Beer line to Black Disconnect - how?

[Dan Pratt]

After my recent upgrade to the bar from a single tap to 4 tap flooded font, the time has come to connect all the beer lines to the Barbed Black Disconnects.

Ive tried pliers and boiling water but its a f*ckn mission to get them on....can someone please give a simple solution to this task?

 

[barls]

John guest fittings with Mfl threads.
Never looked back.
The trick I found with the barbs was boiling the tube then a set of needle nose pliers stretching the tube open then heating and turning 90 degrees and trying again.
I left out the swearing and missing skin from said barbs.

 

[JasonP]

Boiling water will do it. Just leave the tubing in there long enough.

 

[timmi9191]

What I.d. Beer line you running?

 

[shaunous]

Can u actually get it started onto the barb?. I've found buffing a better leading edge or chamfer on the barb to make it easier, once it starts properly its easier going, but as barls said, still swearing and throwing tools involved.

 

[GalBrew]

What's the ID of your beer line? I like to use 6mm ID to make it easier to get onto barbs.

Edit: beat me to it timmi......

 

[shaunous]

What's the ID of your beer line? I like to use 6mm ID to make it easier to get onto barbs.

Edit: beat me to it timmi......

That's ok if u have flow control systems in place or a long distance from keg to tap, but sometimes you have to run smaller I.d. Line, and that's when the swearing starts.

 

[PeteQ]

I have found the easiest way to do this -
Boil up your kettle
Pour some boiling water into a mug and put in the beer line to soften
After 30 seconds use your needle nose pliers to stretch the end a bit
Get just the end of the line over the barb
Pour the just boiled kettle water over the beer line then quickly push beer line onto the barb
Easy!

A few skinned knuckles and plenty of swear words later I have found this by far the easiest way

Cheers

 

[Black n Tan]

john guest fitting with thread. Easy and no skin lost.

 

[Rowy]

Hot water is your friend!

 

[Camo6]

I have no troubles with 4 mm tube. Only dip as much tube into boiling water as the length of the barb. This keeps the rest rigid so you can grab em with some bull nose pliers or the like and pull them home (don't forget the clamp first). Worst case scenario run the corner of a gem blade around the inside of the tube to give it a ramp. Works for me. I upgraded most of mine to JG fittings now but still think a good barb is more reliable if clamped correctly.

 

[431neb]

Pratty , what was the style of the font and how much did it cost? (if you don't mind parting with that information!) I'm looking for a 4 tap (or 6) font and I'm struggling to find what I want at a reasonable price.

That tip from Barls is one that has been recommended to me before. Sorta using the heat and an appropriately sized pair of pliers to "flare" the end of the plastic from the inside out. I've never had to do it but that is my understanding of the method. Maybe some silicone grease?

 

[woodwormm]

i open the lid of the kettle and dangle the tube in.

don some gloves (plastic tube from the kettle is too hot for my office hands)

take the ink part out of a bic pen

use the pen tube to ram inside the beer line, to flare it a little,

ram as soon as you can onto the barb, run barb under cold tap to contract tube and seal properly

swear when you realise you've forgotten the clamp.

a little lube on the barb doesnt hurt either

cheers

 

[Dan Pratt]

Hi,

Thankyou for the responses.

The beer line is 5mm ID. I have tried the boil and plier and lose my shit trying to it on. When I had the single tap font I recall using heavy get sandpaper to remove the barbs and slide it on.....think I might try that bic biro method.

431 -it's an 4 tap Anandale Tfont with brumby screw in taps, picked it up from gumtree for $250 bucks, she had 4 of them a while back, got lucky online.

 

[Josh SA]

I used superflex master II 5mm & found it much softer than say GJ line. Boiling water 10 sec then pliers/biro treatment. repeat. and its on.

 

[pk.sax]

I have to agree with the different beer line sentiment above. Different lines seem to behave a little differently. There was one brand I bought once that was stupidly brittle, it'd break as soon as I'd manage to spread it a little. Possibly the one keg king sold. Perfect ID, just frustrating plastic. I think I spread it a little with hot water and pliers and then heated the barb with a lighter and rammed it in. Wasn't pretty and worked in the end. Never have bothered with clamps, even wih 6mm ID line.

 

[breakbeer]

replace your disconnects with MFL (threaded) ones & never worry about it again