Hands on Review: Kegland Inline Secondary Regulator!

DuoTight Inline Regulator that has been updated to digital, see below for walk through of that process.

Multi-Pressure CO2 Options

Maintaining multiple CO2 pressures in your kegerator gives you the ability to… keep kegs at different pressures.  This is a requirement to maintain different carbonation levels. It’s also handy if you want to force carbonate a keg more quickly, at a higher pressure, while maintaining your standard serving pressure on a keg that’s already being served or if you want to have a utility line for purging kegs and such. continues below…

The general options for pulling this off are…

  • A multi-pressure primary CO2 regulator – example. This has two (or potentially more) high pressure bodies that allow you set different pressures.
  • Secondary CO2 regulators – example. These have no ability to connect to a CO2 tank directly. They must be connected to a compatible primary.

Both good options, but generally expensive.

Kegland to the rescue. Kegland has introduced economical inline secondary regulators. As of this review there are three options.

But first, more about DuoTight!

Kegland’s DuoTight Fittings are designed to work with EVABarrier Double Wall Tubing.  They offer quick, reliable connections, easy implementation, a variety of fitting options and feature amazing versatility.  They’re also, generally speaking, very well priced.  DuoTights are push to connect fittings and require no tubing clamps.

Check out my extensive Hands on Review

Hands on Review Kegland Inline Regulator w/Gauge

A look at the regulator. It has a pressure gauge, adjustment knob, inlet and outlet DuoTight ports and mounting holes.A closer look at the pressure gauge. This one goes to 60 PSI. Other gauge options may be available. This is a huge improvement vs v1. v1 feature no gauge. There is an updated DuoTight compatible inline (v2) version that has no gauge. That keeps costs down but still adds DuoTight compatibility. If you choose a model without a gauge, this is another great application of a Spunding Valve.

Side view. You’ll see a right facing arrow that indicates flow direction along with a warning never to exceed gauge pressure.A closer look at the adjustment knob. This is a big improvement vs v1. v1 required a tool to adjust pressures. If you look closely at the knob you’ll see Kegland at the top and then a + and = on the left and right.  What do those mean??  I have no idea. I always get confused with labeling like this.

An easy to remember phrase… Out = Off. Screwing the adjustment knob out, decreases pressure and will eventually turn pressure off.Like many DuoTight Fittings these are compatible with Valuebrew’s locking clips. I used to think of those as optional, but now use them on every connection. They provide back pressure on the collar making a firmer connection and locking it in.Handle RemovedSpring removedHere’s the regulator partially disassembled.The black rubber piece is the diaphragm. See more about that in the troubleshooting section.The white disk in installed as show. The provides a place for the spring to sit and protects the diaphragm from the metal spring.

Troubleshooting Non-Responsiveness

When I first started using the inline regulator it didn’t do anything. No real change in pressure whether it was completely tightened or completely loosened.

I contacted Kegland support and was given a couple ideas. First… make sure the regulator is oriented the correct way. It’s a good tip and it’s a mistake I’ve made. In this case that was not the problem.

Second… the the diaphragm can get stuck. When this the case it’s not being properly adjusted with changes to the dial.  For me, all I had to do was take the regulator apart and reassemble it and whammo, it worked. There’s a short video that Kegland has produced on cleaning the BlowTie Spunding Valve – Review. The principle is the same for the Inline regulator and can be used to unstick a stuck diaphragm.

Leaks? Troubleshooting EVABarrier/DuoTight Leaks

I’ve done several pressure tests with DuoTight Fittings and EVABarrier Tubing. Each test has proven the tested components were leak free. Having said that, it’s entirely possible that you’ll have a leak. This happens with any tubing system, that’s why we… check for leaks. Some tips…

  • Check for leaks. Liquid liquids are easy to spot. Gas leaks are a little more difficult.
  • I highly suggest picking up a DuoTight Pressure Gauge. You can easily add this to your setup and use this technique for checking for gas leaks.
  • If you have a section of EVABarrier tubing that’s marred or damaged, cut off a couple inches to get a fresh end.
  • Make sure you’re pushing the EVABarrier Tubing completely in to your DuoTight Fitting.
  • Make sure you’re pulling your EVABarrier Tubing out firmly to engage the sealing mechanism.
  • DuoTight Compatible Locking Clips can help protect connections and make sure the collar is engaged and properly sealing.
  • If you have a particular fitting that won’t seal… contact the seller or manufacturer to get a replacement. A leaking DuoTight fitting is not normal and I’m guessing your retailer will take care of you. Out of the dozens of fittings I have I’ve had 1 that was non-functional on receipt.

Alternate Use!  Use for Portable Serving

There’s a lot going on here. I’m using a 2.5 Liter PET growler as a CO2 source to vend from Kegland’s KL20893. The keg connects to a DuoTight Inline Secondary that in turn connects to a CO2 pressurized growler. I’m also testing MoreBeer’s Torpedo Stainless Steel Picnic Tap.

Use this regulator with an appropriate vessel as a source for CO2 for portable serving.

In my tests the pictured 2.5 Liter PET growler can easily vend half a 5 gallon keg. A 2.5 or 3 gallon keg can easily vend and entire 5 gallon keg. When you compare the cost of CO2 from your 5, 10 or 20 lb tank, savings add up very quickly when comparing to those expensive little 16 gram CO2 cartridges.

See: Using a Keg as a CO2 Source for Portable Serving for lots more on the topic. Note: Never exceed the pressure rating of any component in your system.

Yes, You Still Need a Primary

Note that these are inline secondary regulators.  You still need a primary regulator attached to your CO2 tank.  The idea is, you set the primary to the highest pressure you will use (without exceeding specifications of any component of your system) and then use these regulators inline (one per line) to fine tune pressure and carbonation [See: Balancing Your Draft System].  As an example, you could set your primary to 25 PSI for faster force carbonation and set each line to a different pressure based on desired carbonation level.

Upgrade to Digital!

Kegland has released a digital gauge option that works with their great inline secondary regulator and BlowTie Spunding Valve.  They have also released a DuoTight version.

If you compare the new digital gauge to the analog, there’s no comparison. A rough approximation of PSI verses a 1/10th PSI precision digital readout.Remove screws and pull out the analog gauge.Install KL18388Upgraded DuoTight Inline Regulator

Mounting Boards for Inline Secondary Regulators

Thank you to /u/skaht on reddit for this photo

These allow you to neatly install compatible inline regulators for easy access and a neat setup.

Conclusions

These are one of my favorites gadgets. I wanted something like this for years before they were released and actually reached out to some retailers to try to get something like this available.  The fact that it works with the DuoTight system and EVABarrier tubing is fantastic. I’m a huge fan, check out my huge selection of related DuoTight write-ups below. Lastly the ability to use this this in conjunction with an empty keg as a CO2 source for portable serving is one of the cooler things I’ve ever come up with. After using multiple versions of this, for years, I can wholeheartedly recommend them to you.

Check Current Price, Specs & Availability:

Digital Gauge Upgrade

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Make sure the components you use are compatible and rated for your intended application.  Contact manufacturer with questions about suitability or a specific application.  Always read and follow manufacturer directions. tag:lnksfxd  review:dtinline tag:tpr

4 thoughts on “Hands on Review: Kegland Inline Secondary Regulator!

    1. Mike

      Hi! I did this hands-on review. I only use 3/16 tubing for both my gas and beer line. The in-line pressure gauge as well as the manifold I’m using has 1/4” barbs so the 3/16 tubing fits snugly without really needing a clamp (though I would recommend using one anyway). I had to heat the tubing up in some hot water before slipping it on the 1/4 inch barbs though.

      Reply

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