Need help hooking up regulator, lots of pics

Here goes. I have my kegs, my co2 and my regulator, now I just need to put them together. I know what I need and I'm pretty sure I know how to, but I can't figure a couple things out with my regulator. The first two pics are my new co2 regulator I got off ebay, front and back. It came with these small pieces of hose attached. My first problem is getting those off. Do I need to? I was trying to with a screw-driver, but those clamps are wierd. Second two pictures are of the clamps close up. I can't figure out how to take them off. I'm used to the kind with a place for a flat-head screwdriver.

Last two quick questions:
1) Do I need to/how do I clean this sucker before shooting co2 through it and into my beer?
2) Can I hook this directly up to my co2 tank? It looks like it has a hose coming off horizontally, I thought that horizontal end led to my co2 tank.

PICS:

I can't tell from the pics but that clamp might be pressed on, in which case you'll have to cut it off. You have any tin snips?

BTW I'm watching your post because I'm getting ready to hook up my sys as well.

Good luck
Al

GIusedtoBe said:

I can't tell from the pics but that clamp might be pressed on, in which case you'll have to cut it off. You have any tin snips?

BTW I'm watching your post because I'm getting ready to hook up my sys as well.

Good luck
Al

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I do not. It doesn't seem to have anyway to pull it off, I've tried screwdriver and needle nose pliers. I guess I'll just have to get some tin snips or try to cut down into the tubing and pull it off.

Those are oetiker clamps. You can get a tool that clamps them and removes them but it'd be cheaper to just simply cut them off if you don't plan on using that style clamp on your lines.

To hook the reg to your tank you will need to remove the fitting from the right side and replace it with a cylinder valve stem and nut, and a washer. Here's a link to the stuff Northern Brewer sells: http://northernbrewer.com/regulator-parts.html

I don't know if you need left or right hand threads for the valve stem. You'll have to check your regulator.

YOu rock Buford, since I have your attention, do I need to sterilize this thing somehow before hooking up to the kegs?

You have two regulators there. You only need one unless you want to have different pressures on two or more kegs. You need to visit a welding supply store to get the proper fittings for attaching to the tank. Those fittings on the bottom will not fit a CO2 tank.

I would use the red regulator with the two gauges and remove the other one for now. You could pick up a barbed fitting from the welding supply store for your hoses too, if you want, but I can't see any reason why you couldn't cut that Oetiker off. Put the barbed fitting where the other regulator is attached and you're good to go. BTW, each port on the regulator should be labelled as to whether it is low or high pressure. You'll have two of each.

Fingers said:

You have two regulators there. You only need one unless you want to have different pressures on two or more kegs. You need to visit a welding supply store to get the proper fittings for attaching to the tank. Those fittings on the bottom will not fit a CO2 tank.

I would use the red regulator with the two gauges and remove the other one for now. You could pick up a barbed fitting from the welding supply store for your hoses too, if you want, but I can't see any reason why you couldn't cut that Oetiker off. Put the barbed fitting where the other regulator is attached and you're good to go. BTW, each port on the regulator should be labelled as to whether it is low or high pressure. You'll have two of each.

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Hey fingers, I want to hook up two kegs without spending any more money than I have to right now. Could I use the two regulators to do that instead of buying something to split off of one regulator?

It looks like the individual who owned the setup beforemust have had another regulator and that these two-regulators were extended from it.

Problem is that you have no fitting coming from your regulators that will fit the male fitting on the tank.

Cheapest route will be to fine a barb'd fitting that will fit into your (presumably new) gas hose and thread onto your tank.

No good man, DIY hose sets will not deal with 900psi. POW!

Buford said:

Those are oetiker clamps. You can get a tool that clamps them and removes them but it'd be cheaper to just simply cut them off if you don't plan on using that style clamp on your lines.

To hook the reg to your tank you will need to remove the fitting from the right side and replace it with a cylinder valve stem and nut, and a washer. Here's a link to the stuff Northern Brewer sells: http://northernbrewer.com/regulator-parts.html

I don't know if you need left or right hand threads for the valve stem. You'll have to check your regulator.

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How do you check if it's left hand or right hand? If it looks righty-tighty, lefty loosy it's right handed?

Bobby_M said:

No good man, DIY hose sets will not deal with 900psi. POW!

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?What? I'm completely screwed? I thought if I got the valve stem I could hook it straight up to the tank... no hose?

Whatever you run from tank to the first regulator had better be able to handle 1000psi. If you have some 1000psi hose (pw hose, hydraulic lines), feel free to use those. For most people it's a metal tank fitting direct to the reg. For some, the tank has a another regulator that drops it below 100psi then delivers it to the pair. That's how it appears yours was originally set up.

seefresh said:

Hey fingers, I want to hook up two kegs without spending any more money than I have to right now. Could I use the two regulators to do that instead of buying something to split off of one regulator?

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You'll need a manifold or at the very least a tee fitting to split the output. You set one regulator to provide a pressure that is equal to the highest of the two kegs, say 15 psi. You put that pressure into a manifold or a tee and one line goes to the higher pressure keg and the other to the second regulator to be stepped down further. As was said by Buford, you need a fitting to put the high pressure regulator directly on the tank with a metal fitting, not hose. Those fittings are really cheap from welding supply stores. You're fine.

i think you have gotten confused seefresh, granted you have a regulator but that exact one as it sits can not be used as a regualtor hooked to a CO2 tank you will need to buy a couple parts to make it that way, like said above a welding shop or the link posted to northern brewer above has them they are the, Cylinder Valve Nut, and Cylinder Valve Stem before you can hook those regualtors to your CO2 tank.
id bet a case of beer the guy that sold it to you was using it as a manifold(beer splitter) not a CO2 tank regualtor.

you have 2 choices lol, buy a C02 tank regualtor, run a line from that to your current manifold, or buy the 2 parts from the welding shop or nothern brewer and use your current regualtor,

check out how NB has there regualtors, it might make more sense to you
http://northernbrewer.com/regulators.html

I would say his setup was indeed used as a secondary bank (probably a better name for it than manifold since manifolds are simple same-pressure distributors). Since you only have two regs there, I don't see much of an advantage to buying another primary regulator to attach to the tank. That's usually a great plan when you want to mount your CO2 tank really far away from your kegs. You step the pressure down to say 60psi (much safer for a long run of hose) and then hit a large secondary bank near the kegs where you can dial in mutliple pressures. If you didn't do this, you'd be running individual lines (sometimes a whole bundle) all the way from the tank.

Bottom line, get the stem and nut required for attachment to the tank and you're golden.

Here's the inside of mine using a 3-reg secondary bank inside which is fed from a single primary regulator on my tank outside.

Bobby_M said:

No good man, DIY hose sets will not deal with 900psi. POW!

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D O H !!!

Forgot about that. Too many HB's last night.

Yep. Gonna need to invest in a primary regulator.

seefresh said:

YOu rock Buford, since I have your attention, do I need to sterilize this thing somehow before hooking up to the kegs?

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I've never done it.

seefresh said:

How do you check if it's left hand or right hand? If it looks righty-tighty, lefty loosy it's right handed?

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Yeah. If it screws like a normal machine screw or bolt it's right-handed. If it screws on backwards like a hardware store oxygen canister it's left-handed.

What you have is two secondary regulators, and no primary regulator to come off the tank. these two are setup to control individual kegs, stepping down the psi from the primary regulator on the CO2 cylinder.

I think you're best, safest bet, is to get a cheap primary regulator from somewhere like beveragefactory.com and then you'll have a barb coming off it to run a gas line to the dual-secondary regulatory setup you've got.

malkore said:

What you have is two secondary regulators, and no primary regulator to come off the tank. these two are setup to control individual kegs, stepping down the psi from the primary regulator on the CO2 cylinder.

I think you're best, safest bet, is to get a cheap primary regulator from somewhere like beveragefactory.com and then you'll have a barb coming off it to run a gas line to the dual-secondary regulatory setup you've got.

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Is there really a difference in the actual regulators or can I just by the right cylinder valve hook ups and swap it out for the barbed one that's on there.

The regulator on the far left reads up to 3000psi, so I think it should be able to handle the tank, no?

Bobby_M said:

You step the pressure down to say 60psi (much safer for a long run of hose) and then hit a large secondary bank near the kegs where you can dial in mutliple pressures.

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Why not step the pressure all the way down to the highest required pressure right from the CO2 tank, Bobby? Then you could go to a manifold and distribute it either directly to the tank that requires that pressure, and to the other regulator to be stepped even further? One regulator on the tank, the other off the manifold (or tee)? Your long line would be even less than 60psi.

And yes, Seefresh, just buy the cylinder hookup. Those regulators can handle tank pressure all the way to keg pressure. In my opinion, you don't need another regulator unless you want yet a third differing pressure in a third tank. That's what I will be doing in my setup. I have multiple regulators too. I got them for nothing so I might as well put them to use.

Here's what you need. The nut and one or the other of the stems. The one on the right is right handed the one on the left is left handed. It will depend on if the thread on the right side of your right regulator is RH or LH.

anoldur said:

Here's what you need. The nut and one or the other of the stems. The one on the right is right handed the one on the left is left handed. It will depend on if the thread on the right side of your right regulator is RH or LH.

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Mines a lefty, just found out and none of the danged welding places here have any left hand ones. GOnna have to order online and wait

Try your LHBS. My regulator came with a stem that was too long to fit in my mini frig. Keystone had a short one in stock.

anoldur said:

Try your LHBS. My regulator came with a stem that was too long to fit in my mini frig. Keystone had a short one in stock.

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Well, just placed an order with Northernbrewer. I think I finally have everything I need to drink kegged beer.... just need a fridge to keep it cold now LOL. Here's my latest order from northernbrewer:

Qty 1 Cylinder Valve Nut
Qty 1 Cylinder Valve Stem LHT
Qty 1 Gas Connector Kit - BL (Ball Lock Version)
Qty 1 Foam-Free Tubing Kit - BL (Ball Lock Version)
Qty 2 S/S Worm Gear Clamp #1 1/8" - 1/2" OD

Total Goods: $34.18
Shipping: $6.97
Tax Amount: $0.00
-------
Order Total: $41.15

Hate to ask, but does the stem/nut include a sealing washer?

pldoolittle said:

Hate to ask, but does the stem/nut include a sealing washer?

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Nope, I'm an idiot. Luckily the welding shops do have washers Thanks for pointing that out, I'd have forgotten for sure.

EDIT: Welp, just called up northernbrewer and they added it to my order. THanks again pldoolittle.

Nice save, pldoolittle.

Fingers said:

Nice save, pldoolittle.

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What would happen if I'd forgotten the washer? A leak?

Yup. And if you didn't catch it, you'd probably have an empty tank the next day. The connection to the tank is often missed by people when they check for leaks. Let this be a lesson to us all, check ALL connections with your leak-test when you re-connect every time.

Fingers said:

Yup. And if you didn't catch it, you'd probably have an empty tank the next day. The connection to the tank is often missed by people when they check for leaks. Let this be a lesson to us all, check ALL connections with your leak-test when you re-connect every time.

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Hey fingers, I seem to have your attention and I still haven't heard about cleaning it. DO I need to sterilize this thing somehow?

Nope. As long as there isn't any debris in it, you'll be fine. You should clean your gas disconnect though.

Fingers said:

Nope. As long as there isn't any debris in it, you'll be fine. You should clean your gas disconnect though.

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Cool, think I'm ready. Now I just need to get all of my parts in the mail and get confused again.

Just remember not to lay down your kegs or to fill them past the gas-in dip tube. If you don't have check valves on the lines it's the surest way to screw up your regulator by accidentally sucking beer into it.

Hmmmm.... I guess no one mentioned check valves, did they? Well, you can put them on later. Just be careful.

What would happen if I'd forgotten the washer? A leak?

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Similar question that may apply to what Seefresh gets from Northernbrewer. I replaced my stem with a shorter one. The original on had a deep face groove with an o-ring in it. The new one had a really shallow face groove, too small for the o-ring. I put it together without anything in there as a seal. It’s been that way for a couple of weeks now and doesn’t seem to be leaking. (Passed soapy water test.) Should this type of stem have a seal?

AFAIK, unless it's a flare/compression fitting all gas connections need a seal. Looking at the design of these (face-to-face), I would guess that achieving a seal without one is more luck than design.

My bottle face has a small groove (too small for an O ring), and my seal disk has a raised ring to match. My stem is flat faced.