QD water connections

[300bosup]

Has anyone come up with a good quick detach water line set up for the MH dual purpose still? The pc and rc both have 1/2” OD stainless nipples. I have been using hose clamps for several years with no issues other than hoses trying to bend and kink. I am currently building a keg boiler for stripping/plate runs and i would like to be able to use the same water lines without having to mess with hose clamps

[NormandieStill]

Not personal experience but I've seen someone put short stubs of tube with adapters on the end to hozelock or some other quick release.

[Salt Must Flow]

How are you supplying water to the still? Are you using your tap water or are you recirculating water with a pump?

[300bosup]

I recirculate using a pond pump and a 55 gallon barrel. I have a y with shut off valves on the feed side and a needle valve for the rc. Output side of both condensers have independent lines going back to the barrel

[Salt Must Flow]

Here's a page that shows a variety of Camlok Quick Disconnect fittings. The Camlock with barbed ends looks like the most convenient option. There's other places to buy these, even from China.

In a lot of cases the 90 elbow Camlok would be ideal so that the hoses hang straight down so they won't kink.

[Salt Must Flow]

A MUCH less expensive option would be to use these fittings. You can unscrew them without using tools so they're kinda "quick disconnect".

You can find them at Lowes (and other stores) in the plumbing section with the PEX fittings. They screw directly to the 1/2" NPT threads and are barbed on the other end. You can use hose clamps to connect the hose to the barb. An alternative to using hose clamps is to use PEX clamps, but they require a special crimp tool and you would have to buy the PEX clamps that are intended to be used with the crimper.

If I had to compare these to Camlok ... I'd have to say Camlok is probably more robust, but these do get the job done.

[Oldvine Zin]

I'm a fan of tri clamp fittings, not the cheapest but buy once and only cry once. Can't tell you how much money I wasted on cheap fittings bought at Lowes

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Stay safe
OVZ

[MooseMan]

I use the below pictured push fit connectors on my water lines. They are perfect for when you want to swap back and forth.

These ones are actually intended for air line connections and I use them in 10mm and 12mm, but the most common type for beer lines are in imperial and what most people call John guest fittings.

[Salt Must Flow]

I use the below pictured push fit connectors on my water lines. They are perfect for when you want to swap back and forth.

These ones are actually intended for air line connections and I use them in 10mm and 12mm, but the most common type for beer lines are in imperial and what most people call John guest fittings.

Screenshot_20240326-183152885.png

IMG_20230325_113645_766~2.jpg

Those 'Push to Connect' fittings (aka Sharkbite) are what I use, but I don't recirculate water with a pump. I use home water pressure so 1/4" and 3/8" OD tubing works great. These fittings are super easy and convenient to use. The 1/4" and 3/8" tubing is flexible and easy to roll up and stow away.

To recirculate water using a pond pump, those fittings and the compatible tubing needs to be relatively large diameter (1/2" for instance) to not create too much restriction/back-pressure. That diameter of tubing (PEX) is rather rigid (not anywhere near as flexible) and kinda of a pain in the ass in comparison to softer tubing or smaller diameter tubing.

When I first started out, I used 1/2" PEX and very quickly switched to 1/4" OD tubing with 'Push to Connect' fittings. When I strip using 11000W, I have to use 3/8" OD tubing and 3/8" 'Push to Connect' fittings otherwise I don't get high enough flow rate with 1/4" OD tubing.

Now if I were recirculating water using a pond pump, I'd probably use another type of fittings & tubing. Alternatively I could switch to using a higher pressure electric diaphragm pump that's rated for continuous duty that way I could stick to using 'Push to Connect' fittings and 1/4" or 3/8" OD tubing.

[NorthWoodsAb]

I use push type connectors on condensers.

https://images.app.goo.gl/37bh2BU3eDnF53hu6

I've had to trim end of hose on hot end only twice in 5 years.

[Steve Broady]

Here's a page that shows a variety of Camlok Quick Disconnect fittings. The Camlock with barbed ends looks like the most convenient option. There's other places to buy these, even from China.

In a lot of cases the 90 elbow Camlok would be ideal so that the hoses hang straight down so they won't kink.

Some time ago, I bit the bullet and converted all my hoses over to Camlock. It wasn’t the cheapest option, but I’ve been very glad that I did so. They’re solid and reliable, and they give be great flexibility in how I connect my water lines. For example, I keep a simple spray nozzle handy with a camlock on it, so after a run I just disconnect the cold water feed from the PC and pop that sprayer on to easily hose down the boiler. I’ve also been able to easily add a second condenser into the circuit without needing to make up new hoses.

[Born_Free]

Has anyone come up with a good quick detach water line set up for the MH dual purpose still? The pc and rc both have 1/2” OD stainless nipples. I have been using hose clamps for several years with no issues other than hoses trying to bend and kink. I am currently building a keg boiler for stripping/plate runs and i would like to be able to use the same water lines without having to mess with hose clamps

I used QD on my still because my brewery hoses were all setup with them. Not the cheapest option but the flexibility is great, I use the same hoses for cooling, draining the still, cleaning and my chugger pumps also have them making connecting easy. Really nice when you need to break down the still.

I made the mistake of not getting all 5/8" female connectors, because I have 1/2" ID hoses, you don't want the connectors to introduce a restriction. Not always relevant just depends on pump sizes and what you use them for.

[howie]

everything i've got involved with water has got S/S camlocks fitted (deflag, condenser, cooling coil)
makes everything interchangeable and easy to connect/disconnect.
includes 1 x small female/female 'straight through' camlock to insert ie when i'm not using the deflag.
90° S/S angles eliminate hose kinks.

sorry, had a few goes at flipp'n the pic with no success

EDIT : There you go Howie

[ckdistills]

I use half inch hose, garden hose adapters, and recently added garden hose QD. Inexpensive and works great.

[Steve Broady]

I use half inch hose, garden hose adapters, and recently added garden hose QD. Inexpensive and works great.

I don’t want to tell anyone that their methods aren’t right, and if it works for you then by all means, roll with it. But I’ve had mixed results with garden hose QD fittings. My biggest complaint is a lack of standardization, meaning that one brand isn’t always compatible with another. Since I don’t always shop at the same store every single time, that got annoying.

I also got fed up with seeming never having the right end of a hose for whatever I was trying to do. I think that if I went back to them, I’d use the camlock philosophy of always having a male end on the hose and a female end on whatever it connects to.

[ckdistills]

I don’t want to tell anyone that their methods aren’t right, and if it works for you then by all means, roll with it. But I’ve had mixed results with garden hose QD fittings. My biggest complaint is a lack of standardization, meaning that one brand isn’t always compatible with another. Since I don’t always shop at the same store every single time, that got annoying.

I also got fed up with seeming never having the right end of a hose for whatever I was trying to do. I think that if I went back to them, I’d use the camlock philosophy of always having a male end on the hose and a female end on whatever it connects to.

Interesting - I can see that. Haven't experienced lack of standardization but I've only used this one brand! I wouldn't recommend this approach for anything other than cooling water connections. I use camlocks for anything in contact with beer/wash/etc for the reasons you list and they are easy to keep clean too.

[Yummyrum]

I used Garden hoses and fittings for about ten years but are now using braided 1/2” lines with the BSP thread . I find they don’t leak and I only need to do them finger tight .
Am interested in Camlock but it looks like an expensive change .
Curious , is there like a defacto standard size Camlock that everyone uses ?

[NormandieStill]

I don’t want to tell anyone that their methods aren’t right, and if it works for you then by all means, roll with it. But I’ve had mixed results with garden hose QD fittings. My biggest complaint is a lack of standardization, meaning that one brand isn’t always compatible with another. Since I don’t always shop at the same store every single time, that got annoying.

I have the same issue. Add to that, tubing and fittings that are not temperature rated and seals that require good to perfect alignment and you end up with small leaks and fitting issues. As soon as I can afford to make the switch (and have a permanent home for my still so I can cut all my tubing to the correct lengths), I'll be moving over to some kind of reliable QD system. The camlocks look rather nice.

[Steve Broady]

Curious , is there like a defacto standard size Camlock that everyone uses ?

I don’t know if it’s the standard, but my standard has become 1/2” camlock. Logic being that the bulk of the plumbing in my house is 1/2”, so the fittings are in keeping with that. Also, that’s what was readily available when I was shopping for them, and they’re not horribly expensive. I think I spent maybe a few hundred dollars on fittings, which will likely be enough to meet my needs for the foreseeable future.

Many of the fittings I bought have garden hose threads on them, which allows me to use inexpensive braided stainless washing machine hoses. So far, I’ve had excellent results with that combination.

[Steve Broady]

Just thought to add this, for what it’s worth.

Regarding the cost of fittings, I’ve realized that I don’t actually need all that many. Each condenser has two male ends, and anything else (like my spray nozzle) also needs a male end. Realistically, my supply and return hoses stay semi-permanently connected to the supply and drain, so they only need female fittings on one end. Then I have two or three shorter double ended braided hoses which I can use to daisy chain two condensers, or if I’m running in the kitchen and thus away from my regular cooling setup. I’ve got parts to make up several more hoses, but I don’t really need them so I haven’t bothered.

At this point, the only reason I think I would need more fittings is if/when I build a new condenser. Even then, I might remove the connections off an older unused one before I bought more.