Stainless Camlocks review

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BargainFittings

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So I upgraded my system to ss camlock disconnects. I like them ok. They are not one handed like my mcmaster.com brass ones but they do lock down ok and I think I can learn to tighten them with one hand given some time.

On the valves
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On the pump
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Upgraded kettle with a recirculating arm inside.
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It works well
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Awesome, been looking for a review on these. Do they leak at all? Do they lock down tight? Do you expect them to wear out over time (the seals or locking mechanism)?
 
I've been told by a friend who worked in commercial setting with a lot of camlock fittings that the cams on the arms will wear over time and you will have to stack the washers to get them to seal. My camlocks as tested do not leak.

They are very nice looking and well made.

Every single one of these has a "hard" side to lock down it seems. One cam locks easy and the other is tough. Must be the way their mold / machining is done.
 
I noticed that the best technique with them is to try and pull the arms back equally. The "Hard" side is whatever side is done second. If you pull them back at the same time and keep the connector straight they seem to close pretty easily.

It is tricky. It will take some practice I suppose. I hope to do a water test this weekend or next with my rig. I have 11 I have to attach. 4 that will be moved around during brewing. I hope to chime in on performance soon.
 
I am curious how that recirculation arm is working out for you... Many years ago I discovered that that configuration didn't work so well for me during cooling wort... So basically you will be returning cooled wort back to the bottom of the pot and it is instantly returned to the chiller by way of your drain valve next to it leaving a dead zone in most of the upper kettle as heat rises... I found that returning the chilled wort back to the top of the pot worked much better and faster for me... This is if you are using it for that purpose... :)
 
Hey Lonnie.

I just installed the arm so i don't have any real world data from it yet.

Your suggestion makes a lot of sense. I did put the bend pointing upward somewhat but I think you are right about it coming back in the top.
 
Hey Lonnie.

I just installed the arm so i don't have any real world data from it yet.

Your suggestion makes a lot of sense. I did put the bend pointing upward somewhat but I think you are right about it coming back in the top.

Well my friend, I would say to give it a go as is and see if you like it! You just never know... It may work well for you! I had done several batches and figured this out on Brutus. Actually it was one of the driving forces in me putting everything in the lids so I could swap everything with ease...

Brew on brotha... Them cams look great. I have been thinking about switching to these myself...
 
Every single one of these has a "hard" side to lock down it seems. One cam locks easy and the other is tough. Must be the way their mold / machining is done.

It is a trick to get them to close easily... As another poster noted, if you can get a good seat on it at first and then use both arms at the same time, it is easier... Took me a few times to start to figure that out... So far, I love them...
 
I am loving mine too. I have a full set now for my 3 vessels and 6 hoses. Here's another thing that hasn't been commented on yet: the inside walls are not polished, but a rough SS finish.

On the up side, its all 316 stainless!

A friend commented last night after closing a female on a male that "it might be easier to close these if you remove the rings" Occasionally they will get in the way of closing them completely. Usually not a problem but I may try that. The rings look cool too though I think.
 
I wish they had the 1/2" NPT sized camlocks with different sized barbs. One could easily stretch 1/2" ID silicone tubing over a 5/8" barb which would reduce the restriction. One possible alternative is to get the 1/2" npt on both sides and put your own barb in. It increases the price of the whole assembly and adds more nooks and crannies. Probably not worth it.
 
Looks like there might be enough meat inside the barbs to drill a few thou out, while also making a smoother interior. That would take some very sharp bits and an accurate drill press or lathe, though.
 
Aw, man - I was really hoping that the review would be along the lines of "Absolutely perfect, no reason to look at the brass QDs from McMaster"

So still decisions to make. Hmph!!
 
I've used the camlock set for a total of one brew day. I would not say I have gotten comfortable with them yet :)

For the price they are great! Not quite as easy to manipulate as the brass or stainless spring type disconnects but still good fittings.
 
Mine should be here tomorrow - really excited to the new RIMs system finished and do a brew for the big 3-0.
 
Ok I was plumbing out all my connections last night with pex and connecting it to my couplers. He is what I have come up with.

The key rings are better off and out of the way. I don't see a need for them. I don't think I will ever need the cotter pins so I took everything off. It makes it much easier to handle.

If you wiggle the connector a bit and pull back on the arms evenly it seats really well. It was starting to get really easy to take them on an off. I must have put the couplers on/off each a dozen times. Each time became a little more natural.

I love them. For my plumbing setup I have 7 connections on my kegs. That is 7 I have to connect to hard plumbing every brew. These are going to be a dream. 2 thumbs up to the OP that showed us ProFlowDynamics.com in another thread.
 
I was thinking about those connectors last night to put on another build project. Not to highjack your thread but your gonna like that whirlpool device. Lonnie may be right about just recirculating cold wort over and over again. But what I've found on my brutus is that instead of 20 minutes to cool, it takes 30 and is dependent on how much Ice you have in HLT before it melts by passing through the heat exchanger. If you use an immersion chiller, I guess that wont apply. I may have missed it but are you going to start selling those connectors?

Bartman

boilk.jpg
 
That's good I might need a few more sometime soon. I want to make more hoses. I would love to buy from a fellow brewer.

Looks like you need to search in china. I talked to one company and they qouted me $20 per fitting. I laughed when she told me. I told about pro flow dynamics and she said. Oh we can get the china fittings too. They will be much less.
 
Aw, man - I was really hoping that the review would be along the lines of "Absolutely perfect, no reason to look at the brass QDs from McMaster"

So still decisions to make. Hmph!!

I just changed out all my McMaster Carr QD for these Stainless SnapLocks.

I see NO reason to use the McMaster QD.

Here is a badly focused comparison between the male SnapLock and the McMaster

disconnects.JPG


The SnapLock internal diameter is 0.536 " at it's smallest. The McMaster is 0.353" Just a little bit of flow restriction.

Of course the hose barb on the female SnapLock restricts things a bit.

The BLING factor on the stainless connectors is HUGE. I will be posting some more photos on my rig with these connectors on it shortly.

I hope to actually brew with these connectors this coming weekend. I need to get some clamps for my hoses tomorrow.

Pro Flow Dynamics was GREAT to work with. Fast shipping and great communication. I ordered them on Friday and they arrived today, on Tuesday.

I will post a follow up after actually using them to brew.
 
I'v been using camlocks for a good year and change. They are great, no leakage yet. The only complaint I have is sometime the washer gets stuck to the male end of the QD when you take them off.
 
Is everybody using either the Type A or Type F threaded male adapters with the Type C female with hose barb? There does not seem to be very good product descriptions on their site.

What type of gasket do they come with? I notice you can buy replacement gaskets too (Buna N, EPDM, Viton).
 
Is everybody using either the Type A or Type F threaded male adapters with the Type C female with hose barb? There does not seem to be very good product descriptions on their site.

What type of gasket do they come with? I notice you can buy replacement gaskets too (Buna N, EPDM, Viton).

I'll link you to the thread I started when I found these things. I don't know about what gaskets you want to guarantee heat tolerance.. I was thinking of ordering some flat silicone from another source, but these standard (buna N I think) gaskets work fine so far at least at mash and mash-out temps. I broke down the types here: Camlocks
I use the type C on hoses and type F on bulkheads. I think most use the same. The type C has a smaller inner diameter, so if that worries you, find a way to use type B or D.
 
buna gaskets should be fine for temps up to over 200 degrees. The gaskets that come with the camlocks should be fine. I am not worried about it.

I too am using the type c for hoses and type F on my kettles. I need to order a few more type c. I want to make a few more spare hoses. They seem to be out of stock again.
 
I would suppose the main restriction in these being the barbs, perhaps buying female with NPT and then buying larger port barbs separately. If that's a concern.
 
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Here is a shot of my brewframe with the stainless camlocks in place.

I have more silicone tubing on the way from BargainFittings to finish off the hoses I need. I hope to be able to brew with the new fittings within a week.
 
Thanks for the comments.

I built the diverter panel so I could have more options for hook ups and ease of cleaning. It was a dream to brew on with the brass QDs. I am hoping for a bit quicker liquid transfer with the camlocks.

Plus they just look cooler ;)

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mlt_camlock.JPG
 
Wayne1- That's really slick. Are you going with a 90 degree bend at the hose? I used to use silicon hose with QD's, and that was something I always wished I did...it REALLY helps prevent kinking, and cuts down on the hose you need to buy.
 
What are peoples thoughts on the Polypropylene camlocks from Proflow? They are very cheap and i wouldn't think they would get as hot as the stainless. Any reason not to use them?
 
I placed an order for my first set of camlocks... AMAZING customer service at proflow!!

At first, the c-type were on back order... so I was waiting, realised I actually wanted more than I ordered, so I emailed them... they placed a second order, added it to the first order for no more shipping AND scrounged up all the parts and shipped them on monday!!!
 
What are peoples thoughts on the Polypropylene camlocks from Proflow? They are very cheap and i wouldn't think they would get as hot as the stainless. Any reason not to use them?

Polypropylene Couplings are manufactured from acid resistant 20% glass reinforced Polypropylene. Max temperature for PolyPropylene is 160 degrees farenheit.
 
Polypropylene has a melting point of 170 C/340 F and an upper use temperature of 135 C/275 F, according to the first website I found. I suspect the 160 F cited above is a combination of temperature and pressure. If the use pressure is lower than the rated pressure then the upper use temp will be higher. As the temp goes up, the physical properties of the plastic like tensile strength and rigidity are reduced. In our homebrewing applications the pressures are pretty low, so the use temp should be higher.

Give ProFlo a call and ask them about this, maybe the PP fittings are okay. Ask about food grade status too if it isn't listed on their site. Stainless is still better looking.
 
Thanks for the info, when i looked at the stainless ones they were out of stock on what i needed and i wanted to get them soon. So i just thought about those, i guess i could just use the Aluminum ones instead. I have an IC so i wouldn't be pumping boiling liquid through them.
 
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