cweston
Well-Known Member
I have a 3/8 inch ball valve.
I did have some sort of adapter (I think it's called a bushing) that was threaded 3/8 MPT on the outside and something smaller (1/4?) FPT on the inside. This was what actually passed through the hole in the keggle and screwed into the ball valve assembly (with o-ring and large stainless washer on each side of the keggle wall).
I had a 1/4 MPT to 3/8 compression adapter screwed into that, attached to 3/8 OD copper tubing that served as the siphon tube (with a ss braid clamped to the end of it).
These 1/4 fittings were slowing down the drain flow, so I wanted to eliminate them.
I also wanted to get the siphon tube out of the way of my immersion chiller.
I replaced the bushing with a 3/8 hex nipple. It's a little longer than a close nipple, but with a hex head in the middle that allows it to be wrench tightened. This is now the thing that goes through the actual hole in the keggle and attaches to the ball valve.
Then there is a 3/8 coupler and an elbow that is 3/8 MPT to 3/8 compression (pointing toward the bottom of the keggle). That is attached to a re-fashioned 3/8 OD copper siphon tube, which goes to the bottlom of the keggle (only about an inch) and curves out to the center.
This improves the flow a bit and allows the immersion chiller to sit properly (rather than askew.)
All of the fittings are things that can be found at the hardware store. (I know there's a fair amount of interest in this here.) They are brass (I've never seen stainless fittings at a regular hardware store.)
Having said all that, if I were doing it over again I might spring the extra $$ for having couplers welded on, as I think it'd ultimately be a lot easier and hassle-free.
I did have some sort of adapter (I think it's called a bushing) that was threaded 3/8 MPT on the outside and something smaller (1/4?) FPT on the inside. This was what actually passed through the hole in the keggle and screwed into the ball valve assembly (with o-ring and large stainless washer on each side of the keggle wall).
I had a 1/4 MPT to 3/8 compression adapter screwed into that, attached to 3/8 OD copper tubing that served as the siphon tube (with a ss braid clamped to the end of it).
These 1/4 fittings were slowing down the drain flow, so I wanted to eliminate them.
I also wanted to get the siphon tube out of the way of my immersion chiller.
I replaced the bushing with a 3/8 hex nipple. It's a little longer than a close nipple, but with a hex head in the middle that allows it to be wrench tightened. This is now the thing that goes through the actual hole in the keggle and attaches to the ball valve.
Then there is a 3/8 coupler and an elbow that is 3/8 MPT to 3/8 compression (pointing toward the bottom of the keggle). That is attached to a re-fashioned 3/8 OD copper siphon tube, which goes to the bottlom of the keggle (only about an inch) and curves out to the center.
This improves the flow a bit and allows the immersion chiller to sit properly (rather than askew.)
All of the fittings are things that can be found at the hardware store. (I know there's a fair amount of interest in this here.) They are brass (I've never seen stainless fittings at a regular hardware store.)
Having said all that, if I were doing it over again I might spring the extra $$ for having couplers welded on, as I think it'd ultimately be a lot easier and hassle-free.
