DO IT YOURSELF WELDLESS FITTINGS
http://www.antiochsudsuckers.com/tom/DIYweldlessfittings.htm
If you have an ounce of ‘handiness’ in you, as most homebrewers do, you can make your own weldless fittings. After all, you make your own beer, why not your own parts? There is satisfaction in making things yourself.
We will look at two different approaches to this method, and will discuss only the fittings themselves. If you want articles on converting kegs, or coolers, these are covered on other pages.
WELDLESS FITTINGS WITH LOCKNUT
This the most expensive approach to making a weldless fitting. The good thing about this kind is, it is fairly foolproof.
There are usually only minor shims or adjustments made to get a leak-free seal.
First, the list of parts. You can get these from McMaster-Carr at http://www.mcmaster.com/ .
WELDLESS FITTINGS FOR KEGS:
WELDLESS CONVERSION (FOR KEG)Get parts from wwww.mcmaster.comMcMaster Part No. Description Cost4464K214 Stainless full coupling, 1/2" pipe size, $3.424830K171 Stainless Steel 1/2" Close Nipple, Fully Threaded, $1.6998126A797 Stainless Steel Shim(sold only as a pack of 10 @ $10.38) $1.049396K32 Silicone O-Ring (sold only as a pack of 50 @ $14.53)* $0.29 (x2)4429K124 1/2" Locknut, Brass (with groove for o-ring) $1.304190K22 1/2" Brass Ball Valve, Full Port $6.89------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Total Cost $14.92
*if I know you, or even know you from a web forum, you can ask me to mail you a couple o-rings. It is pricey to order a whole bag if you only need 2 o-rings. I just ask you to help someone else out in the future.
First thing you should understand about ALL weldless fittings is they are a compromise between sealing the THREADS on the parts and sealing the GASKET. Each fitting will need to be adjusted in some small way, so that everything is snug and won’t leak. For example, a few extra threads of teflon tape, so that the valve doesn’t thread on as far..
The above list works great for kegs, but realize that just because a part is listed above doesn’t mean you can fit it in on all equipment.
COOLERS WITH DRAIN PORTS:
One great use of the weldless fitting is on a cooler with a thin walled section at the drain port, like an ice cube or a gott cooler, where the insulation is trimmed back and the only wall at this point of drain port is the inner liner glued to the outer liner. In the case of a cooler you will have to omit the shim/washer and o-ring on the inside and just put the coupling on the inside. The reason for this is the cooler wall is too thick for the coupling to thread on, so the shim/washer and o-ring is taken out. The outer o-ring is left alone to do the job of sealing properly (which it does fine).
COOLERS WITHOUT DRAIN PORTS:
You can drill a 7/8” hole through the cooler wall, and install the weldless fitting with a longer nipple, that will makeup for the thickness of the cooler insulation. A\ standard Igloo Ice Cube 60 quart requires a 2-1/2” long nipple. Other coolers should be similar, just buy a few lengths, or measure it and get what is needed. In this case, it is most important to get the inside o-ring to seal. Because if not, it will leak wort into the insulation and that would get raunchy.
This an exploded view of the above parts. From left to right you are looking at:
Coupling - Shim - O-ring - Nipple - O-ring - Locknut - Valve - Hosebarb
You can see above that the o-ring sets into the groove on the locknut, and keeps the o-ring from squishing out sideways.
Special note: lately the locknuts I have been ordering are coming in varied. Some are the cast kind shown above, with the machined groove for the o-ring.
But I have gotten a few machined nuts that are flat faced. But they still seal.
CHEAP-O WELDLESS FITTINGS:
$3 1/2" Male NPT x 3/8" compression coupling with
3/8" compression nut and SEPARATE ferrule
(not the Home Depot kind with unremoveable ferrule)
$1 Stainless washer that fits tightly over the 3/8" compression
threads on the coupling
$0.15 No.10 rubber o-ring (found in the faucet repair section) (buy a few
extra, they are cheap)
$7 1/2" brass ball valve, 1/2" female NPT ends (non-vented
type)
----------
$11.15
For diptube:
-piece of 3/8" OD soft copper tubing
-3/8" tubing bender (spring, or mechanical type)
-tubing cutter (or hacksaw in a pinch)
This one is very cheap and easy, but requires a bit of finesse, and trying different thickness of washers. If you can find them, but several thin washers, and stack them as needed. It is a balancing act to get the washers right, and have the nut that is inside the keg seat properly. But once it is set, you are good to go.
FITTING UP THE COUPLING
The threaded part of the 3/8" compression end fits through the hole, with a stainless washer and no.10 o-ring on the outside of the kettle, the washer flush with the hex shoulder on the coupling and the o-ring closest to the kettle wall. On the inside of the keg, the 3/8" compression nut threads on and tightens down the fitting, hand tight is enough to make a seal if you are not using a diptube. Without a diptube, you should leave out the ferrule and just thread on the nut. It should not squeeze the o-ring down so far that it disappears.
ADDING DIPTUBE
Size and fit up a diptube if you need one, use a tubing cutter to cut the correct length and a tubing bender to make the 90 degree bend. The diptube gets a nut, then ferrule, and should be tightened down on the coupling so that the tube doesn't wiggle. If the nut won't go any further, but the diptube still wiggles, try removing the washer from the coupling and retightening. If the diptube gets tightened all the way down, but the coupling is not pressed firmly enough against the outside wall of the kettle to make a seal with the o-ring, add another washer and retighten. Be sure you are satisfied with the dimensions and fit of the diptube before you tighten it up, the ferrule compression fits on the tube and can never be moved again.
VALVE
Thread the 1/2" ball valve onto the NPT side of the coupling at the exterior of the kettle, then thread in the 1/2" NPT x 3/8" hose barb, using teflon tape on all the male threads. If the drain hole in the chime of a keg (the metal ring around the end of the keg) is centered up on the valve, it could overheat the valve when the kettle is fired. Stuff the hole with foil to prevent damage to the valve.
Other Notes:
These buna-n (rubber)
o-rings can hold up for 50+ batches. But if you overtighten them they will
crack. I still
have one a put in 3 years ago and it works great.
Disadvantage of these fittings: the valve and diptube will spin easily. So
if you have false bottom in there, you
have to be careful with the valve. If you twist the valve, you twist the
diptube, which lifts the false bottoms, which
means you will have to transfer out and fix it. It can be an advantage
though. Instead of removing a diptube and
hop screen (10” false bottom) with a wrench, I can just rotate the diptube and
lift the false bottom out for cleaning.
Hope this helps! Hoppy brewing
Tom-o