Tight Ass Gas/beer Line

[reVoxAHB]

Hey gang,

I'm just getting around to putting my kegging gear together and am having a hell of a time slipping the 5mm / 8mmOD (Outside Diameter) line around my reg, quick disco barbs, etc.

It's the CobraPlus+ commercial line.

It's pretty cold in my back room, so I boiled some water and soaked the end of line for 3 or 4 mins and got this far:


Temped to fire up my Crme Brle kitchen torch for a quick hit of heat, but pretty sure it will stuff up the strength of the line or worse.

Any suggestions how to get the line all the way up the barb?

cheers,
reVox

 

[oldbugman]

Me, I'd just get a clamp on there.

 

[PostModern]

Keg lube?

 

[oldbugman]

Oh, after doing 4mm beer line I generally found soaking for 30seconds was more than enough. soaking for longer made the boiling water cool and not get the beer line as soft.

 

[Phrak]

it should be right. Whack a clamp on if you're worried.

If you're really anal, snip the end off and try it again. This time:
* Soak it for 30secs in boiling water, not 3-4mins. You want it a bit stiff still.
* Use a tea-towel around the tubing so you can get a good grip on the tube where it's hot.
* Use the pointy end of a pen to quickly flare the tube.
* Push the tube into the fitting as quickly as possible in one movement. If you stop, chances are you'll crimp the hose and it won't go any further.

HTH
Tim

 

[oldbugman]

oh, other tip is to put a pair of needle nose pliers inside it when hot and open then.

 

[Shunty]

I have a pair of external circlip pliers with the points ground off for spreading tubing, works a treat

 

[Ross]

A chopstick works really well also for streching the line. As others have pointed out, just a short dip in boiling water works best. Another alternative is to change the barb on your regulator to a smaller one or switch it to a quick release fitting.

cheers Ross

 

[Belgrave Brewer]

And as soon as you get it worked out ReVox, pour me a beer!!!!! :beer:

Thanks for brewing with me sunday, the APA is sure to be a winner and there will be some coming your way.

 

[lucas]

you've got more hose over the barb than i did, I cant see a problem with it

 

[reVoxAHB]

Thanks everybody for the tips. Some great ones in there.

Well, today's a new day- shall give it a crack just as soon as I get some coffee in me.

Cheers,
reVox

 

[mika]

It's a fine line between getting it soft enough to go over the fitting, but not too soft so that it folds up as you're trying to push it. I try to soak only as much as I want on the fitting, a little bit less would help as well, it's not too bad to move as long as you can get the end started.

Had to laugh at all the inventive ways people have come up with, you can tell the gadget people from the office workers from the people who have their keg setup a little too close to the kitchen

 

[paul]

Cut the line off of the barb and have another go. The easiest way to do it is to heat up the barb and the line before you try and put it onto the barb.

To heat it use a heat gun if you have one. If you dont have one use a hair drier of hot water. Heating both the barb and the hose stops it from only getting halfway on as in the pics.

By only heating up the hose when you push it onto the cold barb it gets cold and hard.

 

[ant]

...a hair drier of hot water...

I didn't think they mixed...

 

[reVoxAHB]

hehe. Thanks guys for all of the tips. Yeah, I just snipped the ends I'd fiddled with last night and started over using boiling water (immersed for 30 secs. or so) and just monkeyed 'em on there. After the third one, it got a bit easier and all that.

What seemed to work best was a healthy dose of patience, at the start of a new day
Thumbs are a bit sore, but I think I have a cure for that: thumb firmly planted on a nice cold frosty one.

Now to explain to SWMBO why I have a beer in each hand

"But both thumbs hurt, dear!"

:beer: Thanks everybody.

edit: spelling