Confusion About Converting

[Bugglz]

My three s/s kegs that look almost identical to CUB 50L kegs have successfully had the tops cut off and now need a tap put in the bottom, first of all what size ball valve would you all suggest? and second how is one suppose to connect the threaded ball valve to copper piping? I can't seem to fine the appropriate connection at Bunnings :-S

 

[Thirsty Boy]

Bugglz,

after officially disapproving heavily about the "shape"of your vessels....

As near as I can tell almost every homebrew system I have seen is using 1/2 inch ball valves. You can spend up big on stainless ones, or really go wild on 3 piece stainless, but I settled for the nice cheap chromed brass ones at Bunnings for about $15.

To connect to copper piping - which am going to assume you will be using as a pick-up tube??? Assuming that you aren't going to get fittings welded into your keg, you would make a bulkhead fitting out of some 1/2 inch all thread (it should screw into your ball valve) some fat silicon o'rings and some flat faced nuts to fit the all thread. Do a search for "weldless fittings" here and you should get some nice info. Once your bulkhead is fitted to the kettle - on the inside of the kettle goes a female bsp compression fitting. One end screws onto the all thread and the other grabs the copper tube. They are most definitely in the plumbing section at bunnings. On the outside of the kettle goes the ball valve. e liberal with the teflon tape and pay for good fat silicon O'rings... and you should get a nice firm leak proof kettle tap.

There's probably a couple of different ways to manage it... but thats how mine are done and its working pretty well.

Thirsty

 

[gap]

some fat silicon o'rings
Thirsty

Hello Thirsty,

Where did you source the fat silicon O rings??

Regards

Graeme

 

[reVoxAHB]

Gottliebs (East Malvern) has 1/2" brass valves (the ball itself is SS) for $7

You can get a 1/2" 15cm (length) thread insert (which is easily enough for 3 valves in a setup) for another $5 or so. HBS sell these in the per valve length of around 4cm at about the same price.


You just need a few nuts, fiber or silicon washers as thirsty suggested, and away you go. FWIW, I've only ever used fiber washers and have been leak-free. I also (carefully) flatten the surface of my vessles at mount point (with a good wack or three of a hammer) so that your valve and nut are tightening to a flat and not rounded surface.

reVox

 

[schooey]

I bought my 1/2" SS Ball valves from these guys in Melbourne;

Stokes Appliance Parts
24 Palmerston Road West
Ringwood Victoria 3134
Ph 03 9872 7474 .. Fax 03 9872 7444


I dealt with a fellow by the name of Steve Hewat. I bought a box of 8 for $60 + $10 P&H to Newcastle and they were here in two days. Maybe worth a try. They were reduced bore valves, but it hasn't troubled me thus far.

edit: no affiliation and yatter yatter

 

[Gigantor]

Hello Thirsty,

Where did you source the fat silicon O rings??

Regards

Graeme

You can get silicone cookware (flexible baking dishes and muffin pans etc) in the supermarket and cut them yourself. That's what I did and I've had no problems.

Gerard

 

[troydo]

+ to the silicon muffin pan