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If you are using a keggle with propane, be cognizant of the chime relief/drain holes. You do not want a valve or a sight glass to be directly above one of those holes. If you aren't using a keggle, or you are on electric, ignore my statement.

I do both! I built a dual stage counterflow chiller, so the first stage uses groundwater, whatever temperature that is, and then the second stage is recirculated ice water with a submersible pump. In the summer in Georgia, I can chill down to low 60's, upper 50's in one pass. In the winter I can...

I'm generally a bit of an outlier. I also believe the term compromise is being used in a negative connotation here, where I don't think it necessarily needs to. I actually think that just about everything we do is a balancing act given our personal priorities, budget, and what is practical for...

Haha. I forgot to mention that I use that particular scale for many other tasks, which require a much higher weight rating, so it is multi-purpose for me. I also dabble in woodworking and I've been chainsaw milling my own flitch slabs. Before I sticker them to dry in the basement/garage, I try...

I personally prefer the scales with a separate wired remote display. I bought one a while ago with the remote display that can read up to 400#. I will say that at less than 1-2# it isn't that accurate, but at higher weights for base grain, it is fine. For specialty grains I use a different scale...

I am one that uses my oil-free air compressor to blow out the residual rinse water in the cold plate of my jockey boxes. I do think it is important that the air compressor is oil-free, as you definitely don't want air compressor oil getting into the jockey box internals. I built some...

I bought some aluminum angle from home depot to make skis for each of my pumps: I had to do something like this to keep the pumps from tipping when fittings and tubing were attached. I just cut to length, drilled holes to match the pump mounting bracket, and then used nuts and short bolts to...

You'll figure out what works best for you, there are a number of ways to do it, and different brewers have their own versions. I'd recommend for you to try a few different ways and see what sticks for you. My personal preference is not to naturally carb due to the increased sediment you get...

They are great valves, and I'm very happy with mine. I take them apart after every brew, and rinse any material that was remaining. they come apart in less than 20 seconds, and are put back together in the same amount of time.

When was the last time you replaced the lid o-ring, post o-rings, dip tube o-rings, and poppets on your kegs?

same here. With 14 taps, there are some that go months with no use. I have Perlick 650ss faucets, and they have never gotten stuck. Before I standardized to the 650ss, I had 630ss, 525ss, 425ss, as well as original ventmatic forward sealing faucets, they all never stuck for me. Going to forward...

here are some pictures of the old crusty valve: Here are the new valves that I use:

I think we have the same take-apart valves. Mine are 1/2" NPT female on both ends, and are held together with a tri-clamp. I bought mine from brewers hardware. I made the expensive upgrade because I took apart my boil kettle single piece ball valve after over 10 years of brewing with it, and it...

my first thought is that you are not pushing the tubing in far enough to get a complete seal around the tubing. Is it leaking around the tubing or the threads? If it is the threads on the shank, then you need to make sure that there is a gasket between the end of the shank and the inside...

Ah, I've heard that boiling water can help get the tubing over barbs, but it can still be a pain. If you can swing the purchase, getting the John Guest fittings and MFL disconnects are great. I have the John Guest fittings on my disconnects as well as the shanks, and it made installation a breeze.

Haha. Yea, that is one very strong reason why I haven't made the plunge to stainless disconnects. I probably have on the range of over 50 sets of plastic disconnects total for pin lock and ball lock. Even at $20 per set, it adds up quickly!

Did you also get the appropriate John Guest fittings? They make using the tubing exceptionally simple. I've actually changed all my fittings over to John Guest for both liquid and gas to make things easier to attach, remove, and change out.

Yea, I've seen those for years, but all the fittings I have require the 1/4" MFL so that I can go directly to a John Guest fitting, the barb is a non-starter for me, unfortunately. Thanks for looking though, I appreciate it!

For CFC's, I would say it is good practice to remove as much moisture from the inside of the copper, and really outside of the copper too. If you let water sit in contact with the copper, you can have issues of pitting in particular. Less likely would be verdigris growth, but since you can't see...

Thats one of the reasons I listed why I sold off my stout setup. The inherent design of a stout faucet is prone to sanitation issues due to where the seal is. There is always beer exposed behind the restrictor plate. It was too much trouble for me, but it may not be for others that have fewer...