Quick disconnects for CO2 lines?

Anybody using QDs for CO2? I'm not talking about keg disconnects here - I'm imagining an easy scenario to unhook my tank from my manifold, then switch over to a Blichmann beergun, then switch over to a sanke, all without having to use stupid hose clamps.

I am. I'm using pretty much what Bobby M shows in this video...EXCEPT that I couldn't replace the input on my secondary regulator with the Qd, so I have it on the bottle end.



I also then built a little QD thingamagic that when I pulled my bottle out of the keezer and wanted to push some gas into my kegs while cleaning them I could.

I don't have any pictures of that setup, but if I remember, I'll take one tonight.

I use the standard air compressor QD's.. no problem with inert gasses...

Thanks y'all - I was sure somebody was doing this and I just wanted to see some examples. This gives me some ideas.

I also use air compressor QD. I just installed them two weeks back and they seem to be working very well.

Yes, I am using QDs for CO2, specifically for use with the blichmann beer gun. I use the morebeer.com 1/4 ones -

http://morebeer.com/view_product/17399
http://morebeer.com/view_product/17400

I use the quick disconnects referenced from morebeer above and they are awesome! The ones that are more expensive have an automatic shutoff valve while disconnected which you don't need on every piece. I only realized this after I bought the expensive ones and installed... oh well...

Here's what I'm doing. The top two are the QDs from gas bottle to secondary regulator.

And the third pic is what I hook up when I want to flush a keg or something.

Revvy, what's up with the crazy flushing device? (I have to admire its complexity!) But I assume somewhere in your setup you have a plain old grey gas QD that's already on the end of a CO2 line. And the grey ones fit just fine over the OUT post on a keg. Maybe there's something I'm not aware of like it's too inconvenient to bring a keg over to the serving area or something but my curiosity is piqued!

This is my main "set and forget" regulator.. the manifold is a soda check valve station so I don't need to worry about opening and closing ball valves when hooking up multiple kegs..

kanzimonson said:

Revvy, what's up with the crazy flushing device? (I have to admire its complexity!) But I assume somewhere in your setup you have a plain old grey gas QD that's already on the end of a CO2 line. And the grey ones fit just fine over the OUT post on a keg. Maybe there's something I'm not aware of like it's too inconvenient to bring a keg over to the serving area or something but my curiosity is piqued!

Click to expand...

This is what is on the end of the hose attached to my gas bottle.



I can either connect it to my secondary manifold, or use that above to connect it to one keg, if I want to flush it with co2, or push oxyclean through it when cleaning in my basement.

Gotcha - sounds like you planned way ahead of the rest of us! How many homebrewers have gone with some standard recommendation when they get started and then had to reconfigure everything when they upgrade? That's about where I am now with all my gas tubing. It really is going to require starting from the beginning...

The worst mistake I personally made was not putting separate secondary regulators in. Instead I put one of those distribution manifolds which is great if you want all your kegs having the same pressure (which is rarely the case).

I use the disconnect seen here:

http://chicompany.net/images/CO2 Quick Coupler NickelBrass.jpg

Revvy said:

This is what is on the end of the hose attached to my gas bottle.

Click to expand...

REvvy,

I'm in the process of getting all the hardware needed to start kegging, and this thread is very timely. If I understand this correctly, you're basically using these quick disconnects "backwards" from standard compressed gas practice? i.e. normally, the load (i.e. nail gun, impact wrench) would be using the male fitting shown here, and the source (air compressor or CO2 tank) would have the female fitting, to keep gas from "leaking out" when disconnected.

But you're putting the female QD on the keg side so that it keeps the gas in when/if disconnected? I wouldn't have thought of doing that, but it seems to make sense, particularly if you have check valves in the tank side/manifold........

Did I get this right?

That's why I like the ones made for CO2 - checks on both sides. But with the air compressor fittings you basically have it right - female would have to go on the pressure side.