Corny Disconnects and gas regulators and

[Padraic]

Hi All,

It's time for me to sort out my corny disconnects and gas regulator. As I have f all knowledge I wouldn't mind a bit of guidance regarding the best places to get these bits of kit? Is it worth doing a group buy if the parts can be shipped from afar and avoid import taxes?

Anyway I need:
4 gas disconnects
4 liquid disconnects
Gas & liquid lines for the above 4-8 metres at most (to have a bit to spare around just in case!)
How many regulators do I need? One for the CO2 Tank and one for each different level of carbonation?

Am I missing anything? I have the kegs, taps and the gas.

Should I go barbs or john guest? I already have john guest fittings for my beer gun!

[Dr Jacoby]

Is it worth doing a group buy if the parts can be shipped from afar and avoid import taxes?

It could be. I'd look into using Morebeer. I sourced quite a lot of stuff from them in the past. It worked out cheaper in most cases to use them than to use local European suppliers (for disconnects and stuff like that). They also have a great range of equipment.

Should I go barbs or john guest?

It all depends on how you store your cornies. I used to use JG fittings but I found that the combination of using stiff tubing in a cramped fridge would cause leaks where the tubes entered my regulator. My solution was to use barbed disconnects and buy flexible tubing. It made my life a whole lot easier.

Anyway I need:

4 gas disconnects

Try these if you decide to use barb fittings. Hop & Grape do a similar range.

4 liquid disconnects

Try these if you decide to use barb fittings. Hop & Grape alternative.

Gas & liquid lines for the above 4-8 metres at most (to have a bit to spare around just in case!)

For gas I'd recommend using 5/16 inch inner diameter flexible tubing. For liquid I'd recommend using 3/16 inch ID flexible tubing. Morebeer recommend using at least 5 feet of this diameter tubing to avoid foaming. You could also use 5/16 ID tubing for liquid in which case you could get away with shorter lengths (maybe 2 or three feet).

You could also try these guys on ebay for tubing - they're quite cheap.

How many regulators do I need? One for the CO2 Tank and one for each different level of carbonation?

Why not use a gas management board?



It'll take care of all the options, though it is a bit bulky and expensive - a good investment though. Norm sells them on ebay. Just send him an email to see what he has in stock (the stuff listed on his ebay page rarely covers everything he has available).

Am I missing anything? I have the kegs, taps and the gas.

One piece of kit I found very handy was these little barbed John Guest connectors. They allow you to use flexible beer or gas line with John Guest fittings.  Another thing to get if you decide to go down the barbed fitting route is jubilee clips. You can get them cheap on ebay.

If you want to come by and see my system give me a shout and we can arrange something. There's no beating seeing a set-up up close and personal.

[Padraic]

Thanks very much! A very comprehensive answer! I'm hoping to start piecing it all together in the near future!

I'm thinking barbed I'd the way to go. I might take you up on the offer of having a look some day! I might do the putting together of the system as a tog brewday talk...