Figure this is as good a place as any to ask this...
What are peoples pro/con thoughs on 2 piece verses 3 piece ball valves?
Proper sized (non adjustable) box wrenches and a table vice should make short work of a 2 piece valve.
3 piece are designed to disassemble and be cleaned without needing a vice and big wrenches.
Many homebrewers never open their valves, some do it religiously. Your pre boil valves are not really a problem and your BK valve is getting boiled. If you had ball valves on a bright tank or fermenter, or other post boil placement, sanitation is more critical.
2 peice are cheaper, and ive never had to take a valve apart for cleaning. 3 peice are only good for looks.
Get yourself a couple of pipe wrenches and try to take one of the unitary models apart for cleaning.
They come apart they really do. But you gotta work for it (like for an hour) and re-assembly usually requires a fixture and an arbor press.
They were meant to stop flow in a system where active maintenance of sanitary conditions are not at issue.
To me, the 3-piece valves are a waste of money. They do look awesome, but in practice the sanitation advantage doesn't make sense to me. As previously stated, anything pre-boil doesn't matter. The valve on your boil kettle is at boiling temps for an hour. And past all that, I am WAY more worried about the threads all over my system that the ball valve itself.
I would not use a ball valve for a fermenter. I would go to sanitary butterfly valves if I ever go that route. Then you can actually sanitize the whole valve and there are no threads to worry about.
Why would you solder instead of weld? I don't know the pro/cons of either method from a sanitation perspective or longevity. I'd like to know more on this.That being said, it's something everyone should be considering that is doing there own soldering on here. The valve should be about the same price if not cheaper and away with a few more threads on your setup. Just an idea.
They are $14.95 at ProFlow Dynamics. Just sayin'.Bargin Fittings has the 3 part on sale for 17.99 so it is not that much more then the cost of a ss 2 part. I just installed 2 last weeked on my new boil keggel and my old HLT.
Nothing really except for the fact that not everybody has a welder and a tig at that. If you can have it welded go for it! Whether it's a hose barb, sani clamp (tri-clamp) or whatever.Why would you solder instead of weld? I don't know the pro/cons of either method from a sanitation perspective or longevity. I'd like to know more on this.
I'll be out your way in about a month Uberg33k visiting some friends NE of Atlanta. Is it hot and muggy yet?
Enter your email address to join: