Stainless steel keg disconnects

[Georgedgerton]

Two questions:
1) Does anyone know the barb size on the stainless ball lock disconnects?
2) Are they any better than their plastic cousins?

 

[MHB]

There are several different SS disconnects that I know of, which ones are you looking at?
Mark

 

[JDW81]

I can't speak for all of the SS disconnects, but the ones I had didn't have barbs, they had threaded connections for John Guest style push fittings which were good. No faffing around with trying to get a piece of beer/gas line onto a barb and no need for clamps to hold them on.

The SS ball lock disconnects (I had a few different iterations of them) don't fit as well onto the gas/liquid posts as the black/grey plastic ones in my experience, and are more inclined to leak. I have since sold my kegging gear (more's the pity), but will likely replace with the plastic ones in the future, unless the products I've seen around fit better onto the posts.


JD

 

[Georgedgerton]

There are several different SS disconnects that I know of, which ones are you looking at?
Mark

The ones i initially looked at were the Beerco and Kegland ones which look similar, but as you point out something similar is not necessarily the same

 

[Georgedgerton]

I can't speak for all of the SS disconnects, but the ones I had didn't have barbs, they had threaded connections for John Guest style push fittings which were good. No faffing around with trying to get a piece of beer/gas line onto a barb and no need for clamps to hold them on.

The SS ball lock disconnects (I had a few different iterations of them) don't fit as well onto the gas/liquid posts as the black/grey plastic ones in my experience, and are more inclined to leak. I have since sold my kegging gear (more's the pity), but will likely replace with the plastic ones in the future, unless the products I've seen around fit better onto the posts.


JD

Since posting, I have seen the the threaded connector type available through Kegland. Your right trying to get line over some of the bars can be quite a challenge. A bit disappointing they tend to leak. I had a plastic one fail, and found a Tsunami of beer flowing out of the fridge and through the garage

 

[RRising]

Since posting, I have seen the the threaded connector type available through Kegland. Your right trying to get line over some of the bars can be quite a challenge. A bit disappointing they tend to leak. I had a plastic one fail, and found a Tsunami of beer flowing out of the fridge and through the garage

Kegland sells a MFL-barb swivel nut which might be better if you don't trust the Duotight/ John Guest type fittings.

 

[MHB]

Most of what I have seen are 6mm (1/4") barbs.
Some of the old Australian made Turret disconnects have a stepped 10mm-6mm barb. Most of the MKL barbs are 6mm to.
One of the reasons I usually use 6mm line on my taps and beer guns, even if they have to be a bit longer. Using quality line I have never had a leak or split line, which can happen when you stretch a 4-5mm line over a 6mm barb.
Mark