When I got my first kegerator and eventually built a keezer, a faucet was just a faucet to me.
I found a nice-looking set of 4 online and purchased them.
They have served me well for the past few years.
Then one afternoon I stopped by a friend’s house to check out his basement bar set up.
He offered me a fresh homemade brew, a hazy IPA. Looking forward to the beer, I watched him pull back on one of the coolest-looking beer faucets.
It was chrome with a downspout that also had a lever to control the flow of the beer, I was floored.
And to say the least, the perfect beer was just served to me, the perfect head, no overflow or spill, wow.
I was really impressed and eventually picked up four of them for the keezer.
What I like most is the flow control, I can adjust the liquid coming out per beer.
With 4 different beers on tap, they all have a different level coming out.
Ok, enough of my rambling about this cool addition to my keezer, let’s check it out!
What is the best Perlick faucet?
The Perlick Faucet – Flow Control – Model 650SS is.
The faucet has a beautiful stainless steel finish, with a long spout and a second lever to control the flow of the beer coming out, The results are a perfect pour every time!
Pouring beer into a glass might seem like there is nothing to it, but until you’ve done it you won’t fully understand it might take a little technique and practice to pour a perfect beer.
Meaning, the ratio of beer to foam is right on point. Standard faucets, which I’ve used for 10 years are the ones you need the skill to achieve that pour.
But even skill doesn’t guarantee it, beer is moody.
Maybe after about the 10th poured beer in a row it runs smooth but let a keg sit for a few days and it’s all foam.
Before I go into the Perlick 650SS, I would like to go over why I think flow control is the answer to my issues with too much foam and after drip.
The second lever helps narrow the beer line, so when you open the main lever the beer will come out smooth and at a decent speed.
You can also shut off the flow lever and then the main to avoid that extra drip.
Perlick 650SS Beer Faucet Review
I have bought faucets before actually learning anything about them. They did the job, let’s say if you have just one beer or possibly two on tap.
The reason for that was, I could always adjust the CO2 to help with the pressure the beer was coming out.
It helped, but in reality, it was always a task to get the pour just right.
I upgraded to the Perlick 650ss for the reason of the two-part pour levers. Which has helped me pour the perfect beer consistently.
The faucet is an integral part of your beer dispensing system and the main reason I upgraded from a simple standard to the Perlick.
What is a Perlick faucet?
Perlick is a brand that has patented forward-sealing beer and wine faucets.
The floating front seal and revolutionary ball design prevent beer from getting exposed to air.
This helps the faucet from sticking and build-up of mold and bacteria in the body.
The design is simple with fewer parts and less breakdown. Made of stainless and chrome-plated brass that works well with beer and wine.
The Perlick has a forward sealing design and a normal style faucet has a rear sealing that pushes a shuttle against the shank when it is closed. That means, beer is still left inside the shank and needs to be drained and cleaned often.
It can be a hassle, getting stuck and sticky and worst of all bacteria will cause contamination.
Back to the Perlick design, because of its front sealing, no beer is left in the shank
How does this Perlick flow control work?
The flow control is an absolute must, the leaver manages foam issues no matter what kind of beer is on tap.
This has a built-in compensator that allows you to fine-tune the beer flow.
With the side lever, you control the beer flow.
When the lever is up, the faucet is wide open.
Adjusting the lever downward restricts the flow to your liking.
Having several beers on tap and on the same C02, this is ideal to adjust those beers to get a nice glass.
Slow the flow way down for pouring samples, growlers, and into frosted mugs. Reducing foam will save you beer and money over time.
650SS Features:
- Design/Shape – Really nice looking chrome finish. The spout is longer and angled to help with pouring and foam control.
- Flow Control Lever – The extra lever is easy to use and it is located on the right-hand side of the faucet. You have all the control you need, wide open or a tiny trickle by adjusting this lever up or down.
- Front Seal – Unique design patented to the Perlick, the o-ring seals in the front vs. in the back shank like the others.
- Steady pressure – The bearing cup/ follower maintains a steady and uniform pressure flow on the pivot ball. Giving you a consistent pour!
- Never Stick – Because of the design, beer is never left in the faucet itself. This helps keep it from sticking and building bacteria up.
- One Drip – The Perlick front seal has helped the over drip big time, seriously I get one drip when I close the faucet.
This faucet is really nice and worth looking into. It is quick and consistent every time and has helped with my pouring issues.
Overall it is really a time and money saver. It is easy to clean, having fewer parts and less I need to take apart to get to just to clean.
Although there are a lot of great faucets out there, I love this and think it’s the best for flow control for the several beers I keep on tap.
