the two fermenters:
The 27L FermZilla is roughly 32" tall to the top of the carb caps. It is 14" in diameter The main body PET is roughly 2.6mm thick.
The G3 is 37" tall to the top of the thremoprobe/valve. It is roughly 14.8" in diameter. The PET is roughly 5.8mm thick.
The FermZilla cone is 45 degrees. The G3 is 60 degrees.
The top opening of the FermZilla is roughly 4.75" wide. The G3 is 3.5" wide.
The FermZilla uses a complex bottom connection to a 3" butterfly valve. The G3 is a simpler connection using a plunge valve.
The Fermzilla has a collection chamber that holds 1 liter and has the ability to add carb caps so you can release any pressure in the container before removing it. You could also use the two caps to add CO2 and purge the chamber of air before you open the valve to add dry hops of anything else.
The G3 has a 1/2 liter collection bottle. There is no ability to purge the bottle. The G3 does come with an adapter to add 2 inch Tri-Clover accessories to the bottom of the fermenter.
The FermZilla cooling coil is 6 meters total length, it is about 4.3" in diameter and 26.7 " high. It is VERY tight getting it into the FermZilla with the dip tube. The tube and float valve does get caught between the coils at times. The dip tube does pull put trub that is on the cone of the fermenter. Kegland has introduced an extension screen in Oz but it has not arrives in the states yet. The top third of the coil is above the fermenting beer.
The G3 coil is smaller than the Fermzilla, but it is angled off to the side. The plunge valve/thermo probe assembly has a ring around it the the dip tube and float attatch to. This will prevent the tube from pulling up any trub from the side of the fermenter.
I have only just brewed into the G3 this week. I can say there was no problem with the coil dropping the wort down 10 degrees within 1 hour to fermenting temp. It has held fermenting temp within 1 degree F all week.
The FermZilla is an very good concept with rather poor execution. KegLand seems to have put out a Beta version and attempted to fix the problems after the release.
The G3 took longer to come out but it has none of the leaking or poor material problems of the FermZilla.
At this point, there is little to no availability of the Keg King products in the US. The Beverage People are supposed to offer the full line shortly. @CEO Keg King is looking for additional retailers/distributors.
Last edited:
TheBeerBaron
Well-Known Member
Please don't misquote me. I ruined my FermZilla using the wrong cleaning chemicals, soaking for too long.
It did have those marks in the neck but was still functioning perfectly.
TheBeerBaron
Well-Known Member
I've seen one person who had a leaking issue with the lower valve on his G3. I don't think it was an issue with the product as such, but goes to show G3 isn't foolproof either. Much like over tightening carb caps until they snap off, some things are just user error. There definitely appears to be a broad spectrum of users with the FermZilla with issues ranging from Zero to many. Perhaps once the G3 filters more into the market more varied reviews will surface.
The G3 seems like a decent product but I am yet to see anything to say one is definitively 'better' than the other. I personally prefer the lower container set up of the FermZilla having the ability to purge it before opening lower valve again.
I know Dr Hans was sent a G3 a long time ago and I am yet to see his video review of it. This is strange to me as he previewed it along side a bunch of others which have been followed up with reviews. I wonder if he is having issues with it?
wide eyed and legless
Well-Known Member
I rest my case.
A fair and comprehensive review by someone who has used both.
You can stop wondering. Pre-production products are sent out to help iron out problems and not for review. He is about to get production models and I think it will not be long before he will show them. At least they don’t have stress cracks in the neck area where bacteria can survive and they do not exhibit catastrophic explosions.
Fro-Daddy
Well-Known Member
@awfulknauful Instead of just pics, post the users explanation as well.
Attachments
TheBeerBaron
Well-Known Member
Which was.... ?
Don't let the truth get in the way of a good story!!
TheBeerBaron
Well-Known Member
What was the differences if any between what he got & production? Funny he didn't mention it was pre-production and not for review... why even post that up ?
I will be interested to see his thoughts
He is his own doctor but we were not in a hurry to have him review something that was still having tweaks done to it. Unlike David Heath who "reviewed - if you can call it that" our products that we asked him not to review we find the Doc is a man of his word. No doubt he will do it when he is good and ready.
BrewsWayne
Member
I agree with you, TheBeerBaron. I hope that we in the US will get the Kegland "2 inch Tri-Clover Harvest Adapter" for the collection container so I can use it with the G3.
ok jason I’ll let you know if it explodes.
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