Sanitary/Unsanitary keggle connections

[I-Hop]

Alright, so I have been getting my kegs ready to start assembling my brew rig. I'm a bit confused about the benefit of sanitary welding half couplings to the kegs for outlets for gauges, ball valves & sight glasses. I have been reading and reading and reading but can't figure out how the threads in a sanitary welded half coupling is even sanitary. Won't the threads become a breeding ground for bacteria? How are these any better than weldless fittings? I really want to get my system up and running but want to do it once and do it right. Anyone got any advice for this all grain newbie?

 

[Wade E]

Personally I dont really worry about this for a brew kettle as you will be doing a long boil in there anyways which i feel will kill anything there.

 

[GreenMonti]

Yes, you are right about the threads. Therefore you wouldn't have a sanitary connection no matter how good the weld was. You must weld in a sanitary fitting which eliminates those types of areas. So its your choice as to go weld less or weld in the fittings.

I myself prefer to weld them in, and not for sanitary reasons. As mentioned above, the boil will take care of the little critters.

Now, if you want to talk about after the boil.........different subject. There "could" be special occasion where it does matter. Most likely for you, no worries.

 

[cwilliams108]

Given the option (money/ability and equipment) I would weld them. No worry about leakage or replacing o-rings or gaskets is money well spent in my book.