Stainless vs Aluminum vs Polypropylene Cam and Groove Couplings

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Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am going to begin building my single tier, three keg system and I wanted everybody's opinion on cam and groove disconnects from www.proflowdynamics.com. Especially you Bobby M.!

My question is:

What are your opinions on the benefits of using one material over another?

I am jealous of the awesome stainless setups that everyone's using; but I'm hung over paying 3x (typically) the price for stainless over aluminum or polypropylene. My opinion swings mainly over price because I haven't seen a huge difference in the capabilities of the three materials. I crunched the numbers and came up with the following based on the need for six disconnect assemblies:

Stainless:

Six type F adapters: $23.52
Six type D couplers: $34.68 which comes to $58.20 without tax and shipping.

Aluminum:

Six type F adapters: $5.10
Six type D couplers: $11.28 which comes to $16.38..

Polypropylene:

Six type F adapters: $2.34
Six type D couplers: $10.74 which comes to $13.08..

I'm honestly leaning more towards aluminum because I'm willing to pay the extra $3 for metal over plastic; but is there an operational reason to pay the $58.20 for stainless? Looking forward to reading all of your replies! Cheers. :mug:
 
Aluminum pros: cheap
Aluminum cons: scratches, abrades and wears easily, reacts with some strong cleaning products.

Stainless pros: looks great, inert to most cleaning products, doesn't abrade or wear readily, will out-live the brewer and the brewery.
Stainless cons: expensive, although the ProFlow Dynamics connectors are relatively cheap compared to other stainless connectors.
 
I had a similar decision. I went with all SS. I figured buy now and then I won't have to pay anything later to upgrade.

I was put off aluminum because I figured I could not run Star San and Oxiclean through them as it will affect the metal.

Also buy your #210 silicone o-rings from somewhere like oringsandmore. They are a lot cheaper than buying from PFD direct.
 
I've been going back and forth between the SS and PP myself trying to justify the SS. The Al & brass were out because of the reaction with some cleaners and I want to be able to acid wash during CIP. I figured if I used all females on my hoses there would be less chance for dings since the males will be mounted to mainly stationary vessels. Also the PP will conduct heat less, making hot swapping hoses less of an ordeal. Even if they do get beat up you can buy 4-5 sets of PP before you're at the SS price, and ss or not, you'll be replacing fittings at some point due to damage. The one comment that I did get back from Proflow is that the PP is actually a 3/4" body, which is a little larger (more robust?) than the SS bodies which are 1/2". Barbs and NPT are still 1/2" on the PP though.
 
CPT Bigelow,

Yeah, I'm tracking the oringsandmore.com site. It's like $5 for a pack of twenty or something. Good call brother.

WPStrassburg,

Good info on the polypropylene.

To All,

What type of reaction does the aluminum have to these cleaners? Does it render them useless or does it just mess up the appearance? Also, do these cleaners have the same effect on the polypropylene?
 
Aired Ale,

I know ss is cheaper through proflow; however, I think their prices have been rising in the stainless 1/2" series... The coupler is only $0.12 cheaper than the 3/4" and the adapter is more expensive! I believe this is due to Bobby M's videos making them more popular...
 
Did they offer any more detail than that? Not food safe to use a single time or not safe for any prolonged use? Because in brewing you're supposed to replace all plastic equipment every year or so?
 
Sorry i thought i posted the email in the review thread but i didn't, and i didn't save the email. Just email Dave he will let you know. He just told me they don't use food grade polypropylene. I didn't press any further and just went with SS>
 
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am going to begin building my single tier, three keg system and I wanted everybody's opinion on cam and groove disconnects from www.proflowdynamics.com. Especially you Bobby M.!

My question is:

What are your opinions on the benefits of using one material over another?

I am jealous of the awesome stainless setups that everyone's using; but I'm hung over paying 3x (typically) the price for stainless over aluminum or polypropylene. My opinion swings mainly over price because I haven't seen a huge difference in the capabilities of the three materials. I crunched the numbers and came up with the following based on the need for six disconnect assemblies:

Stainless:

Six type F adapters: $23.52
Six type D couplers: $34.68 which comes to $58.20 without tax and shipping.

Aluminum:

Six type F adapters: $5.10
Six type D couplers: $11.28 which comes to $16.38..

Polypropylene:

Six type F adapters: $2.34
Six type D couplers: $10.74 which comes to $13.08..

I'm honestly leaning more towards aluminum because I'm willing to pay the extra $3 for metal over plastic; but is there an operational reason to pay the $58.20 for stainless? Looking forward to reading all of your replies! Cheers. :mug:

I would not use aluminum because aluminum is very soft. Any kind of ding is a potential hiding place for unwanted bugs.
 
FWIW, I use aluminum cam-lock fittings on my RIMS rig with zero issues. I also use hot (160F) PBW exclusively in combination with a CIP spray nozzle.

If I was brewing for a living and turning out daily batches, I could justify the cost of stainless with regard to long-term reliability. As a hobby turning out ~24 batches a year, aluminum is an excellent choice and should easily last for the life of the rig.

If you're going for bling and a bigger whole in your wallet, get the SS. Otherwise, the AL fittings will be more than satisfactory at the homebrew level.
 
I doubt you'll have any practical problems with aluminum. They won't look as pretty after a year of use, but if you don't care then...

Look at it this way though, for $45, you increase the stainless to other metal ratio in your rig and that alone makes you cool. Well, no, but I'm sure it adds resale value to the rig if you ever bail out...
 
I doubt you'll have any practical problems with aluminum. They won't look as pretty after a year of use, but if you don't care then...

Look at it this way though, for $45, you increase the stainless to other metal ratio in your rig and that alone makes you cool. Well, no, but I'm sure it adds resale value to the rig if you ever bail out...

Oh, I know it definitely scores you cool points!

Bobby M, I think you single-handedly increased proflowdynamics profit exponentially!

One thing that I am worried about with the aluminum (other than the looks) is the heat transfer properties in comparison to stainless. When recirculation boiling wort/hot liquor I don't want to have to use gloves. Does anyone have this issue with aluminum or stainless?
 
I don't think you'll notice much difference in how hot the metal gets. While aluminum moves heat faster, they'll both catch up to the liquid temp by the time you touch them. I always use gloves with an 8" gauntlet anyway when I'm moving the lines around. It's cheap insurance against bad burns.
 
So far I'm tracking the following:

Aluminum: Finish won't handle certain cleaners but is cheaper than stainless.

Polypropylene: Not an option b/c it's not food safe.

Stainless: Not affected by cleaners, looks better than aluminum, costs 3x as much as aluminum but will increase the resale of the brew rig if hell freezes over and I decide to sell it.

Conclusions: If I'm worried about the looks of the brew rig, (i.e. polishing the kegs, painting the stand, not having multi-material ball valves/disconnects/elbows) then stainless is the best option.

If I'm trying to build a bare-bones (aesthetically) rig, then aluminum is the way to go.

Thanks for everybody's time and interest in the thread. I'll let you know what I decide.
 
Their PP couplings aren't NSF stamped, so they can't be sold for use with food, doesn't make then toxic, just not stamped. Whose got a PP bottling bucket?
 
I just purchased SS cam's from www.proflowdynamics.com I didn't really think about SS verses and other sort of metal when I started looking at quick disconnects or clover.

cams - proflow 1 set of the MOST expensive 1/2" SS (type C/F) $5.99 + $3.92 = $9.91
Threaded Stainless Steel Quick Disconnect Set SS - $24.95
Complete Tri Clamp Kit (SS Clover) - $25.00

Why would Al or plastic even be an option. I think the SS cams are a steal.

Can we post what the o-ring replacement is for the 1/2" SS cams?
I know Bobby mentioned it in his youtube video, but said it a little to fast for me.
 
The reason I'm entertaining other materials is because although the ss proflow disconnects are a steal comparatively, they are (as we've shown) not a necessity. It is cool to have a stainless masterpiece, but one of the best ways to save money in your build is to not buy stainless pieces. $50 extra can buy you all sorts of goodies. You can get an immersion chiller, I bought a set of 5 ss ball valves for $27 on ebay, add more disconnects to your system to make things easier, etc.

It may not seem like a lot of money to save but if you consider that you're going to be spending somewhere close to $1,000 in a short period of time to build a rig, there are a lot of ways to save money and still get quality equipment.
 
I got the aluminum ones from proflow, no problems with starsan, oxiclean, or PBW so far. They are soft and show the use but they work for me just fine.
 
I got the aluminum ones from proflow, no problems with starsan, oxiclean, or PBW so far. They are soft and show the use but they work for me just fine.

Good to know. I went with Aluminum and was wondering about some cleaning issues. How much do you water down the Oxy or PBW to feel good about its cleaning ability and it not effecting the metal?
 
How much do you water down the Oxy or PBW to feel good about its cleaning ability and it not effecting the metal?

PBW spec sheet:

P.B.W. is a buffered alkaline detergent that has been proven to be more than an
effective substitute for caustic soda cleaners. Because of its unique formulation of
buffers and mild alkalis, it is safe on skin as well as soft metals such as stainless steel,
aluminum, and on plastics.
P.B.W. uses active oxygen to penetrate carbon or protein
soils and is not effected by hard water. The oxygen also helps in reducing B.O.D. and
C.O.D. in wastewater, which is an added environmental benefit.
 
Well, I made the plunge... I decided to go with aluminum. I wanted stainless very badly but I had to look at it from this angle..

If I get every single nice thing I want during the course of this build, (based on expense) then I will not get my system done for damn near a year. Therefore, I bit the bullet and got aluminum for the same reason I didn't get three piece ball valves, build the brew stand out of stainless, put a thermal blanket w/ stainless sheeting around the mash tun(good idea bobby), put a whirlpool in the mash tun, or all of the other bad ass things you can do. I will be looking forward to all of the upgrades as I'm sure we all do. But I'm gonna get a working system going and I'll tweak it as I get more experienced with it's use.

Thanks for all of the replies and I appreciate the help with the decision.

Pray for the men and women of the 101st Airborne fighting in afghanistan. They kick ass so we don't have to.
 
I've had the polypro in for the last 4 brews and have had good luck with them. They don't get hot at all and seem pretty resilient. All my hoses have the females and equipment has the males, so I'm hoping the males don't get beat up too bad.
 
@goybar and j-malone, Sorry it's taken me so long to respond guys. I must have looked over the e-mail.

I've had no issues with the aluminum. They change colors from shiney metalic to a dull gray but that's the extent of the issues. They do get HOT AS HELL when you're pumping boiling wort through them; but all in all they're fine. The locking mechanism is still holding up fine and the silicon o-rings have worked out great.

Final review, if you're going for a major bling factor on your brewery then you should go with stainless. They do go dull fairly quickly. However, if you're going for functionality then they work great for 1/4 the price of SS. No problems cleaning anything either.:mug:
 
Anyone have any updates on how the aluminum is holding up after some use?

I've used the AL cam locks for 2 brews. So far no problems. This thread also missed mentioning one of the benefits of using AL - it cools down a lot faster than SS!! They throw that in for free.
 
Sorry to bring up an old thread but I am ready to pull the trigger on alum cam's and would like to know if anyone has had any issues over the past year with them?
 
I've been brewing with the aluminum cam locks for the past 14 months, a total of 28 brew sessions. No issues with them, they even look like the original aluminum color. I agree, they do cool down pretty fast. There are no signs of abuse or any dings.
Hope this helps.

Tom
 
I've been brewing with the aluminum cam locks for the past 14 months, a total of 28 brew sessions. No issues with them, they even look like the original aluminum color. I agree, they do cool down pretty fast. There are no signs of abuse or any dings.
Hope this helps.

Tom

Helps alot, I was going to order them anyways but I just like to have a little anecdotal evidence. Total came to 56 bucks including shipping for my rig (Males on all vessel ports, pump in/out, and water filter; females on ends of hoses-3 hoses total; and also bought a few dust caps/plugs for good measure).
 
Anyone know if these are interchangeable? I'm thinking of going all stainless for the male and female but thought I'd save a few bucks by getting the aluminum or polypropylene dust caps/plugs.
 
The poly ones are 3/4" size so you would need 3/4" alum. which would mean you would need 3/4" threaded fittings and have to be able to stretch your tubing over 3/4" barbs. I love my poly ones and have had no issues or damage since I got them. I can use one size cam lock for my 1/2" or 3/4" connections too. 1/8" wall silicone stretches over the 3/4 barbs and gives you a larger flow diameter through the barb too.
 
Reviving a really old thread here, but for those that use polypropylene cam locks, did yours have an off-smell when you got them? And if so, how did you get them to smell home brew fresh?! :mug:

I got a hell of a deal on new PP cam locks, but they smell pretty bad. I was going to soak them in soap and water, then hot PBW if that didn't work. Any other tips I might be able to use?

Thanks.
 
Have any of you aluminum guys noticed damage to or have any leaking trouble with the threads of the camlocks? If not, did you just wrap liberally with tape and never remove them from your ball valves?

Thanks
 
punkiwishiwere said:
Have any of you aluminum guys noticed damage to or have any leaking trouble with the threads of the camlocks? If not, did you just wrap liberally with tape and never remove them from your ball valves?

Thanks

No issues here. The only problem with threads I have had was when I initially soldered them (couplings to the pots). I had some carbon build up from my propane torch. It's a pain in the ass to get off but when I did get it off, free and clear. Thrown on some teflon tape and drive on.

i never take the cam locks off, though. I recirc. My hot cleaning solution through the pots, lines, and chiller while they're still in place.
 
So far I'm tracking the following:

Aluminum: Finish won't handle certain cleaners but is cheaper than stainless.

Polypropylene: Not an option b/c it's not food safe.

Stainless: Not affected by cleaners, looks better than aluminum, costs 3x as much as aluminum but will increase the resale of the brew rig if hell freezes over and I decide to sell it.

Conclusions: If I'm worried about the looks of the brew rig, (i.e. polishing the kegs, painting the stand, not having multi-material ball valves/disconnects/elbows) then stainless is the best option.

If I'm trying to build a bare-bones (aesthetically) rig, then aluminum is the way to go.

Thanks for everybody's time and interest in the thread. I'll let you know what I decide.


I purchased my initial QD's from PFS I decide on SS Since I had SS ball valves & like the durability and non- reactivity. When I needed more I checked out Bargain a Fittings. Better prices & a fixed shipping charge. PFD really sticks you on shipping.
I've been using for a year plus and the fit & quality are great.
M


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
 
I don't see anyone advocating for the Polysulfone QDs. I think they are a great option. I have them for all of my valves. They work very well and are not hot during brewing. For homebrewing, I think they are a great option.
 
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