Love the brew flo; generally.

[Anthony Dalton]

Hey all, 

I have noticed several brewers have had issues with blown lines. Fortunately I have not experienced that, and I treat them like disposable razors, usually get half a dozen uses out of each; just sanitize them after every couple of kegs. I am fairly confident that this isn’t recommended, but hey no issues yet.

I have had issues with kegging, leaking liners and what not, probably 10% of the time. I adopt a somewhat pragmatic/philosophical approach to such incidents. Just grin and bear it. The kegged brews are infinitely superior to the bottled stuff, and when the process works like it should, the brew flo is god. It is BrewArt with an emphasis on the art. Cop your losses, lick your wounds and embrace the product.

Cheers

Anthony

[Rob Courtney]

5 hours ago, Anthony Dalton said:

Hey all, 

I have noticed several brewers have had issues with blown lines. Fortunately I have not experienced that, and I treat them like disposable razors, usually get half a dozen uses out of each; just sanitize them after every couple of kegs. I am fairly confident that this isn’t recommended, but hey no issues yet.

I have had issues with kegging, leaking liners and what not, probably 10% of the time. I adopt a somewhat pragmatic/philosophical approach to such incidents. Just grin and bear it. The kegged brews are infinitely superior to the bottled stuff, and when the process works like it should, the brew flo is god. It is BrewArt with an emphasis on the art. Cop your losses, lick your wounds and embrace the product.

Cheers

Anthony

I had one line break over the journey and one liner leak (but that was on me not screwing it on properly...still drank it though, turned out pretty good). A while back there was a bad batch of brew lines but I was lucky not to have got them.

Interesting that you prefer the kegs to the bottles, I'm the opposite , I think the taste of the glass bottles is a bit stronger and I based it off drinking keg V bottle a few times. I also was a little annoyed I couldn't get a consistent carbonation in the kegs, which I do in the bottles. In saying that though, when the keg is carbonatred properly from first to last glass, it is a delight and far less of a hassle than bottling.  

[Dustin Frothman]

20 hours ago, Anthony Dalton said:

Hey all, 

I have noticed several brewers have had issues with blown lines. Fortunately I have not experienced that, and I treat them like disposable razors, usually get half a dozen uses out of each; just sanitize them after every couple of kegs. I am fairly confident that this isn’t recommended, but hey no issues yet.

I have had issues with kegging, leaking liners and what not, probably 10% of the time. I adopt a somewhat pragmatic/philosophical approach to such incidents. Just grin and bear it. The kegged brews are infinitely superior to the bottled stuff, and when the process works like it should, the brew flo is god. It is BrewArt with an emphasis on the art. Cop your losses, lick your wounds and embrace the product.

Cheers

Anthony

Hi @Anthony Dalton,

I agree it’s a great product and when it works well it’s an elegant and affordable kegging solution.

However I disagree with the assertion that users should lick their wounds or grin and bear it when a product or its processes fail. 

It’s possible for kegged beer to perform as well as and be as reliable as bottling, so as a user group we should push for a solution to problems once they are identified as being inherent to the design. Otherwise it’s a lot of wasted time, effort and cost for both the user and manufacturer and ultimately it reflects poorly on the elements of the product ecosystem that work well.

I haven’t given up on my Brewflo just yet but I have tried everything possible to get it to perform reliably without success. 

So for now I’ve put it to the side and I’m happy with my alternative kegging solution that is to date 100% reliable.

As a long time fan I trust the Coopers/BrewArt brand and reputation and trust that these issues will eventually be solved.

[Anthony Dalton]

Hey Rob and Dustin,

 Thanks for replying to my post. Firstly in response to Rob, I absolutely think the brews I keg are superior to those I bottle. I must admit I haven’t had a variation regarding carbonation across a single brew. However I have had issues with head retention and vice verca, (the Top End Lager lacked it and the Jolly Roger possessed too much). I kegged and bottled a batch of the Polski Baltic Porter, as well as a batch of the Lighthouse Pacific Pale.Each time the Keg, in my opinion has been the better drop, but hey, that’s me.

Now Dustin, as I have said in the past I procrastinated no end before investing into the BrewArt system. I had followed the forum for a couple of years before I purchased the droid and flo. I was aware it wasn’t perfect, hence my somewhat left of centre perspective on it. Certainly it would be fantastic it the whole thing was flawless, but I jumped on board realising otherwise. Yeah! It bites no end when a keg turns to shit, but when it doesn’t, by Christ it’s just amazing. I would rather be batting at 90% on my kegs, which honestly taste better than the $75 a week for a slab of Stone and Wood that I used to be doing.

Cheers!

Anthony

 

[Thagomizer]

On 17/04/2022 at 9:06 PM, Dustin Frothman said:

Hi @Anthony Dalton,

I agree it’s a great product and when it works well it’s an elegant and affordable kegging solution.

However I disagree with the assertion that users should lick their wounds or grin and bear it when a product or its processes fail. 

It’s possible for kegged beer to perform as well as and be as reliable as bottling, so as a user group we should push for a solution to problems once they are identified as being inherent to the design. Otherwise it’s a lot of wasted time, effort and cost for both the user and manufacturer and ultimately it reflects poorly on the elements of the product ecosystem that work well.

I haven’t given up on my Brewflo just yet but I have tried everything possible to get it to perform reliably without success. 

So for now I’ve put it to the side and I’m happy with my alternative kegging solution that is to date 100% reliable.

As a long time fan I trust the Coopers/BrewArt brand and reputation and trust that these issues will eventually be solved.

I'm in the same boat.  My BrewFlo is re-boxed and waiting for a trip to my attic until several issues are resolved.  I now use 5L SS MiniKegs with the Party Star Deluxe tap system, which works.  I would love to get back to the elegant tech of the BrewFlo when the leaks, intermittent loud noises and over-frothiness issues are resolved.  It is an innovative system which still needs some serious tweaking.

[Anthony Dalton]

Hey all,

I am a stubborn bastard. I have stuck with V1 kegging. I absolutely test each seal prior to kegging. I shamelessly hit Liam up for new seals regularly. Generally the new seals are fine, sometimes they are not. The emphasis here is to test them. If the leak slightly, I chuck them.

Secondly, never connect the air line in the Brewflo until the head settles. Start your first pour sans the air line; sometimes it doesn’t calm down until the second or third pour.

I have in the last three and a half months, with two droids, successfully kegged 9 batches from each droid without incident utilising the original system, without incident. Have also bottled a couple of batches as well.

I have acquired the necessary bits and pieces to retro my kegging system and Flo to V2, but as yet haven’t tried them. The original system is fine, just requires a bit of patience and diligence. It’s called BrewArt after all, with the emphasis on art.

Cheers!

Anthony

[Dustin Frothman]

On 17/10/2022 at 8:14 PM, Anthony Dalton said:

Hey all,

I am a stubborn bastard. I have stuck with V1 kegging. I absolutely test each seal prior to kegging. I shamelessly hit Liam up for new seals regularly. Generally the new seals are fine, sometimes they are not. The emphasis here is to test them. If the leak slightly, I chuck them.

Secondly, never connect the air line in the Brewflo until the head settles. Start your first pour sans the air line; sometimes it doesn’t calm down until the second or third pour.

I have in the last three and a half months, with two droids, successfully kegged 9 batches from each droid without incident utilising the original system, without incident. Have also bottled a couple of batches as well.

I have acquired the necessary bits and pieces to retro my kegging system and Flo to V2, but as yet haven’t tried them. The original system is fine, just requires a bit of patience and diligence. It’s called BrewArt after all, with the emphasis on art.

Cheers!

Anthony

Glad to hear that you've got it working well for you. 👏

[Rob Courtney]

May have to put a brew or two back in the kegs during summer

[Michael Brewblé]

On 17/10/2022 at 7:44 PM, Anthony Dalton said:

I absolutely test each seal prior to kegging. I shamelessly hit Liam up for new seals regularly. Generally the new seals are fine, sometimes they are not. The emphasis here is to test them. If the leak slightly, I chuck them.

 

Digging this thread out of the grave a little. I’ve filled ten kegs to date (V2 fittings) and I’ve had leaks in probably four of them. Liam kindly sent me some upgraded seals for the air/beer valves but my latest still showed a small leak (saved most of it by transferring to bottles on day two).
 

How are you testing the seals prior to kegging?

[Thagomizer]

2 hours ago, Michael Brewblé said:

Digging this thread out of the grave a little. I’ve filled ten kegs to date (V2 fittings) and I’ve had leaks in probably four of them. Liam kindly sent me some upgraded seals for the air/beer valves but my latest still showed a small leak (saved most of it by transferring to bottles on day two).
 

How are you testing the seals prior to kegging?

I would like to know this also.  I assume you are referring to the O-rings.  If so, I would like to get the specs so I can order them in quantity.  Then I would not need to worry about losing one while sanitizing them.

Edited January 24, 2023 by Thagomizer
grammer correction

[Anthony Dalton]

Hey Michael Brewble and Thagomizer,

I have not bothered upgrading to the V2, still using V1 kegs. Prior to kegging I simply attach the caps with the valves tightened, into an empty keg. You don’t need the keg liner or a spear. Place the keg in the Brewflo and pressurise, until the Brewflo becomes silent. Detach the airline at the valve, ensuring the keg remains pressurised, then  place the keg upside down into a sink full of water. If there are bubbles emanating from the cap, I just chuck the lot out (not the keg) and keep trying other caps and seals until there are no bubbles evident.

With the V1, I find most caps and seals have a lifespan of 4 brews max. Yes it is a pain in the arse, to have to test them, in all honesty though it takes all of 20 minutes, but in the six or more months I have been doing this, I have kegged over 30 brews (60 kegs) and only once have I had a leak and it was extremely slight.

I have found the BrewArt team, particularly Liam to be incredibly accommodating. I shamelessly request replacement caps frequently as required and am never let down. I considered acquiring the V2, but don’t see the need.

Cheers and happy brewing.

Anthony