JakeRidesAgain
Member
So a few months ago, in eager anticipation of buying my kegging system for my new ferment-o-keggerator, I picked up this. It seemed to be exactly what I needed and I think the total came out to $25 bucks shipped. "What a deal!" I said, and eagerly scooped it up.
Well, there was a catch. All the gas fittings I bought from Ritebrew (amazing customer service there, btw) ended up being 3/8 barbed. I think. I'm still working things out, but the guy I talked to at the place seemed pretty intent on making sure I had the right parts. The problem is that my manifold is all 1/4" barbs.
"No problem," says I, "I'll just switch out all the barbs for 3/8 barbs!" Because I'm simultaneously stupid and cheap, I'm now searching for how to fit barbs to these dudes. I'm thinking I may be able to get them all fit with a trip to the LHBS and Home Depot/Lowes, but I'm running into weird problems.
First of all, the input on the manifold is currently this. It seems simple enought to change it out to a 1/4" MPT to 3/8" Barb, I've found a few options in that respect. I'm currently just looking for ways to make sure it's a 1/4" MPT, so if you have any ideas in that respect, that'd be good. The information I got about measuring the outside of the threads seems to point to that, though.
Secondly, in the ends of the output valves are these fittings. I have no idea what the MPT measurement on them is, because it doesn't see to be as big around. It looks like it's about 9/16" across, but the threaded side is just under 1/4" in length, as opposed to the 3/8" I measured for the brass fitting up there. Is this going to be a different measuring standard than MPT? There's also some sort of plastic washer inside, if that helps, and it fits in this shutoff/check valve.
So here's the big catch-all question, besides the few I posted about the fittings. Do I go about trying to change the fittings, or do I just say "screw it" and spend $40 on the manifold that will actually fit my system (and give me a bonus output for co2 flushing and such and such)?
Well, there was a catch. All the gas fittings I bought from Ritebrew (amazing customer service there, btw) ended up being 3/8 barbed. I think. I'm still working things out, but the guy I talked to at the place seemed pretty intent on making sure I had the right parts. The problem is that my manifold is all 1/4" barbs.
"No problem," says I, "I'll just switch out all the barbs for 3/8 barbs!" Because I'm simultaneously stupid and cheap, I'm now searching for how to fit barbs to these dudes. I'm thinking I may be able to get them all fit with a trip to the LHBS and Home Depot/Lowes, but I'm running into weird problems.
First of all, the input on the manifold is currently this. It seems simple enought to change it out to a 1/4" MPT to 3/8" Barb, I've found a few options in that respect. I'm currently just looking for ways to make sure it's a 1/4" MPT, so if you have any ideas in that respect, that'd be good. The information I got about measuring the outside of the threads seems to point to that, though.
Secondly, in the ends of the output valves are these fittings. I have no idea what the MPT measurement on them is, because it doesn't see to be as big around. It looks like it's about 9/16" across, but the threaded side is just under 1/4" in length, as opposed to the 3/8" I measured for the brass fitting up there. Is this going to be a different measuring standard than MPT? There's also some sort of plastic washer inside, if that helps, and it fits in this shutoff/check valve.
So here's the big catch-all question, besides the few I posted about the fittings. Do I go about trying to change the fittings, or do I just say "screw it" and spend $40 on the manifold that will actually fit my system (and give me a bonus output for co2 flushing and such and such)?
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