Kegs - Pin Lock vs Ball Lock

Discussions about brewing equipment / design.
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daryl
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Joined: Thu Jan 16, 2014 11:07 pm
Location: Springville, IA

Re: Kegs - Pin Lock vs Ball Lock

Post by daryl »

Matt F wrote:
TappedOut wrote:On the topic of kegging, I really like having the twist-on fittings vs. just hose-barb fittings on disconnects and gas valves. It makes it a lot easier to take apart to clean, and you can swap out pin vs. ball lock if needed. If you're like me, you will eventually get beer backflowing into your gas line. Costs a little more for the hose-barb to MFL adapters, but totally worth it IMHO.
I second this. Everything I have has a MFL screw together connection. Cost difference is maybe a buck or two and well worth it. Makes easy to clean and swap between pin and ball. You can also move gas and bev connectors around to different devices which could be more economical. For example, for many years I would move my gas and bev QDs around to different devices in the brewery. Extra gas line in kegerator, portable mini CO2 charger, keg washer, keg flushing device I made could all share a QD. Would be good to have a couple mfl connections on our club bar so we could swap to Pin if necessary. Could probably get away with doing this to just one line and add more if we had some more pin lock folks in the club pouring at festivals.
Scored some Pin Lock kegs, as they were the first available at a price I was willing to pay. They look used and they all hold pressure.

I really appreciate the suggestions on the MFL twist-on fittings. A few more bucks, but cleaning the lines will be much easier and will reduce stress on the lines (by avoiding multiple insertions/removals of the barbed fitting).

What are the pros/cons of 3/16 vs 5/16 fittings/tubing; does one work better with gas and the other with liquid?

,___,
(6v6)
(_^(_\
" " \ \
In the Fridge/On Tap: English Bitter, Schwarzbier, Cream Ale
In the keg: Wheat Beer, Russian Imperial Stout
In the bucket:
In the queue: Irish Red, American IPA
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andrewmaixner
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Re: Kegs - Pin Lock vs Ball Lock

Post by andrewmaixner »

daryl wrote:Scored some Pin Lock kegs, as they were the first available at a price I was willing to pay. They look used and they all hold pressure.

I really appreciate the suggestions on the MFL twist-on fittings. A few more bucks, but cleaning the lines will be much easier and will reduce stress on the lines (by avoiding multiple insertions/removals of the barbed fitting).

What are the pros/cons of 3/16 vs 5/16 fittings/tubing; does one work better with gas and the other with liquid?
It doesn't matter much for gas. For liquid, either understand this: http://beersmith.com/blog/2011/07/14/ke ... raft-beer/
or just stick with 3/16 like almost everyone else.
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czubak
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Location: SW CR

Re: Kegs - Pin Lock vs Ball Lock

Post by czubak »

Adventures in Homebrewing has NEW ball locks kegs fro $69

http://www.homebrewing.org/AIH-New-5-Ga ... 461bc95d6a
Chris Zubak
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UndeadFred
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Joined: Fri Feb 20, 2015 12:07 pm

Re: Kegs - Pin Lock vs Ball Lock

Post by UndeadFred »

I saw that AIH post on Facebook.. now, have a bunch shipped somewhere in Illinois for a group buy! ;) (IIRC, AIH charges much less shipping to "Great Lakes States")...

Fred
Locked