Taps

[Batz]

For over $150.00 per tap, I think I better live with what I have for a while.
After all they work perfectly and have never given me a problem.

 

[contrarian]

I managed to get mine comparatively cheap as I had a mate going to the U.S. For work who picked them up for me and that was after I had contacted perlick directly to ask if they had a SS flow control tap in the pipeline and they said no. I was a bit annoyed when they brought one out about 6 weeks later!

For flow control and SS it was either that or cellis which were even more expensive!

I wouldn't upgrade to them now but glad I got them when I did!

 

[Bribie G]

Hmmm the tyranny of distance.
If for example you could get them for $120 from someone like Keg King or Ross I'd be onto them like a flash.

However as Tidal Pete has accurately expounded, by the time I went through the exercise I'd almost be up for a Robobrew to replace my ageing Crownie.

:unsure:

 

[TidalPete]

The BB a few months before ours got their Rototaps even cheaper thanks to the Aussie Dollar ATT & their order of 10 scraped in just below the $1000 duty-free limit thus saving them a lot of coin there.

Look what was going at CraftBrewer today --- http://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/details.asp?PID=4227 . Too late now. All gone!
Nothing wrong with those Cellis!

 

[Blind Dog]

as with all things, you tend to get what you pay for. I can definitely recommend flow control taps over similar unrestricted taps, particularly if you're using a chesty as the shorter lines make is a lot easier to get full kegs into the chesty, there's less beer sitting in the lines at any one time, and there's a lot less foam when the taps are warm.

Personally I have the 5 series Perlick SS flow control tap and so long as you take care of them they're a great tap and a pretty reasonable price at the time (under $100 with shanks, barbs etc.). The 650 SS taps that replaced them about 2 years ago are even better, but a little pricier now at around $130 with shanks etc., but still a lot less than celli and not a great deal more than a flow control intertap.

If you're buying a few taps with all the bits, ask for a deal. I saved a packet buying everything from one supplier (CheekyPeak; no affiliation etc., just great service). Finally, don't make my initial mistake of buying cheaper 'make do taps'; the $10 picnic tap set up is just as good, if not better, until you're ready to buy what you want.

 

[Bones99]

If you decide on a flow control Rototap bulk buy then obviously beside the purchase price you will also have shipping & handling.
That worked out (through Micromatic anyway) at US$27.50 per tap 3 years ago.
Then, if total cost of taps + shipping comes to over AU$1000 landed (and it did) you will be stung by Customs for Excise + GST ($33 per tap 3 years ago) + storage charges if you farf around & do not pay the import duty immediately.
Just under 3 years ago a Rototap cost just under US$88 at Micromatic’s bulk buy price & all-up, came to $150 per tap delivered. Probably more now that the Aussie dollar is down to around US$0.74 these days.
If there’s a way to avoid paying import duty we would have loved to have known about it at the time.

Are the Rototaps made in the USA?
If so, you don't need to pay Duty on the Import as long as a USFTA (United States Free Trade Agreement) Declaration is completed and signed by the Supplier on their letterhead.

It will not however reduce or avoid the Import GST payable......

 

[Tony121]

as with all things, you tend to get what you pay for. I can definitely recommend flow control taps over similar unrestricted taps, particularly if you're using a chesty as the shorter lines make is a lot easier to get full kegs into the chesty, there's less beer sitting in the lines at any one time, and there's a lot less foam when the taps are warm.

Just on the point above re shorter lines & FC taps, has anyone else experienced a better outcome with shorter lines in regards to the amount of foam on the first pour?

I have just installed 2 x Perlick FC taps however still have 3m of line for each and have been toying with the idea of cutting them right back to say about a metre to hopefully reduce foaming.

Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Tony

 

[Blind Dog]

My beer lines are just long enough to easily reach out of the chesty to a keg on the ground outside the chesty so I can clean the lines using cleaning solution in that keg. Reckon that's about 1.2m; certainly a lot less than 3m.

I find I need to close off the tap to a thin, steady stream to avoid excessive foam for the 1st pour. That's more an issue caused by the relative warmth of the taps and shanks compared to the kegs, so isn't usually an issue after the 1st pour.

Lines used to be a lot longer and I don't recall any particular additional issues with foaming, they were just a pain as they were far more difficult to move out of the way to get a new full keg into the chesty.

 

[Tony121]

Thanks.

Understand that the tap temp is the major cause however seems I get the odd CO2 pocket in the lines after each pour which accentuates the foaming.

Dare say I just need to keep tweaking to balance everything. May just cut one down and see what difference it makes.