Bevlex Barrier Lines - hard to fit adapter in?

[spaceyaquarius]

Just got the Bevlex glass lined barrier lines from Birdman Brewing because I was getting vinyl taste from my pvc lines. It worked from the very 1st pour, no taste at all.

Here's the problem. My beer out ball lock, quick-disconnects have 1/4" diameter barbs while the Bevlex is 3/16" ID. Unlike vinyl tubing, you can't just soak it in hot water and ram the barb in.

I took 2 inches of vinyl line, a 3/16" inner diameter (male-male) barb, and hose clamps and made a Frankenstein monster adapter. The 3/16" Bevlex won't even go all the way onto the barb.

I'm sure I'm doing something wrong.

 

[suprat78]

Welcome to the club

You need to place the end of the line in boiling water. At the same time, I used a flaring tool that was heated with a heat gun and mated the two together to stretch out the lines. You may need to do this several times and add some oil/grease to your flaring tool to help during removal.

After stretching the bevflex lines enough mate the two pieces. Take a heat gun to the QD and heat the line to seal it around.

Good luck!

 

[zachattack]

There are many threads on this.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/calling-accuflex-bev-seal-ultra-3-16-experts-343054/

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/installing-accuflex-bev-seal-ultra-3-16-a-431424/

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/accuflex-bev-seal-ultra-tubing-problem-381622/

etc.

Unless you want to switch to John Guest fittings, it's a bit of a PITA. But after you do one or two barbs it's pretty quick, and these lines should last you a long time so you won't have to do it again for a while.

 

[day_trippr]

It'd be a lot easier (and possibly more reliable) to use John Guest push-to-connect fittings with Bev Seal Ultra Series 235 lines than risk damaging the liner by forcing it over a barb...

Cheers!

 

[spaceyaquarius]

It'd be a lot easier (and possibly more reliable) to use John Guest push-to-connect fittings with Bev Seal Ultra Series 235 lines than risk damaging the liner by forcing it over a barb...

Cheers!

$20 for a fitting on Amazon? Wow, sometimes Amazon really jacks those prices up. The John Guest site has it for $3. I really don't see me getting that 1/4" flare in this tubing. For $3 it's worth the money. Thanks.

http://www.freshwatersystems.com/p-2574-john-guest-female-adapter-flare-516-x-14-flare.aspx

 

[day_trippr]

$20 for a fitting on Amazon? Wow, sometimes Amazon really jacks those prices up. The John Guest site has it for $3. I really don't see me getting that 1/4" flare in this tubing. For $3 it's worth the money. Thanks.

C'mon, look closer: the Amazon listing is for a ten-pack. That makes it $2.07 per...

Cheers!

 

[spaceyaquarius]

What am I going to do with a pack of 10 though?

It would still cost me $20+shipping and I'd have 7 useless adapters left over that aren't worth selling to anyone. I already have enough spare homebrew parts.

 

[zachattack]

day_trippr's right that the John Guest fittings are the "proper" way to do it and are a lot easier, but I'd guess that at least 90% of the Accuflex users on this forum got them over the 1/4" barbs without too much grief. There's certainly a learning curve but once you do one or two it's a lot easier, and I wouldn't worry about damaging the liner. It seems pretty tough and if the beer touches the outer rigid tubing which is polyolefin (PP or PE, not PVC) in one tiny location it's not a problem.

There are some more tips on this page:
http://www.birdmanbrewing.com/accuflex-bev-seal-ultra-barrier-tubing-3-16-id-50ft-free-shipping/

I really don't see me getting that 1/4" flare in this tubing.

If you're getting thirsty I'd at least give it a shot while waiting for the JG fittings to come in. You can use a heat gun or boiling water.

 

[day_trippr]

What am I going to do with a pack of 10 though?

It would still cost me $20+shipping and I'd have 7 useless adapters left over that aren't worth selling to anyone. I already have enough spare homebrew parts.

Jeeze, calm down before you blow a microchip. If I was converting to Bev-Seal tubing I'd need 12 of those fittings...

Cheers!

 

[Stealthcruiser]

What am I going to do with a pack of 10 though?

It would still cost me $20+shipping and I'd have 7 useless adapters left over that aren't worth selling to anyone. I already have enough spare homebrew parts.

Send the balance to me so they won't be in your way...........

 

[Brewerforlife]

Why not just get flare swivel sets that are 3/16" Barb stem x 1/4" FFL Nut???

 

[two_hearted]

Its really a pretty easy process. Put end of tubing in boiling water for 20 seconds. Then jam some clean needle nose pliers in stretch the tubing. Back in boiling water for a few seconds and this time open the pliers a bit to stretch it even more. Now jam it on to your barb. Clamp. Drink.

 

[Paradingbull]

And when you jam the needle nose pliers in, don't be afraid to use significant force to open the hose end up. I lost skin off three knuckles before I learned that one. Also after I got it started, I dropped it back in the hot water 2 to 3 times to help get the tube up all the way on the barb.

 

[milldoggy]

I went with push lock adapters, they work awesome. They are worth it, being about to swivel them easily is really nice, bevseal is not as flexible at 39 F

 

[spaceyaquarius]

Jeeze, calm down before you blow a microchip. If I was converting to Bev-Seal tubing I'd need 12 of those fittings...

Cheers!

My bad... these DHT blocker pills have been giving me a short fuse lately.


FYI: Here are the before and after adapters I was working with -

 

[spaceyaquarius]

I have already tried the needle-nose pliers method with the boiling water and the Bevlex lines just kept bending and warping. I had no problem doing it with the PVC lines, but today in the mail...John Guest adapters to the rescue for $3 each!!!

Sweet. Installation finished in 10 seconds. No more vinyl taste.

 

[BirdmanBrewingCo]

John Guest adapters to the rescue for $3 each!!!

Sweet. Installation finished in 10 seconds. No more vinyl taste.

For sure that's the easiest way. Just use ONE OF THESE on an MFL/threaded quick disconnect on the keg side and ONE OF THESE to thread onto the end of a threaded shank.

 

[spaceyaquarius]

Btw Birdman Brewing: I ordered from you guys because you were offering free shipping for some reason. Some of the other companies were literally charging $30 for the tubing plus $25 for 3-5 day UPS shipping (equaling $55 for 40 feet of barrier tubing!!!)

Caw Caw! Caw Caw! Caw!

Caw! Coo Caw! Coo!

Caw!

 

[Ramitt]

Is there a way to use a picnic tap with bev seal? I have no reason to convert my keezer to perlics.

 

[BirdmanBrewingCo]

Is there a way to use a picnic tap with bev seal? I have no reason to convert my keezer to perlics.

Yes, it just takes a little patience with the installation. We've done it a few times for our shop keezer. The plastic barb on the end of the picnic faucet seems a little larger, so you have to stretch the opening of the accuflex a little wider - carefully not to rip it.

We use the heat gun method, careful not to over heat, and gently expanding the opening with a needle nose. We probably do 5 small cycles of this to get the opening large enough without ripping the tubing. We then put a clamp on for good measure.

 

[BirdmanBrewingCo]

Btw Birdman Brewing: I ordered from you guys because you were offering free shipping for some reason. Some of the other companies were literally charging $30 for the tubing plus $25 for 3-5 day UPS shipping (equaling $55 for 40 feet of barrier tubing!!!)

Caw Caw! Caw Caw! Caw!

Caw! Coo Caw! Coo!

Caw!

Thanks Spacey! Glad we could serve you.

 

[Sark]

Wow, thanks for sharing the info about the John Guest fittings.

I've been wanting to replace one of my accuflex lines but I was dreading the process of using boiling water and the heat gun. Last time around was a true test of patience. This sounds much easier! Thanks again.

 

[spaceyaquarius]

Totally. I tried the boiling water and pliers method. For $3 it was worth avoiding the boo-shii.

 

[iaefebs]

The problem is it's not a $3 dollar solution if you have existing multiple lines. If you are switching over from your current set up to the glass lined bevlex it's much cheaper to learn how do do it right. Forget the boiling water/ pliers technique, it doesn't work. Use a heat gun, soften the very end of the tube, stick a heated fillips or torx head screwdriver to open the tube, apply heat to to the fitting and just a little to the very end of the tube. Practice... so what if it takes a couple tries. cut it off and try again. Remember the key is to heat the fitting and not the tube. Once you learn, it's easy and looks perfect, and is cheaper.

 

[spaceyaquarius]

But it's not cheaper if you don't already have a heat gun, and you only have 4 kegs.

 

[iaefebs]

But it's not cheaper if you don't already have a heat gun, and you only have 4 kegs.

Good point, it's a bonus to have a wife that has all the craft stuff available.

 

[remuS]

I had crazy good luck using the boiling method today. I put 1/4 inch of the line in the boiling water, used a philips screw driver to stretch out the line just enough to get it over the barb.

After that, I put the barb and a small amount of the line in the boiling water, let it sit for 5 minutes, the line slid on the rest of the way without any issue.

 

[spaceyaquarius]

ipe:Good for you, but we can't all be rocket surgeons. Do you think you're better than me? ipe: