Quick question re: duotight gas side

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sirdberry

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Hi everyone,

When I built my keezer a couple years ago I got EVAbarrier tubing, duotight QDs for gas in and beverage out, and duotight beer shanks. Unfortunately, I purchased a manifold with barb connectors and so have been using regular ball lock connectors and tubing for the gas side.

However, now I'd like to add another keg but it needs to go on the motor hump. For it to fit I need to use the Duotight QDs for both gas and beverage lines.

The most expensive option is to replace my manifold with one that has MFT fittings and use FFT to duotight adapters (which I already have because I thought I could use them with the manifold I bought).

A cheaper option is to buy barb to duotight adapters, which leads me to this post: can I mix tubing of different IDs on the gas side or will this cause problems? For example I could buy a barb to duotight adapter for each manifold outlet and connect it to the manifold with a short piece of regular tubing, then use EVAbarrier for the rest of the tube length. Or I can keep my other kegs on the tubing they currently use and connect the new keg with regular tubing attached to a barb to duotight adapter in the last few inches. This latter option is the cheapest by far, though I wouldn't get the benefits of EVAbarrier tubing.

What should I do?

Thanks!
 
Only you can answer that. But I was in a similar situation and I bit the bullet and replaced my manifold with one that can accommodate duotight fittings. I'm glad I did as it makes life simpler and easier.
 
Well I was hoping someone could answer the question about mixing gas side tube IDs. That's my fundamental question (unless someone has an idea I haven't thought of).
 
I didn't have to buy expensive adapters for my manifold. I was just able to remove the check valves and thread the proper fittings on (although they aren't reusable since the thread is different: found that out afterward).

20231030_133520.jpg


Where are you finding the barb to Duotight adaptors? I hadn’t seen those before, outside of a heat gum and swaging tool.

There is not any real flow in the gas supply lines. You can use 87 different diameters and the gas will not care!
Your regular 'ol duo tights fit over barbed fittings as long as the OD of the barb is appropriate for the ID of the duo tight.

20231030_131721.jpg
 
can I mix tubing of different IDs on the gas side or will this cause problems?

Welcome to the forums at Homebrew Talk! :mug:

Gas side tubing diameter is very nearly a "don't care" thing as it'd take ridiculously skinny tubing to slow down the "re-charge" of keg head space during dispensing.

As for the dilemma, could you insert a Duotight or JohnGuest tee in the gas line going to your manifold and use the "new" leg for your humped keg?

Cheers!
 
I purchased a manifold with barb connectors
What size are the barbs? Why not just stretch appropriately sized EVABarrier tubing over them? Then you can put duotight QDs on the other end.

For example, here's a pic of 4 mm EVABarrier on a 1/4" barb with a 10.5 mm oetiker clamp. This is liquid side of course, but it works just as well for the gas.

1736372906527.jpeg
 
Welcome to the forums at Homebrew Talk! :mug:

.......As for the dilemma, could you insert a Duotight or JohnGuest tee in the gas line going to your manifold and use the "new" leg for your humped keg?

Cheers!


I agree. Just add a tee and split a line. Those tees are pretty cheap. Three tees and an elbow is pretty much what you get as a 4 way "manifold" with the Komos/Kegland kegerators.
 
I didn't have to buy expensive adapters for my manifold. I was just able to remove the check valves and thread the proper fittings on (although they aren't reusable since the thread is different: found that out afterward).

View attachment 866323

Did you verify that those valves actually shut the gas off? Those valves require the lower brass portion as an integral part of the valves construction because it pushes the lower seat into the ball. So far, only the Kegco regulators appear to have a completely separate connections.
 
Where are you finding the barb to Duotight adaptors? I hadn’t seen those before, outside of a heat gum and swaging tool.

There is not any real flow in the gas supply lines. You can use 87 different diameters and the gas will not care!

https://www.morebeer.com/products/d...M5gMrAyU8YkHq3cJN2kNIxAYGaOaMUnKY3t7pZ78sSo_j this is what I was referring to

Thanks for the help everyone. I was pretty sure the gas IDs wouldn't matter, so I'll probably take one of the easy routes already discussed. I realize I could probably fit the EVAbarrier tubing over the 1/4" barbs but it seems like a real PITA.
 
Did you verify that those valves actually shut the gas off? Those valves require the lower brass portion as an integral part of the valves construction because it pushes the lower seat into the ball. So far, only the Kegco regulators appear to have a completely separate connections.
No they don't. I don't use them as shutoffs; I just never removed them.
 
No, if someone didn't want working valves, I assume they would remove them and thread the duotights directly into the regulator bodies to reduce the potential leak points.
Whoosh!

Good point though; less complexity is always better. If I ever take it apart I'll remove those valve bodies.
 
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I didn't have to buy expensive adapters for my manifold. I was just able to remove the check valves and thread the proper fittings on (although they aren't reusable since the thread is different: found that out afterward).
That's great! I'm in the process of acquiring a bunch of those Taprite 1600 series but didn't realize that the check valve could be separated from the ball since Taprite lists it as a single part number. Do you happen to remember what size the threads were when you removed so I can get the correct duotight adapter?
 
Realize they literally forced a fitting over mismatching threads...

Cheers!
There is just one of me.

I wouldn't suggest doing this unless you can match up threads. The fittings aren't expensive to replace but it isn't guaranteed to not leak this way.

For some background on this, Morebeer.com has a misleading description on their website for the DUO103:

1000006946.jpg

Even though it specifies BSP in the listing, the description says FPT. I probably should have asked but, as in most things, I took the more convenient information and bought them, and then related my experience through email.

1000006950.jpg


I did eventually get them threaded up to the o-ring.

1000006952.jpg


Their website description still lists FPT. I'm not a plumber, but I did come to realize that BSP and NPT are not interchangable. The only reason this "works" is because they are similar enough and plastic has more plasticity than the valve body.

For their part, kegconnection.com has a nice, bold warning.

1000006948.jpg

I'm petty sure "soon" means "never".

You can try it, but like most things in life it isn't guaranteed to work.
 
There's a number of options and I think most of them are covered in this thread: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/eva-barrier-line-conversion.733937/
In an ideal world, all our parts would have MFL fittings, but they don't so I personally lean toward just swaging EVABarrier over barbs which really isn't a PITA ...on page 2 I included a 42 second video showing how easy it is to shove EVABarrier over a barb and I'm disabled and clumsy....anyone can do it. It also shows @shoengine 's cutting duotight method.
:mug:
 
[shrug] It's plainly clear I was not conversing with you.

Using "they" to refer to someone of unknown gender is widely used. It's inconceivable anyone could take offense...

Cheers!
 
I have a gas manifold with MFL connections and did this:

1737680528133.jpeg


which left the check valves and shutoff intact. I'm not sure what it would take to change out the barbed connections with MFL.
 
I have a gas manifold with MFL connections and did this:

View attachment 867545

which left the check valves and shutoff intact. I'm not sure what it would take to change out the barbed connections with MFL.
It requires replacing each valve with one with a MFL thread as getting the barb off for most versions of those valves ends up rendering the valve less or non operational.

Instead of the duotight 1/4" BSP, you will generally want to use this male adapter if needing 1/4"NPT. 5/16" push-in is the same as 8mm push to connect. Freshwater Systems has a wide ranging selection of small fittings like this.
 
The thing that makes this all mooter than moot is that the threads between a taprite shutoff valve and either the hose barb or MFL end are NEITHER 1/4" NPT nor 1/4" BSP. It's SORT OF close if you're just looking at it but the thread pitch is different. The reason it's different is that they didn't make the valves like that to be able to unthread the hose end. Think of the valve as non-user-reconfigurable and it will make your life easier.

TLDR: FOR MANY/MOST regulator shutoff valves, certainly ALL Taprite ones, the part that CAN be threaded out of the valve body, SHOULDN'T be threaded out because it's integral to the valve function and there is no off the shelf part that can be put in its place.
 
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