KegLand Questions and Answers

[KegLand-com-au]

Soaking in starsan won't really do much. Try soaking in or running through some PBW and then try again. I had issues with my FC intertap initially, but I disassembled it, soaked in PBW and gave it a good wipe on all interior surfaces. Works great now

Yes would agree. StarSan or StellarSan are not effective cleaners at all. They are really sanitisers only.

 

[KegLand-com-au]

Haven't got one yet but may opt for the SS submersible one for reasons similar to Stevodevo - it appears SS Brewtech take the apple approach to design where they make everything incompatible with other gear. That being said if anyone has either the pump or the heat pad can you maybe tell me what size the barrel connector is on the end of the power cord? The website says they are custom but they may well be bullshitting - they look suspiciously like a standard 2.1 connection. If it is I will just use this (https://www.jaycar.com.au/2-1mm-dc-socket-to-2-1mm-dc-socket-adaptor/p/PA3701) and a 12v power supply on my inkbird controller for the SS heatpad which I have.
My original plan was just to plug the impeller pump of the G40 (I got the last one in stock this time round!) into my controller - I know Kee says not to on the website but I intend to use the quick connects on the lines that do not drip so in theory my volume should not drop. Does Kegland see any issue with this approach?
I'd like to keep 2 SS lines at least for pre-chilling / loop chilling my plate chiller water and also for hooking up a keg if the need arises!

Ok we will talk with the other guys in development. We are reluctant to make more glycol chillers as we really feel that fermenting fridge is the way to go but as we seem to constantly be getting asked for this stuff it's probably about time we made a specific glycol chiller for this application that you guys can use right out of the box. Are there any other particular features that you would like please let us know and we will look at designing this into the system.

 

[fdsaasdf]

@KegLand-com-au I've now done 9 brew days on the Robobrew 65L and overall am quite happy with the unit.

One thing I have noticed is that the bottom screen and malt pipe screens both catch and scratch the outer cylinder when being inserted/removed. Although they seem to work well, and I haven't had issues with sediment escaping, they would be better with a silicon o-ring or some sort of other buffer to avoid scratching. When time permits I'll probably make one out of a silicon cutting mat.

Also, the top screen for the malt pipe doesn't really have anywhere to sit on the centre tube, and for thin mashes I've found it doesn't want to sit above the grain when recirculating - it starts to dig in. Again, a silicon o-ring will fix this by giving some resistance.

From an improvement perspective, I'd also like to see a sight glass, especially for checking the liquid level when the malt pipe is inserted or during the lift. Perhaps this could be included as a modular replacement/improvement for the pump return tube. Otherwise it would be straightforward to add one 90deg clockwise of that, which would give the added bonus of being able to use the stamped volume markings as a reference from the outside too.

Hi @KegLand-com-au are you planning on making any changes to the Robobrew 65, or making any more accessories available?

 

[KegLand-com-au]

Love checking the site periodically to check out your new stock, but it's way too hard to keep track.

You really need to expedite the development of a "New products" tab. This should be an insignificant amount of work for your developer, especially seeing as though you're using Magento.

As you bring new stock in so frequently, I'd consider having the "new products" tab show something like the last ~50 products at least.

Yes this is still on our to-do list and this will be possible on the website soon. To be honest we were only thinking about making 12 new products visible but I would agree as we have been adding about 5-10 products per week I guess this may not be enough.

 

[KegLand-com-au]

Hi @KegLand-com-au are you planning on making any changes to the Robobrew 65, or making any more accessories available?

We have no immediate changes planned for the BrewZilla 65L unit but we will have some more accessories that will come out that will be compatible. We have been really happy with the BrewZilla 65L unit and it's now one of the lowest watt density breweries available, it's well built and it's a great size. By the way we also just started doing 15amp extension leads if you need these too.

 

[KegLand-com-au]

Also, any chance your could share some more info on the can seamers in this thread (the same way you have the new gen fermentasaurus). Would love to get an early peak of what you guys are working on.

It might be best if you wait for the video that we will do in next month. The can seamers are really awesome. I assume you have just seen the information here so far:
https://www.kegland.com.au/cannular-compact-canning-machine-bench-top-can-seamer.html

If you don't mind waiting another few weeks we will have a video on this product completed hopefully by end of Feb. A good way to keep ontop of all our new stuff is to subscribe to our YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/KegLand

Many of the new items will first be spoken about in detail on this channel.

 

[KegLand-com-au]

Well I have got room for more I presume that it has been pressur tested, what sort of pressure does it hold? Also roughly how long for thr release?

We already have a limited amount of stock and we are spending some time to sort out some automation on the production line at the moment. At the moment these are made fairly manually and it's slow to manufacture them and we also have many orders for these outside Australia as well. So our issue is that we have got very limited stock and many customers and we are upgrading the plant while trying to produce stock at the same time.

There will be a couple containers of stock that will sell out fairly quickly that come into Australia but then once we get to March we will have the plant completed and we will be producing these much faster than we ever have so I don't imagine we should have any supply constrains after March. The 27L unit is already production at the moment.

The 55L unit will take a bit longer as we are still playing around with the tooling at the moment for this model. This is probably 1-2 months behind the 27L unit.

 

[KegLand-com-au]

Well I have got room for more I presume that it has been pressur tested, what sort of pressure does it hold? Also roughly how long for thr release?

These will have at least a 2.5bar pressure rating just like the version 1 model. We will be producing these with a similar co-polyester as the version 1. The standard ones will not be rated to 100C. With that said we are also doing experiments with a new type of polymer that is about 20-25 times more expensive. This new polymer can handle temperatures over 100C so you can hot fill it, it has better tensile strength, better scratch resistance, better gas transmission rates, better clarity but the only issue is the price. So we will probably sell this as a tank upgrade. Due to the fact that it's 20-25 times more expensive for the raw material this tank upgrade might cost an additional $50-100 (and that's with us really not making much margin). These upgraded tanks might have a higher pressure rating but we are still doing tests in this area so not 100% sure what the pressure rating will be.

From our perspective the additional pressure rating is not really that necessary. Being able to hot fill the fermenter is a nice feature. This means you can dump hot wort into the fermenter and dump the hot break from the clear cone rater than trying to whirlpool. Also you can use it a bit like a hot cube too. From your perspective do you think you would pay $50-100 extra for this type of upgrade?

 

[KegLand-com-au]

Yeah it had the duotight t-pieces and I bought duotight MFL fittings for the disconnects but didn't think/realise at the time about the shanks. Will the new kegerator kits come out with duotight fittings for the shanks barbs or will this also be an extra? And also, is there a way I can see which shank I got? Ie is there a visible difference? Otherwise when I purchase the duotight fittings I will also have to purchase new shanks.

The new Series 4 Kegerator kits all currently come with:

NEW - EVABarrier dual wall beer line (we put 4mm ID beer line and we supply 5mm ID beer line for gas). We find this to be the best combination.
NEW - MK4 Regulators
NEW - duotight tee (this is to split up your gas line so the single tap kit has not tee piece, the 2 tap has 1 tee and the 3 tap has 2 tee pieces)

We are in the process of phasing in the duotight shanks on the short shanks. By end of Feb all the tap shanks will include this and also we will pack the duotight 6.5mm x 8mm reducer so you can more easily attach the beer line to the shank:
http://www.kegland.com.au/media/images/kl01090 shORT SHANK remove the barb.jpg

This type of barb is really the best design as it allows you to use the conventional method of hose clamp and hosing but also gives you the option of using push in duotight fittings or other brands if you prefer.

You can see how they work in this very short video:
http://www.kegland.com.au/media/images/1d68aaa474daeca85568eaf617e9b59a (1).mp4

As you can see we have already started making the next generation of pluto guns with this type of duotight compatible barb.

 

[FarsideOfCrazy]

These will have at least a 2.5bar pressure rating just like the version 1 model. We will be producing these with a similar co-polyester as the version 1. The standard ones will not be rated to 100C. With that said we are also doing experiments with a new type of polymer that is about 20-25 times more expensive. This new polymer can handle temperatures over 100C so you can hot fill it, it has better tensile strength, better scratch resistance, better gas transmission rates, better clarity but the only issue is the price. So we will probably sell this as a tank upgrade. Due to the fact that it's 20-25 times more expensive for the raw material this tank upgrade might cost an additional $50-100 (and that's with us really not making much margin). These upgraded tanks might have a higher pressure rating but we are still doing tests in this area so not 100% sure what the pressure rating will be.

From our perspective the additional pressure rating is not really that necessary. Being able to hot fill the fermenter is a nice feature. This means you can dump hot wort into the fermenter and dump the hot break from the clear cone rater than trying to whirlpool. Also you can use it a bit like a hot cube too. From your perspective do you think you would pay $50-100 extra for this type of upgrade?

Yes I'd pay for the higher temperature tank.

Also you mentioned "a couple of containers coming into Australia" does this mean that the new versions are not being made here in Australia?

 

[dkril]

The new Series 4 Kegerator kits all currently come with:

NEW - EVABarrier dual wall beer line (we put 4mm ID beer line and we supply 5mm ID beer line for gas). We find this to be the best combination.
NEW - MK4 Regulators
NEW - duotight tee (this is to split up your gas line so the single tap kit has not tee piece, the 2 tap has 1 tee and the 3 tap has 2 tee pieces)

We are in the process of phasing in the duotight shanks on the short shanks. By end of Feb all the tap shanks will include this and also we will pack the duotight 6.5mm x 8mm reducer so you can more easily attach the beer line to the shank:
http://www.kegland.com.au/media/images/kl01090 shORT SHANK remove the barb.jpg

This type of barb is really the best design as it allows you to use the conventional method of hose clamp and hosing but also gives you the option of using push in duotight fittings or other brands if you prefer.

You can see how they work in this very short video:
http://www.kegland.com.au/media/images/1d68aaa474daeca85568eaf617e9b59a (1).mp4

As you can see we have already started making the next generation of pluto guns with this type of duotight compatible barb.

Why not just install a screw in fitting? Then the customer can screw in a hose barb, duotight, or anything else that takes their fancy.

 

[krz]

Hi Kegland,

........ would be if it's possible to squeeze the FTSs submersible pump down into the reservoir and run the coolant lines and power cable through the hole at the top of the unit ......
Thanks,
Steve

Steve, I have a SS uni-tank with the FTS and also the G40. No problem squeezing the pump in,

 

[Denobrew]

I would pay the extra $50 - $100 to be able to handle boiling wort. That's a game changer for me.

 

[Nullnvoid]

The new Series 4 Kegerator kits all currently come with:

NEW - EVABarrier dual wall beer line (we put 4mm ID beer line and we supply 5mm ID beer line for gas). We find this to be the best combination.
NEW - MK4 Regulators
NEW - duotight tee (this is to split up your gas line so the single tap kit has not tee piece, the 2 tap has 1 tee and the 3 tap has 2 tee pieces)

We are in the process of phasing in the duotight shanks on the short shanks. By end of Feb all the tap shanks will include this and also we will pack the duotight 6.5mm x 8mm reducer so you can more easily attach the beer line to the shank:
http://www.kegland.com.au/media/images/kl01090 shORT SHANK remove the barb.jpg

This type of barb is really the best design as it allows you to use the conventional method of hose clamp and hosing but also gives you the option of using push in duotight fittings or other brands if you prefer.

You can see how they work in this very short video:
http://www.kegland.com.au/media/images/1d68aaa474daeca85568eaf617e9b59a (1).mp4

As you can see we have already started making the next generation of pluto guns with this type of duotight compatible barb.

Yes I understand all of this Have watched the video on setting up the kegerator 3 times now and picked up my kegerator on Friday.

But I guess my question still remains, can you use the duotight fittings on the current barb? So the kegerator that I picked up on Friday has the traditional barb on the shank, will KL07481 as per the instructional video still fit and work if I wanted to swap them over, or do I need to wait for the new shank/barb?

Also, just as a suggestion, but think you probably will be anyway, you talk about the 7 in one tool in the video but the 5 in one tool is included. You should change so you include the new 7 in one tool.

Eitherway, loving pouring beers from the kegerator!

 

[bbqzookeeper]

I would pay the extra $50 - $100 to be able to handle boiling wort. That's a game changer for me.

Ditto, would gladly pay the extra. I love the idea of a transparent fermenter that has no apparent downsides. Except it can seem like a unicorn sometimes, or bigfoot... I might just check back in a few months.

 

[Ferg]

The pump in the G40 is not just a pump. Its an impeller pump. If you are using water (not glycol) and if you are setting the temp close to 0C then ideally you want the impeller running all the time as this will prevent the water in the Icemaster completely freezing over into a block of ice. If you have glycol in the unit you don't have to worry about it. (please do not use the cheaper ethylene glycol as it's fairly toxic if consumed. Please use food grade propylene glycol).

If you keep the water level consistent then absolutely its possible to use the impeller pump but it's just not the best possible solution. Yes you can spill some that changes the level. In larger tanks you will notice the jacket will increase and decrease in size as the jacket expands and contracts too. So this is something you might also consider.

Thirdly if you are not using high concentration glycol you may have ice or partially frozen glycol in the system and this also causes a change in density and therefore the liquid level can go up and down for this reason too.

Thanks for the reply, it looks like I have these scenarios covered. I bought two bottles of glycol from you guys when I bought the g40. The connectors are non-spill so I would assume only a couple of mls at worst should be lost disconnecting them. I haven't found the number for the ssbrewtech unitank coils but the chronical volume inside the coils is 280ml - worst case scenario for me would be 500ml I reckon so the expansion & contraction shouldn't be much of an issue (this is not a jacketed tank anyway). Looking forward to using it when my tank arrives.

 

[professional_drunk]

+1 would buy hot fillable fermenter.
I could imagine dumping my chillers, cubes and kegs. Go straight from Braumeister into fermzilla sitting in keezer. Ferment then connect to taps to serve. Maybe an inline filter between fermzilla and tap. No more transfers or lifting with my bad back.
One thing brewing sorely needs is simplicity and that could indeed be a game changer.
KL does your upcoming ferment fridge have a spot for taps?

 

[DazGore]

Haven't got one yet but may opt for the SS submersible one for reasons similar to Stevodevo - it appears SS Brewtech take the apple approach to design where they make everything incompatible with other gear. That being said if anyone has either the pump or the heat pad can you maybe tell me what size the barrel connector is on the end of the power cord? The website says they are custom but they may well be bullshitting - they look suspiciously like a standard 2.1 connection. If it is I will just use this (https://www.jaycar.com.au/2-1mm-dc-socket-to-2-1mm-dc-socket-adaptor/p/PA3701) and a 12v power supply on my inkbird controller for the SS heatpad which I have.
My original plan was just to plug the impeller pump of the G40 (I got the last one in stock this time round!) into my controller - I know Kee says not to on the website but I intend to use the quick connects on the lines that do not drip so in theory my volume should not drop. Does Kegland see any issue with this approach?
I'd like to keep 2 SS lines at least for pre-chilling / loop chilling my plate chiller water and also for hooking up a keg if the need arises!

Hi, the power and the pump on the ssbrewtech ftss is the 2.1 style, but the heating cone membrane thingy is a custom size.

 

[Ferg]

Hi, the power and the pump on the ssbrewtech ftss is the 2.1 style, but the heating cone membrane thingy is a custom size.

Thanks for checking for me, much appreciated! What a bugger that is... I might have an interim plan though.

 

[DazGore]

Thanks for checking for me, much appreciated! What a bugger that is... I might have an interim plan though.

No problems, actually the pump and heater are custom, it's only the power that is the standard 5mm 2.1 fitting.