Tubing and Connection Size Dilemma

[aredling]

I made an attempt to up my brew setup this week but have seemed to fail.

Let me first say that I have previously used 1/2" tubing with 1/2" barb connections on my setup.

Not thinking too much into this fact I ordered;

-New tubing that was FDA approved, about 20 feet of silicone tubing from USPlastics.

-Quick Disconnect Brass Fittings from Mcmcaster Carr

-1/2" NPT coupling welded to my keg (previously a leaky compression setup)

-and the last thing, that kinda screws me, the counterflow chiller from Austin Homebrew.

The problem is that the copper on the HE is setup with 3/8" tubing and not 1/2".

Any recommendations past the obvious one that's a pain, which would be to change the tubing sizes from 1/2" to 3/8" but that would require new barbs, and new quick disconnects and new silicone tubing. I'd also like to stay at 1/2 for maximum flow rates.

Any recommendations how I can get from 3/8" copper to 1/2" silicone tubing?

 

[weirdboy]

You don't have to change all the tubing in your whole system. Just get a couple of 1/2" -> 3/8" reducers.

 

[weirdboy]

Another option is to return the CFC and get a plate chiller, which usually have 1/2" fittings (be sure to double check).

 

[Stuntman]

I may not understand what you are wanting. Can't you just slip the 1/2 inch hose over the 3/8 inch tubing, and use a screw clamp?

Or get 3/8 inch hose, I may be wrong, but you are already going through the 3/8 inch chiller, I wouldn't think going to a half inch hose would make it flow any better.

 

[paledragon]

buy some 3/8" silicone tubing, and 2 of part number 53055k138 from mcmaster.

p.d.

 

[aredling]

I may not understand what you are wanting. Can't you just slip the 1/2 inch hose over the 3/8 inch tubing, and use a screw clamp?

Or get 3/8 inch hose, I may be wrong, but you are already going through the 3/8 inch chiller, I wouldn't think going to a half inch hose would make it flow any better.

I realize this won't help me bypass the 3/8" restriction in the HE. I just wanted to stay consistent with 1/2" tubing on the system if possible.

What about a copper expander that would go from the 3/8" copper up to the 1/2"? Does this exist?

 

[aredling]

What about a copper expander that would go from the 3/8" copper up to the 1/2"? Does this exist?

Something like this i suppose....

http://www.plumbingsupply.com/copper.html#reducingcoupling

Just need to find somewhere local and how to weld the copper....

 

[weirdboy]

You don't weld copper, you solder it.

Plenty of videos on youtube and the like.

 

[aredling]

I could also use something like this too

http://www.mcmaster.com/#5272k196/=867ipe

right?

 

[weirdboy]

My question is, aren't those hose barbs on the CFC removable? I can't really tell from the photo but it looks like you could just unscrew them and put a reducer in there...


And again I will emphasize that for $20 more you can return the CFC and get a plate chiller with 1/2" connections. You'll probably spend more than $20 trying to futz around going from 3/8 to 1/2.

 

[Bobby_M]

I wouldn't be too quick to conclude a plate chiller is the better option. CFC's can handle a good deal of pellet hop flow through while plates cannot.

I've reduced 1/2" tubing down to 3/8" simply by sliding a 2" piece of 3/8" ID x 1/2" OD tubing on to the copper, then slide the 1/2" silicone over that and clamp. No, it won't withstand 10+ psi, but then you're not going to do that anyway.

$20 in parts, nah, only if he goes with stainless compression fittings. Besides, how much would it cost to ship the CFC from Pittsburgh to Austin?

 

[aredling]

My question is, aren't those hose barbs on the CFC removable? I can't really tell from the photo but it looks like you could just unscrew them and put a reducer in there...


And again I will emphasize that for $20 more you can return the CFC and get a plate chiller with 1/2" connections. You'll probably spend more than $20 trying to futz around going from 3/8 to 1/2.

The plate chiller would cost a lot more than the CFC from AHB.

 

[weirdboy]

The plate chiller would cost a lot more than the CFC from AHB.

It's $20 more. They are selling it for $89, and the CFC is listed for $69.


I don't have problems with pellet hops on my plate chiller, but I use common sense.

 

[weirdboy]

$20 in parts, nah, only if he goes with stainless compression fittings. Besides, how much would it cost to ship the CFC from Pittsburgh to Austin?

Well if he's planning on sweating new fittings onto the CFC I think it'll cost him at least $20 to get all the stuff he'll need. e.g. a torch, solder, etc.

Although I think your idea of using some tubing has merit.

 

[aredling]

It's $20 more. They are selling it for $89, and the CFC is listed for $69.


I don't have problems with pellet hops on my plate chiller, but I use common sense.

I do not plan on using a pump with my setup. Wouldn't a plate chiller require this?

That would add a hefty cost to the setup.

 

[Bobby_M]

No, gravity works marginally well for both CFC and Plate chillers. Pumps help for both.

 

[JohnMc]

If you don't mind brass (some do, some don't, dealer's choice) then two of these
http://www.plumbingsupply.com/compress.html go down to the 3/8" OD Comp x 1/2" Fips $2.99
And two 1/2 Male pipe thread by 1/2 barb hose barbs will do you fine. Hose barbs are a given either way.

You can probably find them at your local home hardware hut, though YMMV.

Alternatively, if you can solder or know somebody who can, I'd use two of the 1/4" Nominal* size pipe fitting x 3/8" Female pipe thread deals at $4.57 and two of the 1/2" barb x 3/8" Male pipe thread barbs at $1.82 each.

The barbs are on http://www.plumbingsupply.com/barb.html

*pipe is sized in name only (or how large the ID was back in the twenties or thirties). 1/4" copper pipe has the same OD as 3/8 copper tubing, that's why you need a 1/4" pipe fitting. There's a chart on Plumbingsupply.com

 

[aredling]

I ended up going 3/8" > 1/2" pipe fitting. Then 1/2" tube extension > 1/2" NPT > Barb.

Once i get the thing soldered together I'll post a picture....if anyone would care to see that is. It'll be ugly seeing as it'll be my first soldering of copper. I got all the stuff at Lowes today....needed to be able to solder copper for my house anyway, figured i'd pick the stuff up now.