Current optimal line setup?

[mashdar]

I'm in the process of getting with the 21st century. I've been looking around at current wisdom about gas and beer lines. Am I right that EVAbarrier and Duotight are basically the default these days? Any thoughs re other brands being better? (I saw some talk that duotight may be more sensitive to starsan than a competitor? John something?)

For gas I'm thinking

regulator
ball/check mpt/mft stainless
fft to duotight plastic
evabarrier (edit: 4id 8od?)
duotight to fft plastic
stainless torpedo flare qd

Anyone thing I'm making a mistake, or any alternatives? Hot takes welcome lol.

 

[AlexKay]

I'm in the process of getting with the 21st century. I've been looking around at current wisdom about gas and beer lines. Am I right that EVAbarrier and Duotight are basically the default these days? Any thoughs re other brands being better? (I saw some talk that duotight may be more sensitive to starsan than a competitor? John something?)

For gas I'm thinking

regulator
ball/check mpt/mft stainless
fft to duotight plastic
evabarrier (5id 8od?)
duotight to fft plastic
stainless torpedo flare qd

Anyone thing I'm making a mistake, or any alternatives? Hot takes welcome lol.

That's all reasonable. You probably want the 4 mm ID for your liquid lines (so they can be shorter), and it seems like it could get confusing to have two different ID tubings around. Since there really isn't an advantage to the larger ID for the gas lines, I'd make everything 4ID/8OD.

I've found John Guest fittings, if you have a place that sells them, to be a little easier to use than Duotight, but it's not a big advantage either way. Duotights have this thing where they seal with the tubing only half in, and then beer sprays everywhere when you bump the fitting. Don't do that.

 

[mashdar]

That's all reasonable. You probably want the 4 mm ID for your liquid lines (so they can be shorter), and it seems like it could get confusing to have two different ID tubings around. Since there really isn't an advantage to the larger ID for the gas lines, I'd make everything 4ID/8OD.

I've found John Guest fittings, if you have a place that sells them, to be a little easier to use than Duotight, but it's not a big advantage either way. Duotights have this thing where they seal with the tubing only half in, and then beer sprays everywhere when you bump the fitting. Don't do that.

Oh, yeah I goofed - meant 4id. I'm used to specing wall thickness, so this id/od gets me confused.

 

[Bassman2003]

EVA Barrier is the best imho.

 

[mashdar]

Do we have any idea what the "proprietary polymer" is for the inner material of EVA Barrier? That's my biggest hesitation liquid-side.

It's fine to worry about BPA and PVC, but to paraphrase a professor, "There are two kinds of plastic: new plastic and dirty plastic."

It'd be nice to BOLO for new studies on the material.

 

[AlexKay]

Do we have any idea what the "proprietary polymer" is for the inner material of EVA Barrier? That's my biggest hesitation liquid-side.

It's fine to worry about BPA and PVC, but to paraphrase a professor, "There are two kinds of plastic: new plastic and dirty plastic."

It'd be nice to BOLO for new studies on the material.

There's always Bev-Seal Ultra 235, where you pay more to get longer and much stiffer lines, but it is a plastic that's been in use longer.

 

[day_trippr]

I've been assuming that one of the two plastics used in EVABarrier tubing is, in fact, EVA, or ethyl vinyl acetate, which I believe is used for the outer, barrier, layer. And years ago I came across a description of the other plastic used but can't remember anything about aside that it appeared to be proprietary...

Cheers!

 

[Bassman2003]

I do not know either. Maybe send an email to the Kegland folks? They seem to be right on top of manufacturing and all types of plastic materials. EVA is their choice.

 

[Bobby_M]

Do we have any idea what the "proprietary polymer" is for the inner material of EVA Barrier? That's my biggest hesitation liquid-side.

It's fine to worry about BPA and PVC, but to paraphrase a professor, "There are two kinds of plastic: new plastic and dirty plastic."

It'd be nice to BOLO for new studies on the material.

I'll just reiterate what the toxicologist at one of the Homebrewcon seminars said. Ethanol is something like 100x more poisonous than the small amounts of plastics leached out various brewing processes but no one is talking or worried about that.

 

[mashdar]

I'll just reiterate what the toxicologist at one of the Homebrewcon seminars said. Ethanol is something like 100x more poisonous than the small amounts of plastics leached out various brewing processes but no one is talking or worried about that.

That would be acute toxicity? The lethal dose for table salt is 30% lower than lead, but for chronic exposure lead seems like a bigger issue.

I'm not afaid, I just like to read up and manage risk. E.g. I spray apple trees, but only with things with short half lives and little/no cancer risk at sane doses.

Probably higher risks drivng to the grocery store, though. Point taken.