Kegerator woes

[TrickyDick]

Hey,

The short question I have is:

What is the easiest way to adapt my draft system to connect to Ball-Lock Kegs with 3/8" ID Bev Line?

ARRGH!!!

How annoying. Here is the background.
Moved to FL 06', built garage based kegerator. worked great, few hiccups along the way. Added on to home for outdoor living space. Thought be nice for outdoor kitchen with draft system. No way wife would let me move ugly kegerator into pretty outdoor living space/kitchen. I start looking at glycol chilled draft towers. Soon I realize I in over my head. After breaking ground on the rest of the project, which was when I realized this, I decided I needed help. Architect recommended this guy, who sounded impressive - sells commercial setups worldwide supposedly. He sketched up a plan for me - much different than my plan (forced air rather than glycol - short lines). More on this later. Oh yeah, and I sold the home built kegerator already.

So installer guy, seems very knowledgeable, but was slow, didn't show up many times, took MONTHS to finish, screwed some things up, along the way (can you say leaked a full 20# cylinder of CO2 into a storage room cause there was an air leak in the system?)

Anyway, I explained to him at the get go, that I wanted to switch between Ball lock and commercial kegs. He knows nothing about homebrewing or ball lock kegs. I show him the fittings. He thinks about it and tells me, even GIVES me a fitting part, and says order these, and you'll be all set. I was showing him the flare nut to tail piece adapters that we use to swap the tail piece to hose barb insert on the beer nuts that connect to the sanke couplers (with me so far). So tonight, after working all night, I get home and decided I need to swap out the beer nuts/tail piece-hose barbs for these flare nut fittings so I can hook up homebrew. Now recall the installer (Gary) GAVE me a flare nut hose barb fitting part early on and said this is what I needed. So I order all the stuff I need, thinking Gary would be installing it by the way. NO He left it to ME. You don't want to know what the "professional" installation cost me.

Anyway, as I am taking apart the Sanke coupler fittings tonight, I notice the gas and bev lines are different internal diameter. The beer lines are 3/8 the gas 5/16. What size piece did Gary tell me to buy? 5/16. I don't think they even MAKE a 3/8 flare nut to hose barb fitting! So I can carb my beer, but I can't dispense. WTF!

I want to KILL Gary right now!

What should I do next? I can call the guy I bought it from and complain, but he has my money already. Did I mention this guy also told me the wrong size hole in the wall for the chase? Of course there is no record of this. I told the contractor to put it a hole for a 4" PVC chase. Hole was too small, needed to be 6". Installer had to adapt and overcome. Probably not operating properly with enough air flow to make it work right.

What should I do next?

I've got 3/8 ID bev line, and I need to connect ball lock fittings. Its not going to be pretty I know.

TD

edit- holy cow! Midwest sells a 1/4flare nut to 3/8 barb! I couldn't believe it!

 

[Pratzie]

I dunno how ur LHBS works but mine has all the fittings/connections. I'd check there.

 

[TrickyDick]

HAH! LHBS! I don't have one unless I drive over 60 miles each way on toll roads!

Well, the venting was good, but I WAS able to locate the part I need ONLINE, and I didn't even think it existed, as the last place I ordered the 5/16 hose barb fitting didn't sell a 3/8 hose barb fitting.

What a night.

TD

 

[JuanMoore]

The short question I have is:

What is the easiest way to adapt my draft system to connect to Ball-Lock Kegs with 3/8" ID Bev Line?

The 1/4" flare by 3/8" barb is a common and easy to find fitting, but unless you're running a very long run, or straight up several stories, 3/8" ID beer line may not provide enough resistance. You very well might need 3/16" ID or 1/4" ID lines to prevent excessive foaming. Even in long runs for commercial set ups the lines are typically 1/4". How long are the runs? Do you have small choker lines? What's your planned serving temperature and carbonation level?

 

[TrickyDick]

The 1/4" flare by 3/8" barb is a common and easy to find fitting, but unless you're running a very long run, or straight up several stories, 3/8" ID beer line may not provide enough resistance. You very well might need 3/16" ID or 1/4" ID lines to prevent excessive foaming. Even in long runs for commercial set ups the lines are typically 1/4". How long are the runs? Do you have small choker lines? What's your planned serving temperature and carbonation level?

Thanks! Yeah, I was able to find some. That'll fix my issue.

I get adequate resistance for pouring. Its a short run. I don't think the entire length is 3/8, esp the part that runs into the chase, and cooled tower. It is balanced (not by me, from the "professional" installer) for proper pour.
Fridge is set to 34 degrees. Carb level can be set on individual kegs with secondary regs. I usually shoot for 2 - 2.5 I haven't fiddled with it much to be honest. At least not with homebrew. Had some commercial kegs in it - still have a couple of those on tap now. They pour fine.
I will not easily be able to adjust resistance for higher carb beers, but I don't usually serve Wheats on tap, and serve Belgians from bottles cause they are cool to open - not that I make them much.

Thanks for the help guys! I freaked out a bit, because I didn't realize the fitting I needed was commonly available.

TD

 

[TrickyDick]

Well I got the fittings all installed and kegs on the gas! Whew!

I noticed that "Gary" DID actually connect TWO of the commercial Kegs I had (out of three, maybe it was four then) with these flare nut fittings - why he didn't do them all, remains a mystery, I had enough for him to do them all, and yes I paid a dear price for professional installation. I am reluctant to complain in case I need help in the future however..
anway, he installed some of the beer nut to flare nut adapters I had waiting for him. These were all 5/16" he used these for the bev lines too which were 3/8" ID I think he put a hell of a crimp on the Oetiker clamps!!! These were the fittings I was freaking out about last night when I realized the line sizes were off.. Anyway, I am thinking since I already ordered the 3/8 hose barb to flare nut parts for all 6 taps, that I should probably swap these two out in addition the the 4 new installs.. The rest is a bit messy I see - been hitting the commercial kegs a bit it seems - enjoy the rest...

I got all the gas lines setup that arent in use, and those, Gary already has connected the flare nut adapters to.

I have the 3/8"barb to 1/4" flare nut fittings on the way so I will swap out ALL ( incl the "gary" installed fittings) ro be sure there are no leaks down the road.

The 3 door Perlick bar-back fridge easily holds 9x5 gal kegs, and would hold 1-2 more if there were not any Sanke couplers with adapters, and if there were only Corny type fittings I might fit 10 or 11. I bet I could fit 12 pin lock kegs though...

TD