New set-up - Barbs vs Push fit?

[donchiquon]

I'm slowly building up the parts for a kegerator having had a run of bad luck with PB taps, and getting tired of mopping up the boiler/drying room floor and complaints that our laundry now smells of malt.

I've got 3 Perlick taps from fleabay and 3 used cornys. A fridge is imminent so long as the French petrol strike doesn't leave me stranded on the other side of the Alps.

As I'm starting from scratch is there a set of pros and cons for the different options for connections - barbs vs push fit?

I've done a bit of searching but come up empty handed....sorry if I've missed an obvious thread!

[Stanna]

I made my first kegerator about 10 months ago, spent a fortune on John guest fittings but found them very unreliable the fingers on the collets kept braking off, so swapped most of them out to barbed fittings except the connection off the co2 regulator as I use that connection a lot for force carbing my beer, also the back of the tap shanks are still John guest.

[orlando]

I made my first kegerator about 10 months ago, spent a fortune on John guest fittings but found them very unreliable the fingers on the collets kept braking off, so swapped most of them out to barbed fittings except the connection off the co2 regulator as I use that connection a lot for force carbing my beer, also the back of the tap shanks are still John guest.

JG all the way, not a single failure of any kind and easy to disconnect, clean and hook back up.

[donchiquon]

I made my first kegerator about 10 months ago, spent a fortune on John guest fittings but found them very unreliable the fingers on the collets kept braking off, so swapped most of them out to barbed fittings except the connection off the co2 regulator as I use that connection a lot for force carbing my beer, also the back of the tap shanks are still John guest.

JG all the way, not a single failure of any kind and easy to disconnect, clean and hook back up.

Thanks both! A vote for and against...might have to toss a coin on this one!

Fridge arrived today!

[f00b4r]

This is a great question and something I have been mulling as well, I wonder if the difference is between those with much colder temperatures (lager boys!), using the fridges/freezers up and down in temperatures (e.g. for cold crashing) and causing brittleness or if there are a lot of low quality fakes of the JG fittings floating around?

[orlando]

This is a great question and something I have been mulling as well, I wonder if the difference is between those with much colder temperatures (lager boys!), using the fridges/freezers up and down in temperatures (e.g. for cold crashing) and causing brittleness or if there are a lot of low quality fakes of the JG fittings floating around?

Get them from here and you will be fine.

[f00b4r]

This is a great question and something I have been mulling as well, I wonder if the difference is between those with much colder temperatures (lager boys!), using the fridges/freezers up and down in temperatures (e.g. for cold crashing) and causing brittleness or if there are a lot of low quality fakes of the JG fittings floating around?

Get them from here and you will be fine.

Cheers, they look too have a pretty comprehensive range as well.

[Fil]

I made my first kegerator about 10 months ago, spent a fortune on John guest fittings but found them very unreliable the fingers on the collets kept braking off, so swapped most of them out to barbed fittings except the connection off the co2 regulator as I use that connection a lot for force carbing my beer, also the back of the tap shanks are still John guest.

Ha, and i would suggest the opposite, no offence stanna, but i trust 1/4" barbed fittings secured with jubilee clips on the gas lines especially those that could get the odd accidental overdose of pressure. but JG for the beer lines as they are foolproof as long as you remember they are designed for a limited number of fit/undo/refits circa 15 iirc but dont quote me on that and dont like it sideways ..

Just ensure all pipe ends for jg fittings are cut square and even even if you have the sharpest shears/snips or scissors they will all deform tube before slicing and the result isnt a square cut, an off square cut wont sit flush in the fitting against the stop collar and may provide a nucleation point causing excessive foaming and loss of condition.

Then shove fully in for a good solid connection, just pay attention to each insertion to ensure it goes all the way home. .

JG fittings dont like sideways or shearing pressure so avoid bending the line and use elbows to negotiate corners etc, if you need to travel a complex course to the tap employ the 3/16" microline which helps maintain condition in the poured beer by reducing the keg pressure to a nominal level at the tap point and its more flexible than the semi rigid 3/8" line, but dont abuse it and avoid kinks as they too can instigate condition loss.

[f00b4r]

I have seen the use 15 times quoted as well, is this for the actual JG part itself or just the beer line (that presumably can be trimmed anyway)?

[Fil]

I have seen the use 15 times quoted as well, is this for the actual JG part itself or just the beer line (that presumably can be trimmed anyway)?

tbh im not 100% sure, but going by the way some fittings chew up the tube after a single fitting i doubt many tubes would last more than a few changes before needing a chop back.

the superseal fittings designed for hard tubes like SS work on compression of orings between forms/ferrules and can be fully serviced/opened and the orings replaced, but they are a pita to use as they depend on twisting up to seal and dont rotate without effecting the seal..

[Stanna]

This is a great question and something I have been mulling as well, I wonder if the difference is between those with much colder temperatures (lager boys!), using the fridges/freezers up and down in temperatures (e.g. for cold crashing) and causing brittleness or if there are a lot of low quality fakes of the JG fittings floating around?

You might be onto something here as I set kegerator to 1c and the jg colet fingers kept failing, must be down to temp.

[f00b4r]

I actually ordered some Oetiker clips and tool from Brew UK , so where I can use standard 3/8 beer line with flow control taps I should avoid any issues. I will try the JG fittings on the more lively beers.

[Jonnyconga]

FYI - I sell genuine JG fittings - and lots of other kegging stuff. All at decent prices. Checkout "bargain corny disconnects" thread in the for sale section. Or PM....

[demig]

FYI - I sell genuine JG fittings - and lots of other kegging stuff. All at decent prices. Checkout "bargain corny disconnects" thread in the for sale section. Or PM....

Just wanted to say Jonnyconga sells good stuff, very pleased with the stuff I've got from him and will be ordering again when I get some more taps.

When it comes to cutting the tubes I use a proper JG cutting tool that I got for plumbing and it gives a lovely square cut with no tube deformation. You just need to make sure the tube is square into the tool and it's perfect. No idea how this will affect longevity but it does seem sensible to have a square end.

Don't know if Jonny can get you those but screwfix has them and should last a lifetime.

[donchiquon]

I actually ordered some Oetiker clips and tool from Brew UK , so where I can use standard 3/8 beer line with flow control taps I should avoid any issues. I will try the JG fittings on the more lively beers.

Hi f00b4r

Are you using 3/8 line exclusively with your flow control taps? How do you find it?

I've got 3 Perlicks with flow control and was wondering whether I would need to use a "sandwich" of 3/16 line to control head or whether I could get away with 3/8.