Camlock thoughts

[stratslinger]

I've got a couple keggles in the works, so very soon I'll be installing fittings and such and I'm starting to think about quick disconnects.

I really like what I'm seeing with the camlocks available on bargainfittings.com. I've seen a few different threads about them, and I plan to use one the approach where you stretch 1/2" OD silicone tubing over 1/2" NPT male threaded connectors coming off the camlocks - I figure I'll have the option of better flow rates that way, if anything.

Anyway, I've seen several suggestions about inserting a 90 degree street elbow into that connection and, while it sure as heck looks cool, I'm not sure that it accomplishes much other than to add a few bucks to the cost of each connection. Is there some really good reason (other than the afformentioned cool factor) to go with the street elbows?

Is there some other even better option for QD's that's in the same ballpark price-wise?

 

[bucfanmike]

i went with the 90 street elbows, to me it made sense to help keep the hose from kinking when coming off the keggle and heading down into the pump.

 

[JuanMoore]

Yep, when full of hot water or wort the hoses can kink under the weight if sticking straight out, and the elbows prevent this. I put my 90's on the vessel side where needed, rather than between the hose and camlock like a lot of the pics I've seen. This way all of the hoses are identical and symmetrical, which gives me more flexibility. All of my hose ends are identical, so I don't have to worry about which end of which hose goes where

 

[stratslinger]

Wait - so you'd have the elbow at the vessel end of the hose, but not at the pump end?

I think that might work well once I eventually have some sort of a rig to set up all my gear on, but for now it's pretty much a table and a a turkey fryer...

 

[JuanMoore]

Wait - so you'd have the elbow at the vessel end of the hose, but not at the pump end?

I think that might work well once I eventually have some sort of a rig to set up all my gear on, but for now it's pretty much a table and a a turkey fryer...

I don't have 90's on the hoses at all, I put them on the other side of the camlock connection, and only in places where needed. All of my hoses are simply a length of hose with a type B female camlock on either side. The various connections (drains, inlets, pump connection, etc) each have either a type A or F male camlock, which is connected to a 90 only in the more kink prone locations.

The more elevated connections have more weight pulling the hose downward, and are more likely to kink. Where you will and won't need a 90 will depend on hose length and where it's routed, but since the pump/s is/are typically the lowest point in the system, you probably won't need them there.

 

[johntangus]

I have 90s on the ends of all my hoses, connected to my female disconnects. this works great for me. no kinking whatsoever.

 

[stratslinger]

What about the heat? Do they get too hot too handle to swap hoses around during the brew process? That's been the one caution that one friend of mine made me (he uses brass QD's, which you can just grab and pull quickly), but I can't honestly think of a point in the process where they'd likely get that hot that they wouldn't be handle-able.

 

[weirdboy]

I haven't really had an issue with the camlocks getting too hot, but it's never a bad idea to have some kind of heat-resistant gloves around on a brew day, anyway. I used to use welding gloves, but have since gotten a pair of "ove gloves".

Also I think the amount of heat they pick up is going to vary depending on your setup. I specifically have a heat shield that I stick under the area where the valve is, so I'm sure that helps keep it from getting too hot.

 

[JuanMoore]

I haven't really had an issue with the camlocks getting too hot, but it's never a bad idea to have some kind of heat-resistant gloves around on a brew day, anyway. I used to use welding gloves, but have since gotten a pair of "ove gloves".

Also I think the amount of heat they pick up is going to vary depending on your setup. I specifically have a heat shield that I stick under the area where the valve is, so I'm sure that helps keep it from getting too hot.

Agreed on all counts. If you recirc during the mash the fittings will get up to mash temp for sure, which is too hot to hold for more than a few seconds, but not hot enough that I feel the need for gloves to swap them. I did use gloves at first, but it also took me more time to operate the camlocks back then. Once you get used to the camlocks and get them broken in, swapping hoses is pretty quick and easy.

 

[Bobby_M]

IMHO, it's careless to do anything near an in-progress brew without a pair of rubber gloves on. You never know when you'll have an oh-crap moment where you instinctively grab something hot. Then again, I see videos of people brewing in shorts and sandals so safety first is optional.

 

[johntangus]

i agree with Bobby. I got a nice second degree burn on the top of my foot from brewing in Crocs - with socks. I know i'm a fashionista. lol - I got that from opening up a camlock when a hose was filled with boiling water. it dumped right out of the hose and pump right on top of my foot. not my smartest moments. Now i wear big ol' rubber boots when i brew.

but seriously, the cam locks do get a bit hot, but be careful like you would anything super hot.

 

[stratslinger]

OK, one more question:

Those camlock dust cover thingamabobs: are they useful in any way at all, or are they just a waste of cash?

They seem like they'd be a good way to seal up a hose once it's been cleaned out, but I'm not sure if sealing up a hose is something you'd necessarily want to do - you know, mold and all that.

 

[cdelap]

I use dust caps on my kegs, it keeps things that crawl out of the valves. I haven't seen the need for any on my hoses, I use air to blow them out and the keep them in a rubber made container along with most of the stuff I use on brew day.

 

[Bobby_M]

I recommend the male QD part on the vessels so dust "CAPS" would cover those. The use I've come to enjoy is being able to flood the valves with post brew cleaning water. Operating the ball valves a few times in a full wet environment seems to clean them up really well, including behind the seals. I don't know if that makes it worth the price. I've stopped worrying about money spent on brew gear. I just make the wife clip some coupons for the grocery store.

 

[schmoe]

Now if you just had the fittings in stock, I could finally get them.

 

[l3asturd]

Last brew day I decided to run PBW through all my plumbing just before brewing. I saw something being pushed through a silicon hose. Turned off the pump and checked it out. It was a giant black widow spider. I logged on and bought dust caps the very same day. I only cap the male QD's on my pumps and mounted hardware. Nothing on my vessels or hoses.

 

[stratslinger]

I...

I think you may have just sold me on a few of those dust caps.

 

[Duckfoot]

I've stopped worrying about money spent on brew gear. I just make the wife clip some coupons for the grocery store.

What if I am the one doing the grocery shopping?

 

[Retrofit]

I ordered cam locks from bobby at the beginning of the week. Excited

I have also pumped bugs out of my tubing. I was heating water and thought,"Man, can't ignore that."

Dumped my water and had to start from scratch.

 

[l3asturd]

To be honest, I have no idea where that black widow ended up. I took my pump head off, took all my fittings apart, he must have escaped through to drain valve. Anyone wanna try my Black Widow Stout?

 

[Mikespunchlist]

Everything I have in the brewery on the HLT and BK is stainless. I went the cheapo route on the camlocks and bought all aluminum. While I was at it I bought all the dust plugs and caps for every one of them except the one short hose I made up just to get below the siphon line on my keggles and I store it inside when not in use.

 

[stratslinger]

Just wanted to follow-up on this thread and thank everyone again for their input.

I just received my order of camlocks yesterday, after waiting a couple weeks for bargainfittings to get some of the f-style back in stock (yep, I managed to grab a handful of the 100 or so they got in early this week!).

I went with the 90 degree elbow on the end of each hose that will attach to each kettle fitting, and just straight connections on the other end (I figure I can always retrofit 90 degree street connections there later if I find I have the need).

Everything looks pretty darned cool. But I did find one thing along the way: not all silocone tubing is created equally. I had one length that was just flexible enough to stretch over 1/2" MPT threads relatively easily. But another length of tubing, purchased separately, was a major pain. I had to heat up the tubing with hot water first, to make it more pliable. Then I had to jam the handle of my adjustable wrench into the hose and spin it around to stretch the hose a bit, then finally manhandle the hose over the threads. It took some major work, especially when compared to the other length of hose!

But it's all together now. Now I still need to get the fittings themselves installed on my brew kettle and I'll be good to go!

 

[Bobby_M]

You can actually thread the fitting into the tubing once you get it started.

 

[stratslinger]

Yeah, that worked very well with the first tube, but the other one, well... After heating and stretching it worked better, but it was definitely a challenge.

Not quite sure what the difference between the two is - the one that was easier is semi-transparent, while the stiffer tubing is an off-white color and completely opaque.

 

[Bobby_M]

Sounds like thermoplastic and not silicone. In fact, silicone does soften up in boiling water at all.

 

[stratslinger]

Any concerns using thermoplastic? Should I be looking to swap that out with silicone?

 

[Keano41]

I've stopped worrying about money spent on brew gear. I just make the wife clip some coupons for the grocery store.

+1!!