Quick Disconnect Question

I am "recreating" my brew system. I would any information you can give me about which quick disconnects you guys use and were you got them. These will be used for the keggles and the pumps. Also were do you get your silicone tubing that i see being used a lot. thanks in advance for your help.

thenatibrewer said:

I am "recreating" my brew system. I would any information you can give me about which quick disconnects you guys use and were you got them. These will be used for the keggles and the pumps. Also were do you get your silicone tubing that i see being used a lot. thanks in advance for your help.

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A lot of folks get their disconnects from McMaster. Part numbers 6739K64 or 6739K68 and 6739K59. There was a thread about some alternative SS disconnects, I think it was from Bobby_M .

Can't comment on the tubing. I use the thick walled vinyl stuff from the hardware store. Much cheaper and seems to hold up well. Otherwise, I know McMaster, Northern, Austin Homebrew, among others, carry the silicon tubing. Again, the thick walled stuff seems to be preferred. See here.

Look at Bargain Fittings for stainless steel camlock disconnects , silicone hose and just about anything else that can be used for beer transfers.

proflowdynamics.com

Tri-clover's don't leak




God Bless
Swagman

More Beer has stainless steel disconnects like those posted from mcmaster carr.

http://morebeer.com/search/102348//2

If you go with the McMaster parts, I highly recommend the right-angle barb connections, at least for the keg connections. Depending on how your pump is oriented, you might want them there, too.

Thanks for all the input so far!!! which do you think is better to go with, stainless steel, plastic and i have even seen some brass fittings??? Does triclover make a quick disconnect or is that just a valve?? thanks again...

thenatibrewer said:

Thanks for all the input so far!!! which do you think is better to go with, stainless steel, plastic and i have even seen some brass fittings??? Does triclover make a quick disconnect or is that just a valve?? thanks again...

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Tri-clover fitting are not a quick diconnect but another form of connecting.

They are two halfs held together with a clamp with a gasket in the middle.

They won't leak and will last for a long time. Here is a photo of a set of tri-clover used with hose. They come in hose,female 1/2 NPT and 1/2 NPT male.




God Bless
Swagman

TriClovers rawk :rockin: - They are the top of the bling ladder...

But I'm too cheap for that - I used the cam locks from Proflowdynamics.com They cost about $10 a set

Personally I think the McMaster disconnects are too expensive ($30/set?) - For that money you might as well get TriClovers (Again, my opinion)

I am in the same process and am thinking of going with triclovers. I have also been told to check out PFD. Curious to know which camlocks you guys are using. If you could help out that would be great. Thanks.

I'm using the stainless 1/2" camlocks. Various ends depending on where they are in the system (Barb, NPTF, NPTM)

i have been checking out the websites you guys recommended, what is the benefit of going to the 90 degree quick disconnects?? i saw that bobby using them. what about the cam vs. the quick disconnect. also the material used i think is important..so what are the thoughts on plastic vs. brass vs. stainless.

sweet, do you use them on your pump as well?

SweetSounds said:

I'm using the stainless 1/2" camlocks. Various ends depending on where they are in the system (Barb, NPTF, NPTM)

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I know Bobby has expressed concerns about the relatively small diameter of the barb connections; do you find them to be a hindrance at all? I'm figuring out the fittings for my new plate chiller, and thinking the camlocks are the best fit but I want to figure out if I can really use the barbs or if I have to get the male connectors and file down the threads.

I'm in no hurry, so no - They aren't a problem. I've thought about throwing them in the lathe and thinning them out a little though.

The 90 degree connectors are nice to keep the silicone hose from kinking - It's very soft and likes to kink when it's full of water/wort and gets heavy.

Stainless Camlocks are the way I went. Stainless steel will react the least with the beer and cleaning chemicals. They are very sturdy and will last after repeated drops.

They have less restriction compared to the brass QD.

You can check out some pictures and comments here.

Some pictures of my rig using the camlocks are here.

the_bird said:

I know Bobby has expressed concerns about the relatively small diameter of the barb connections; do you find them to be a hindrance at all? I'm figuring out the fittings for my new plate chiller, and thinking the camlocks are the best fit but I want to figure out if I can really use the barbs or if I have to get the male connectors and file down the threads.

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I use camlocks with MPT ends for the hose since I wanted to be sure I had enough flow to get a good whirlpool going. I didn't bother filing the threads down, and have had no issues. The barbs probably would have been fine, but the threaded ones were easy enough and ensure maximum flow.

goybar said:

proflowdynamics.com

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perfect.... thanks!

jasonsbeer said:

A lot of folks get their disconnects from McMaster. Part numbers 6739K64 or 6739K68 and 6739K59.

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Just curious, the way this works is 6739K64 screws onto your 1/2'' hose barb, then you screw 6739K59 into your ball vlave and then the mating occurs with 6739K64 and 6739K59?

I have the B3 stainless QDs on my setup and given the chance to redo it, I would go with tri-clovers. Their biggest advantages being that they're simple and universal. You can connect any piece of hardware to another and not worry about the male/female connections that you have with QDs or cam locks.

I agree that tri clovers are best, but they are expensive. I went with camlock, and I have been very pleased with them. I got them from and 1/2" silcone tubing from bargain fittings.

SweetSounds said:

The 90 degree connectors are nice to keep the silicone hose from kinking - It's very soft and likes to kink when it's full of water/wort and gets heavy.

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I had an issue with my tube from my MLT to pump collapsing even with the 90 when it was hot. I switched to the braided reinforced silicon and have had no problems.

Also, I use the polysulfone QDs with the males on the tanks and females on the hose. My only complaint is the o-rings break. I solved that by ordering some silicon ones from McMaster Carr. One thing I really like about them is the 1 handed operation and the fact that you can grab them when hot without a glove. Not true of cam-locks or tri clamps.


Another thing, to remember that tri clamps are only sanitary if they are welded. If they screw on, it defeats that purpose. (sorry, this in one of my biggest pet peeves)

CidahMastah said:

Just curious, the way this works is 6739K64 screws onto your 1/2'' hose barb, then you screw 6739K59 into your ball vlave and then the mating occurs with 6739K64 and 6739K59?

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Yeah, I think you've got it.

6739K59 screws into your ball valve. You can then choose whether to use a straight or 90 degree hose barb by choosing part number 6739K64 or 6739K68.

6739K59 -> 6739K64

-=OR=-

6739K59 -> 6739K68