TurboTap - Faucet Venting


When a faucet is not just a faucet... Venting Hi , A couple things today. First, we have set a date for the release of our TurboTap Home Kit. Some time during the week of October 24th, we will have the kits ready to go and our secure on-line credit card processing up and running. We have a few beta kits out in the field already, and the response has been great. You’ll be pouring great TurboTap beers in less than two weeks. Second, I’ve been getting a lot of questions about venting faucets. This is just a quick update to clear up a common question. Before you read this though, make sure your cooler and beer are both at 38 º F. Temperature is far more important than venting. Temperature, then gas, then everything else. First, imagine dipping a straw in a glass of cold beer, putting your finger over the top of the straw, and then lifting the straw out. The beer stays in the straw. Now, imagine removing your finger. The beer dribbles back out of the straw. Notice the two little holes drilled in the faucet right beneath the lever. A closer look at these vents allows us to see the air flowing through.
Since the TurboTap is essentially a very complicated straw filled with beer, we need to ensure that we never trap beer in the straw in the first place. The cross section of a typical beer faucet is show below. We will focus on the highlighted area.
	This venting is essentially the same as lifting your finger off the top of the straw. Air can flow in so the beer left in the faucet after the tap is closed is free to drain immediately into the glass or pitcher.
Some vents in some cheaper faucets, however, may not align correctly. The vent holes may be too far apart or the hole in the piston may be offset. This blocks the vents and prevents the beer from draining out of the faucet. The vent holes can also become blocked by old beer residue if the faucet is not cleaned regularly.
Not only would this cause excess dripping, but the little amount of beer left sitting in the faucet gets warm, and will immediately turn to foam when it hits your glass. It’s amazing how much foam just an ounce of warm beer can make. This is the primary reason that we are including a new venting stainless steel faucet with every TurboTap Direct Draw kit. We are both beer lovers and engineers. We want your direct draw system to be perfect. Until next time, Kris ©2005 Laminar Technologies, LLC

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© 2008 Laminar Technologies, LLC. All rights reserved. TurboTap is a registered trademark of Laminar Technologies, LLC. TurboTap technology is protected by issued and pending patents, both U.S. and international. Laminar Technologies promotes and encourages responsible consumption of alcoholic beverages.