Convert Conventional Kegerator to Cornelius Kegerator

aschafer324 · 07-22-2009, 11:07 PM

I have a kegerator that handles regular half barrels and pony kegs now. The beer fitting looks like this:
http://www.northernbrewer.com/pics/fullsize/clampon-draft-tower.jpg

I would like to repurpose the kegerator for use with my cornelius kegs full of homebrew. I would think I'd just need an adapter for my ball lock fitting, similar to the threaded adapter in this picture:

http://www.northernbrewer.com/pics/fullsize/ball-disconnects.jpg

But all of the adapters I find online are too small for the screw-on fitting I use (about an inch wide, maybe a bit bigger) for my current kegerator. Anyone aware of an online resource for such an adapter?

svudah · 07-23-2009, 12:46 AM

You need a matching quick disconnect fitting to connect to the thread on the gas in and liquid out adapters. The one attached to the end of your beer hose is designed to screw into a regular sankey tap, not a corny adapter.

Brewin_CRAZY · 07-23-2009, 09:13 PM

Pretty simple solution would to be just cut the orig liq connectors for the sankey off and put on ball lock fittings. Just keep them around in case you ever want to use a sankey again. They should just fit right into the hose with the small 1/4 in barbed fitting the comes with the ball lock fitting, secure it with a hose clamp.

For the Gas side, get a ball lock fitting (or two), make sure to get a check valve so you dont risk high pressure issues going into your gas line. Usually your local homebrew store will sell the check valves that convert the 1/4 in ball lock barb to a 3/8 barb with a check valve in between. Then the 3/8 is the correct size for your gas line.

Note: Gas and Liq ball lock fittings are not the same. The gas side is Grey while the liq side is black. On the keg the post usually reads "in" and "out" but if it doesnt just pop it open and look for the dipstick.

camiller · 07-23-2009, 11:12 PM

Couple things,

Are you ever going to serve a commercial keg again?
Is the gas hose 3/16" or 5/16", a lot of kegerators have a larger diameter gas hose.

What you are looking for to screw on to the 1/4" MFL ball lock connectors is a 1/4" MFL swivel nut set which includes the nut and a hose barb. Like This (5/16) and this (3/16")

If you think you will want to swap in a commercial keg from time to time you can get a full conversion kit Like this which includes the previously mentioned fittings as well as other items to adapt the sankey coupler to make it easy to swap between them.

Edit: Of course that conversion kit also includes the ball lock connectors so if you already have them then just piecing it together will be cheaper (maybe)