Better tap option for budget barrels?

[FatCol]

Greetings,

I have 4 budget barrels, with their original taps which as we all know, are useless.

I've looked around on interweb for alternative taps and it seems to be a case of either cheap rubbish like the original, or £15+ for a sparkler tap.

My questions are thus:

1/ Does anyone have/know of a better tap that isn't as expensive as the sparkler tap

2/ Has anyone got a sparkler tap fitted to a budget barrel, and if so, what are your thoughts on it?

Any assistance greatly appreciated.

Regards
FatCol

 

[Graz]

I'm with you on this one, interested on the replies.

I currently have three King Kegs fitted with these taps

They do what they need to do but it's a PITA trying to pour a beer when the barrel has decent pressure in it as it's quite hard to control opening / closing the tap, it's not a smooth action.

Was thinking of changing them to these ones as it looks like it would be easier to open / shut them in a controllable manner.

https://www.balliihoo.co.uk/#black-lever-tap-for-wine-fermenters-and-king-kegs-p-649.html

Don't particularly want sparkler taps as I don't like my beer served that way at home or in the pub.

 

[Godsdog]

Im afraid I do not know of an alternative after 40 years as they have to screw in the barrel body with no backing nut but,the drum taps are IMO equally bad and are tight in turning on/ off and when the barrel is under half filled tend to move the barell when turning it and you have to hold the barrel down,a bit awkward when holding a glass in the other hand

 

[terrym]

Personally I haven't got a problem with the budget barrel taps. They are cheap enough so keep a spare or two. The 2" cap barrel taps have a reducing thread and the way to ensure the seal doesn't leak is to use PTFE tape on the thread and lightly grease the seal with Vaseline. And make sure the tap is at 90deg to the axis of the tap when closed to get the best seal on the tap itself.
The taps with the nut that fits on the back are not suitable for PBs with a 2" cap since you can't get your hand into the PB to tighten the nut. The thread on these taps may also not be suitable for 2" cap PBs due to the reducing thread on these PBs.

 

[Tony1951]

Was thinking of changing them to these ones as it looks like it would be easier to open / shut them in a controllable manner.

https://www.balliihoo.co.uk/#black-lever-tap-for-wine-fermenters-and-king-kegs-p-649.html

These are certainly more controllable than the ones on the barrels, but I don't know that they have the same thread, and I don't know how they work with the pressure behind them of a newly carbonated keg.

I have one of those on my bottling bucket and it is really good at that. I shove a plastic tube with a short length of rubber tube on top into the tap and it works very well for bottling. Easy to vary the opening one handed unlike the cheapo plastic taps on the pressure barrels. They are quite a lot larger and may extend down to the surface the barrels stands on placing pressure on the plastic. Not sure - needs to be checked.

 

[FatCol]

Personally I haven't got a problem with the budget barrel taps. They are cheap enough so keep a spare or two. The 2" cap barrel taps have a reducing thread and the way to ensure the seal doesn't leak is to use PTFE tape on the thread and lightly grease the seal with Vaseline. And make sure the tap is at 90deg to the axis of the tap when closed to get the best seal on the tap itself.
The taps with the nut that fits on the back are not suitable for PBs with a 2" cap since you can't get your hand into the PB to tighten the nut. The thread on these taps may also not be suitable for 2" cap PBs due to the reducing thread on these PBs.

I hadn't considered the notion of a reducing thread. Does that mean I'm stuck with rubbish taps, or can anyone offer an alternative solution?

 

[MrDasherD]

I have 2 budget pressure barrels and following a succession of issues from the cheap taps, I have recently bought a deluxe sparkler tap from Brew UK for about £15 to see how it goes.

It has a back nut but they assured me that it would fit ... and so it has proved! In fact, it screwed in and sealed beautifully without using the back nut and with no leak (just a smear of Vaseline around the washer) as pressure built. That the pressure has built I have no doubt as the feet of the pb are well off the ground!

The beer has only been in this barrel for about 10 days so I cannot say how the tap is performing under normal conditions ... but having taken a few samples to check clarity, carbonation and taste (as you do!) the tap seems to be very controllable. So far I'm impressed ... we shall see!

 

[FatCol]

I have 2 budget pressure barrels and following a succession of issues from the cheap taps, I have recently bought a deluxe sparkler tap from Brew UK for about �£15 to see how it goes.

It has a back nut but they assured me that it would fit ... and so it has proved! In fact, it screwed in and sealed beautifully without using the back nut and with no leak (just a smear of Vaseline around the washer) as pressure built. That the pressure has built I have no doubt as the feet of the pb are well off the ground!

The beer has only been in this barrel for about 10 days so I cannot say how the tap is performing under normal conditions ... but having taken a few samples to check clarity, carbonation and taste (as you do!) the tap seems to be very controllable. So far I'm impressed ... we shall see!

Thanks for the info MrD,

Based upon the fact that it fits, I have purchased one sparkler tap to trial and see how I get on - hopefully I too will be impressed.

Appreciate all the feedback, many thanks,
FatCol

 

[Rickster]

When you guys say budget barrels, do you think this sparkler tap would work on a Wilko PB? Cheers.

 

[Godsdog]

These sparkler taps I have two on KK,s and am trying to run a beer line off it to the cooler has anyone any idea of the thread size the sparkler screws onto? As I want to screw a jg on it with a 3/8 push fit out on the other end

 

[FatCol]

When you guys say budget barrels, do you think this sparkler tap would work on a Wilko PB? Cheers.

Hi Rickster,

Mine are Wilko barrels and as far as I know, all the budget barrels are the same, so it should fit. Mine will be here Friday/Saturday so I'll test fit it and report back for you.

FatCol

 

[Rickster]

Thank you!

 

[FatCol]

Hi Rickster,

My sparkler tap arrived and I can confirm that it fits my Wilko budget barrel perfectly.

Many thanks to MrDasherD for offering this info up in the first place.:thumb:

FatCol

 

[Rickster]

Can I ask where you ordered from?

 

[FatCol]

I bought it on eBay from Brewuk - £16.95 inc delivery.

 

[Rickster]

Ordered :)

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi!
I have a tap on my bottling bucket that has a body that tightens onto the seal, but the tap itself can rotate within the body.
Does anyone know whether this type of tap will be suitable for a pressure barrel?
Also, I obtained the bottling bucket second hand. Does anyone know where I can get these taps from?

 

[FatCol]

Hi!
I have a tap on my bottling bucket that has a body that tightens onto the seal, but the tap itself can rotate within the body.
Does anyone know whether this type of tap will be suitable for a pressure barrel?
Also, I obtained the bottling bucket second hand. Does anyone know where I can get these taps from?

Standard pressure barrel taps also rotate within the body - Young's do one that cost's about £5 and can withstand the pressure of a keg. If your bottling bucket has a little bottler attached, then it's a proprietary tap - if it hasn't, then the Young's tap should suffice for that purpose as well.

FatCol

 

[Dads_Ale]

Hi!
I have a tap on my bottling bucket that has a body that tightens onto the seal, but the tap itself can rotate within the body.
Does anyone know whether this type of tap will be suitable for a pressure barrel?
Also, I obtained the bottling bucket second hand. Does anyone know where I can get these taps from?

This is the one normally supplied with the bottling attachments:

http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/acatalog/Brewferm-Red-Tap.html#.VxNBg4-cG7Q

and here

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PLASTIC-T...442355?hash=item41a88943f3:g:G1cAAMXQuTNTKw1F

I have purchased from both sellers and got very good service.

I have found that you can get the odd drip if the barrel pressure gets too high. (I was experimenting with the PRV disabled)