Camlock shopping list

Does anyone have their list from buying all the camlocks for their HERMS system. I know every system is probably a bit different. But I thought it might be nice to have something as a reference as I start buying

Biggest tip I can give you is to draw your system on pen and paper, and run through the brew-day with it. You'll still probably forget something though, lol. I think I've done two or three with bargainfittings and Bobby each.

What ^^^^ he said. And then multiple by 1.5!

After 6 orders over the past year I think I finally got all the cam locks for my e-herms, pumps, HLT, MLT, chiller and kettle. Depending on how your system is designed will depend on what you need. I thought I went through my system design from beginning to end and ordered what I thought I would need, NOT, I still ordered more. To be honest the "extra" parts I didn't use I have used in other places. Can you have to much stainless???

If you want my inventory:

F cam lock 13
female high flow barb 8
A cam locks 2

Keep in mind this doesn't include all the 9+ nipples, T's and 90's barbed/threaded. I'm with iijakii I've ordered from both Bargain fittings and Bobby multiple times.

Having just finished this project on my Kal clone, here is what I ordered (over 5 orders, mind you). Bargainfittings or brewhardware is the way to go.

HLT: (4) F adapters for out, recirculation and (2) HERMS.
MT: (2) F Adapters for Out and sparge arm
BK: (2) F Adapters for out and Whirlpool.
Immersion Chiller: (1) F Adapter for water in (water out is attached hose)
Pumps: (3) F adapters (1 Center Inlet in, (2) for out) (1) A Adapter for inline in
Special: (1) F Adapter, (1) A adapter; attached as a link to connect hoses or add extra weight.

Hoses:

5 hoses custom lengths for HERMS setup: (10) High flow C A.K.A. High Flow Barb (HIGHLY recommend the high flow barb)
Extra length hose: (2) High flow C A.K.A. High Flow Barb
Drinking water safe hose: (1) special quick disconnect I got for free that I have on my two hot and cold taps, (1) Standard C
Waist water hose: (1) special quick disconnect I got for free that I have on my two hot and cold taps, (1) Standard C

Hope this helps.

I would recommend these if you are going with hose and barbed fittings:
http://www.brewershardware.com/1-2-Cam-and-Groove-Coupler-X-1-2-high-flow-Hose-Barb.html
The normal barbed female cam locks create a serious restriction and these are only around .60 each more. The rest of the fittings including ball valves are usually full port except for the barbed female cam locks. Its better to have the flow capacity and not need it than to need it and not have it. My system simply would not work the way I wanted with the restrictions.
Another thing is that the correct way to control/restrict flow is downstream from a pump never upstream and it is hard to imagine a system not having a valve downstream of the pump for this purpose.
I have a few brand new stainless 1/2" female barbed cam locks I purchased from Williams brewing before I found these that I would sell you at a good price if you decide to go that route.

Tons....

Male MPT Camlocks = 9
Male FPT Camlocks = 3
Female Camlock Straight = 12
Female Camlock 90 = 3

And I think I have a few males laying around.

Sketch out your systems and decide how many you'll need. There's no fast and easy answer.

Thanks guys...yeah I realize that I will probably be ordering multiple times. But this is helpful.

Do yourself a favor and check out proflowdynamics.com for your cam and groove fitting needs... You'll like the pricing better...


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trboyden said:

Do yourself a favor and check out proflowdynamics.com for your cam and groove fitting needs... You'll like the pricing better...


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Click to expand...

watch out for their shipping charges though

Agreed with everyone on here - draw it out. I ended up making a little power point with all my kettles, and all the various ports / valves. Then I made a slide for each step of the brew process... 1 - fill HLT, 2 - heat & recirc to reach strike temp, 3 - pump to mash tun, 4 - top off HLT, 5 - recirc MT through HERMS while recirculaing HLT... etc etc etc all the way to "pump wort through chill plate and into carboy while another hose is discharging the cooling water into my HLT to be used for cleaning"

I then color coded the hoses and drew them connecting various points on my kettles (the inlets / outlets) and came up with a rough estimate of how long each hose needed to be (not a fitting question, but still worth discussing). Then I made sure that same hose could be used for various other parts of the step.

Then it was a matter of deciding that all the kettles would be "male" and all the hoses would be "female / female". Then trying to figure out if I wanted straight fittings for the hoses, or if some made more sense to have 90's on them (because my pumps are under my kettles, so the 90's take out any kinks).

Then it was a process of making sure every cam either connected to a 90 (FPT) or had the big-flow barb or was a MPT end that I could thread the hose directly onto.

Do that process about 7 times, then order everything... then put it all together and order the 3 random parts you forgot about.

GOOD LUCK!
-Kevin