Newbie corny keg connections questions

[cpferris]

Hello all, I am getting to keg my first batch of homebrew on Tuesday and have a question about the proper couplers for the corny kegs I have. I got all of my equipment from another brewer who had moved, so I am slowing making my way through what I have an figuring out what I need to buy. Keg wise, I have two ball lock cornies that I will use primarily.

I have a two tap kegerator that I have used since before I started brewing. Both taps are sankey, and in both instances the gas line is 5/16 ID and the beer line is 3/16 ID. I'd like to remain flexible and be able to switch back and forth between home brews and other commercial craft kegs when needed.

By looking around online, it looks like I need something like this for the beerline side:

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/ball-lock-liquid-fitting-threaded.html
and this
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/barbed-swivel-nut-1-4-flare-5-16-barb-2.html

Assuming the ID of the beerline is 3/16, I am assuming I can heat the 3/16 line to get it over the 1/4 barb. Is this correct?

On the gas side, I think I need these:

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/ball-lock-gas-fitting-threaded.html
and this
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/barbed-swivel-nut.html (with a 5/16 barb)

Does that sound correct?

Then if I wanted to use this setup with my existing sankey coupler, I could buy something like this:

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/brewing/kegging/ball-lock-conversion-kit-for-sanke-couplers.html

Is there any easier way to do any of this or I am good to go with the approach outlined?

I just want to make sure I order the appropriate stuff.

Thanks for all the help!

 

[55FordErik]

That is one way to do it. You could eliminate buying the bev out and gas in ball lock the threaded ones and choose to buy the barb types eliminating the purchase of barbed swivel nuts. Purchasing the ball lock\ sanke conversion kit is the easiest way when switching between keg types.

Sent from my XT1080 using Home Brew mobile app

 

[cpferris]

That is one way to do it. You could eliminate buying the bev out and gas in ball lock the threaded ones and choose to buy the barb types eliminating the purchase of barbed swivel nuts.

Of all the barb type gas in connectors I have seen, they all appear to have a 1/4 in barb. Do they make ones with a 5/16 or could you just tighten the 5/16 on the 1/4 barb? Thanks for the reply.

 

[JuanMoore]

I'm a big fan of the flare fittings you linked instead of the QD's with the barbs on them. Makes several operations much easier, and in your case would allow you to switch back and forth between sankey and corny using flare tailpieces, which are a much cheaper alternative to the conversion kit you have linked. Here's what they look like-
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/1-4-stainless-mfl-tail-piece.html

I would avoid trying to use a barb smaller than the tubing. It's just asking for leaks. The same size, or better yet a barb one size larger than the tubing ID is the way to go IMO.

 

[cpferris]

I'm a big fan of the flare fittings you linked instead of the QD's with the barbs on them. Makes several operations much easier, and in your case would allow you to switch back and forth between sankey and corny using flare tailpieces, which are a much cheaper alternative to the conversion kit you have linked. Here's what they look like-
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/1-4-stainless-mfl-tail-piece.html

So do you essentially buy two of these? One for the beer line connect and one for the gas line connect on your sankey? Thanks for the response...this is much cheaper.

 

[JuanMoore]

So do you essentially buy two of these? One for the beer line connect and one for the gas line connect on your sankey? Thanks for the response...this is much cheaper.

Yep, exactly. Not quite as quick and easy as the posts for the corny QD's to snap on to, but still really easy, and much cheaper, simpler, and lower profile.