KegLand Questions and Answers

[KegLand-com-au]

Hi I have been using a RAPT controller to control my mash and boil elements with great success. I have just purchased a RAPT thermometer with the intention of pairing it via Blue Tooth however the Blue tooth option doesn’t appear in settings and I can’t find the answer in the instruction manual. I should add that I can’t get WiFi in my brew shed hence the device isn’t registered. Any help would be much appreciated

You can definitely pair these items as I do the same think in my greenhouse and use the controller for the misting jets.

You have to first turn on bluetooth and then you have to go to bonded devices and then hond the temperature probe.

If you are having issues it's best to take a video and then send us the email and we can more easily troubleshoot for you but I can say for sure that it works.

 

[Mash Monster]

You can definitely pair these items as I do the same think in my greenhouse and use the controller for the misting jets.

You have to first turn on bluetooth and then you have to go to bonded devices and then hond the temperature probe.

If you are having issues it's best to take a video and then send us the email and we can more easily troubleshoot for you but I can say for sure that it works.

Here is a video of the clicking sound if that helps

You can definitely pair these items as I do the same think in my greenhouse and use the controller for the misting jets.

You have to first turn on bluetooth and then you have to go to bonded devices and then hond the temperature probe.

If you are having issues it's best to take a video and then send us the email and we can more easily troubleshoot for you but I can say for sure that it works.

 

[KegLand-com-au]

Here is a video of the clicking sound if that helps

If you are doing troubleshooting I would turn of the PID settings as you may have some bad settings which are causing your issues. Please also watch the PID tuning video we did as this will explain how to setup the PID correctly.

Also you do not currently have the Bluetooth sensor setup. You have to go into settings and where it says "Temperature Sensor" you can select the bluetooth one rather than the built in one. Currently the built in one is showing on the screen so it's not quite setup correctly if you wanted to use the bluetooth probe.

 

[cb341982]

Am I correct in saying that I saw a MK5 regulator in the Nukatap FC upgrade kit video? If so, what has been tweaked and when will they likely be available?

 

[KegLand-com-au]

Am I correct in saying that I saw a MK5 regulator in the Nukatap FC upgrade kit video? If so, what has been tweaked and when will they likely be available?

We made a last minute change on these and now include a ball valve that has an integrated check valve. We had a lot of customers asking for this and it was a very small increase in price. So this is the main difference between the one in the video and in the actual stock that is arriving soon.

I think we will have this new MK5 model by about May this year.

 

[crowmanz]

We made some samples of these and with our trials the main objections we got were that it was a bit ugly. Performance wise we had not issues. Due to the lack of visual appeal we have recently hired an industrial designer to assist with improving the look of the product. I know you are not going to like the sound of this but it basically means we have delayed the release until the physical design is updated.

Unlike many other products that we make that are used in the brewery this bench top kegerator really needs to look good so it can earn a place in the kitchen next to other bench top appliances.

I must say at KegLand we are great at designing the products that work great but I have to confess we are not experts at industrial design so we have had to seek outside help on this.

How's the design update for the mini benchtop kegerators going?

I've been wanting to change my current setup but have been holding out for the mini benchy.

 

[Mash Monster]

If you are doing troubleshooting I would turn of the PID settings as you may have some bad settings which are causing your issues. Please also watch the PID tuning video we did as this will explain how to setup the PID correctly.

Also you do not currently have the Bluetooth sensor setup. You have to go into settings and where it says "Temperature Sensor" you can select the bluetooth one rather than the built in one. Currently the built in one is showing on the screen so it's not quite setup correctly if you wanted to use the bluetooth probe.

Hi The clicking relay sound is not present when the PID is switched off.
The frequency of the ‘clicks’ coincide with the Relay cycle time (The default appears to be 5 seconds ) Is this normal ?
As to the probe settings I had switched the thermo probe off hence it not showing on the video clip.

I should add that the clicking sound has only appeared since connecting to the internet ….. Is this normal ?

One last question I have checked all the settings and they seem to be fine but what is the recommended ‘ Allowed temperature diff. ‘ setting please ?

 

[Meddo]

@KegLand-com-au, which of the three layers of the hot fill bags is the wort-contact one? What are the chemical characteristics (of whichever layer it is) in relation to leaching when heated? I've used them a couple of times now and they're bloody handy, but I've heard some reservations from other brewers in regards to what if anything is leaching into the wort from the bag plastics?

Thank you

Bump please @KegLand-com-au

 

[KegLand-com-au]

Bump please @KegLand-com-au

https://www.kegland.com.au/products...-cask-bladder-hot-cube-alternative-irradiated

We use a food grade PE for the internal lining that is contact with the hot wort. This is what is also commonly used for our Fresh Cube hot wort kits and All Inn Brewing also use the same lining material too. PE is used broadly in food packaging and is considered to be about as safe as it gets when it comes to food contact materials. PE has excellent chemical resistance and is pretty much inert which is why it's such a common choice in the food industry. I really do not think that "leaching is a concern".

IF you are concerned about leaching then I would stay clear of plastics that require plasticizers to be soft. So PVC or vinyl products in particular are not a good idea. Polycarbonate is also something to avoid too if you want to avoid leaching especially if the product is alcoholic. Quite a lot of rubber types are also not ideal so I would try and use silicone, EPDM, TPV.

 

[KegLand-com-au]

Hi The clicking relay sound is not present when the PID is switched off.
The frequency of the ‘clicks’ coincide with the Relay cycle time (The default appears to be 5 seconds ) Is this normal ?
As to the probe settings I had switched the thermo probe off hence it not showing on the video clip.

I should add that the clicking sound has only appeared since connecting to the internet ….. Is this normal ?

One last question I have checked all the settings and they seem to be fine but what is the recommended ‘ Allowed temperature diff. ‘ setting please ?

The relay cycling time really comes down to what your PID settings are. I would only use PID if you are prepared to learn how to properly tune PID. I would start by watching this video here:

You may also want to consider just using the P or P&I derivative as this will be easier to setup and it will get you 90% of the way to a good result. Then if you really feel it to be necessary then you can tune the D derivative.

A lot of customers in the home brew industry brag about using PID but then do not go to the effort to tune the PID settings for their application and ultimately they end up with less than ideal results.

Most customers do not need PID to be honest and you should first spend your time making sure your probe is in the most ideal location as this is more impactful than the PID setting itself.

 

[Meddo]

https://www.kegland.com.au/products...-cask-bladder-hot-cube-alternative-irradiated

We use a food grade PE for the internal lining that is contact with the hot wort. This is what is also commonly used for our Fresh Cube hot wort kits and All Inn Brewing also use the same lining material too. PE is used broadly in food packaging and is considered to be about as safe as it gets when it comes to food contact materials. PE has excellent chemical resistance and is pretty much inert which is why it's such a common choice in the food industry. I really do not think that "leaching is a concern".

IF you are concerned about leaching then I would stay clear of plastics that require plasticizers to be soft. So PVC or vinyl products in particular are not a good idea. Polycarbonate is also something to avoid too if you want to avoid leaching especially if the product is alcoholic. Quite a lot of rubber types are also not ideal so I would try and use silicone, EPDM, TPV.

Thanks for that Do you mind elaborating a little more on the "PE" please? I did a bit of high-level reading into the different types of plastic used in food packaging and polyethylene seemed to come in three main types - polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and high- and low-density polyethylene (HDPE, LDPE). Does the material used in the bags fit into any of these categories, or is it a different animal?

 

[KegLand-com-au]

Thanks for that Do you mind elaborating a little more on the "PE" please? I did a bit of high-level reading into the different types of plastic used in food packaging and polyethylene seemed to come in three main types - polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and high- and low-density polyethylene (HDPE, LDPE). Does the material used in the bags fit into any of these categories, or is it a different animal?

PE is for polyethylene or in the instance of these bags it's Low Density PolyEthylene (LDPE). It's a very similar material as the hot cubes but they are generally made from HDPE (high density alternative). 95% of food pouches and bladders used in the food processing industry have a internal lining that is in contact with the food/beverage made from LDPE. The reason for this is LDPE is:
1. Very good chemical resistance so it doesnt react with the product
2. Is pretty good at temperature tolerance
3. Has very good "sealability" and makes good water tight seal and bonds well in a heat sealing machine

The only problem with LDPE is it has poor gas barrier properties so it's generally used as a multilayer product with nylon, foil, or some other multilayer to reduce gas transmission rates.

PET is a completely different beast and the manufacturing of this resin is completely different so as much as they both use the word "polyethylene" in the name they are really not comparable.

 

[Meddo]

PE is for polyethylene or in the instance of these bags it's Low Density PolyEthylene (LDPE). It's a very similar material as the hot cubes but they are generally made from HDPE (high density alternative). 95% of food pouches and bladders used in the food processing industry have a internal lining that is in contact with the food/beverage made from LDPE. The reason for this is LDPE is:
1. Very good chemical resistance so it doesnt react with the product
2. Is pretty good at temperature tolerance
3. Has very good "sealability" and makes good water tight seal and bonds well in a heat sealing machine

The only problem with LDPE is it has poor gas barrier properties so it's generally used as a multilayer product with nylon, foil, or some other multilayer to reduce gas transmission rates.

PET is a completely different beast and the manufacturing of this resin is completely different so as much as they both use the word "polyethylene" in the name they are really not comparable.

Thanks, appreciate that response

 

[rege_na_brege]

@KegLand-com-au any news considering stainless fermzilla? I know it was postponed a few times already, but I'm planning on an upgrade in the near future so it would be nice to know if it's worth waiting for it

Bump @KegLand-com-au

 

[crowmanz]

How's the design update for the mini benchtop kegerators going?

I've been wanting to change my current setup but have been holding out for the mini benchy.

@KegLand-com-au bumping this one too please

 

[DJ_L3ThAL]

@KegLand-com-au any chance of you selling the flexi-arm seals as replacement spares? First mash I did I dropped the seal into the mash bed (got it at the end) as these fall out very easily, I’m certain I’ll lose some along the way so good to have a bag of them handy please.
Also any updates on your quick swivel connectors and if you’ll do a quick connect to 1.5” TC or 3/4” TC?

 

[jibba02]

@KegLand-com-au can you use the temperature reading from the pill to control the RAPT temp controller?

 

[Barãob]

I have a Brewzilla gen 4... I want to do BIAB... no sparging ...should I consider the dead space below the false bottom?

 

[Yorkie88]

Not so much a question, just wanted to give a shout out to Adam from Kegland customer support - had a recent order that was missing a small piece, but he's sorted that out quickly and efficiently, so thanks!

 

[KegLand-com-au]

@KegLand-com-au bumping this one too please

Yes this is happening and we will definitely be releasing the product this year but we wanted to make further cosmetic changes so we have been going back and forth with the design quite a lot. We are changing the front of the unit to have nicer integrated LED lights and stuff like that. Sorry for the long delay but hope the finished product will be worth the wait.