Ball Valve Sizes

[reg]

I am aquiring equipment to make my AG set up and am looking at buying some ball valves.

Will 1/4 inch be alright or 1/2 inch be better suited.

I know to put it through a plate chiller I need to regulate the flow to get the right pitching temp, this is why I am asking about 1/4 or 1/2.

Thanks in advance..

Reg

 

[Gulf Brewery]

I am aquiring equipment to make my AG set up and am looking at buying some ball valves.

Will 1/4 inch be alright or 1/2 inch be better suited.

Hi Reg

Use 1/2" if you can. I used 3/8 on mine and they block too easily. The 3 piece ones are the easiest to clean, but probably not worth the expense for all places in the brewery unless you have plenty of cash.

Cheers
Pedro

 

[goatherder]

And if you get 1/2" ones all the fittings and attachments are cheap and easy to find in the plumbing section at your local hardware store. Not so with 1/4".

 

[SpillsMostOfIt]

And if you get 1/2" ones all the fittings and attachments are cheap and easy to find in the plumbing section at your local hardware store.

Initially by accident, but now on purpose, all my ham-fisted brewery equipment designs are based on stuff I can buy either at the hardware store or the HBS (or a decent electronics supplier, but that's just me being a technowanker). This makes it easier to replicate the design if I or someone else wants to because I/they don't have to hunt down a specialist supplier of rare or antiquarian bits.

 

[afromaiko]

I am aquiring equipment to make my AG set up and am looking at buying some ball valves.

Will 1/4 inch be alright or 1/2 inch be better suited.

I know to put it through a plate chiller I need to regulate the flow to get the right pitching temp, this is why I am asking about 1/4 or 1/2.

Thanks in advance..

Reg

Go the larger size ball valve, you can always use a smaller barb if you need to reduce the flow.

 

[Screwtop]

And if you get 1/2" ones all the fittings and attachments are cheap and easy to find in the plumbing section at your local hardware store. Not so with 1/4".

In the 1/2" there are two bore sizes available also - Full Bore and Reduced Bore. Look inside when the valve is open, you will see the diff.

Screwy

 

[blackbock]

I use 1/2" on my mash tun and 3/4" on my kettle. 1/4" is tiny!