peebee
Out of Control
PTFE tape (just the normal thin stuff, not the thick gas stuff).
Secondary regulators - kegland, micro-matic etc
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You‘re a ruddy star… how the heck did you find that! I’ve been looking all over the place
This looks like the item on eBay, from context-pneumatics - looks Like they only list it as UNF instead of JIC; is that equivalent?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/113663379699
Slightly pricier in brass, but I’m a sucker for brass
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/113663379699
Slightly pricier in brass, but I’m a sucker for brass
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Might not have the conical seat of a JIC fitting. Might be best to ask context. I’ve always found them helpful.
peebee
Out of Control
They do. JIC is UNF in this area. I think JIC is made up of a collection of standards over a very wide range of bits and bobs rather than specifying its own measurements (do check!)? But that about "cone angles" I never resolved: There are two angles in the UNF specifications (and therefore FFL/MFL?), but I never found when one or the other. I've not experienced an issue with them though.
I too found Context Pneumatics very helpful. Even during that Kelm fittings supply confusion. They do supply those UNF to BSP adapters in steel as well as brass (that was a plug for Context!), I was getting the steel ones from them.
Thanks @peebee :-) Yes I’ve wondered about the cone angles too. I’ve read that JIC is normally 37° but there is an alternative “JIC-45” type that has a 45° angle. I should think at low pressures like these you’d get away with it though (possibly with the addition of a small ‘O’ ring). What a ruddy minefield!
![BREWING THERMOMETER STICKERS ACCURATELY MONITOR FERMENTING BEER & WINE LIQUID TEMPERATURES 5PCS HOME BREW SPIRITS WINE LCD ADHESIVE [US]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/311DDjo2X3L._SL500_.jpg)
PTFE tape seems to have done the trick sealing the thread on the gauge port by the way (had to put some on the blanking plug too).
Slight cockup last night: hooked one up to an over-full keg and managed to squirt beer out of the relief port. Aaargh! Slightly cross with myself for doing that but gave it all a good rinse through and blasted it out with CO2 - seems OK. I’ve got check valves but it’s hard to know how much pressure they rob out of the line
Slight cockup last night: hooked one up to an over-full keg and managed to squirt beer out of the relief port. Aaargh! Slightly cross with myself for doing that but gave it all a good rinse through and blasted it out with CO2 - seems OK. I’ve got check valves but it’s hard to know how much pressure they rob out of the line
peebee
Out of Control
Been there, done that! So, rather than a check-valve I put a "trap" inline between the regulator and keg (you can see them in this piccie: A big water filter housing as a trap before the NR200). It also stands in as a "cask venting" device and "spunding valve" for fermenting in a keg.
I wouldn't normally show this bit of lunacy, but I know you're a bit of a tinkerer (Lunatic?) so it might give you some ideas?
And if you need it, some more evidence of my tinkering (from 5-6 years ago):
Awesome! Great minds think alike: I’ve used those very same grey abs boxes and oversize LED indicators 
What do the boxes do?
PS: I’m going to copy that idea for using the water filter housing
regards from the fellow lunatic
What do the boxes do?
PS: I’m going to copy that idea for using the water filter housing
regards from the fellow lunatic
peebee
Out of Control
They are effectively my CO2 manifolds (with a bit of extra functionality!). Here's two of them installed (the third box is my "field" manifold). All the gauges are zero because I've been without homebrew for a few weeks now
Nice! But now I’m intrigued as to what the lights signify…They are effectively my CO2 manifolds (with a bit of extra functionality!). Here's two of them installed (the third box is my "field" manifold). All the gauges are zero because I've been without homebrew for a few weeks now
View attachment 86481
Enjoyed reading your ‘treatise’ by the way
peebee
Out of Control
Okay. You've asked for it!
Amber: Electrics on!
Red: Gas low (is it turned on or running out?).
Green. Beer line open (pump/beertap active/open and can be used ... otherwise, they're locked! Opens gas valves for that keg too ... otherwise, the gas valves are locked.).
The "green" are actually illuminating push buttons. And as you will be aware those machinery push buttons are not usually "latching" so activate relays that do the latching. There's a button to release the latch, or else it automatically releases when the timer keeping the whole kaboosh on runs out.
The upper box is for "cask" (hence LPG regulators and bubble counters for ad-lib venting), the lower box is for keg and has Shako UCR regulators ... incredibly accurate, and can be adjusted up and down using the gauge for guidance ... avoid them like the plague! They work by constantly bleeding a bit of gas off (hence the gauge reads set pressure changes both up and down). They are meant for air compressors and will eat a full gas cylinder in a week (or month?). I've got them bracketed between solenoid gas valves to keep them under control.
The boxes are edifices of paranoia gone quite mad! (Or ... I've gone quite mad and the paranoia is the result of that?).
Heh - not at all: I love this stuff :-)
Well it all seems pretty sane and logical to me…
I hadn‘t heard of the UCR regulators before but I can definitely see why you would need to keep them isolated to avoid all your gas bleeding off.
In fact that makes me wonder… once the primary has brought the pressure down to something sensible, could you use just a solenoid instead of a secondary regulator? I‘m thinking of a digital pressure sensor hooked up to the keg/cask/whatever, and a solenoid valve fed from the primary via a length of 3/16” tube just to ‘soften’ the flow rate. Pressure in keg too low = open the solenoid. Hmmm…
UNF to 1/4” adapters turned up - as hoped they are perfect to connect the Shako regs direct to a corny disconnect: very neat.
Unfortunately it makes the kegs a bit too tall to fit in the fridge though, so for now I’ll stick with using a short length of tube :-)
Unfortunately it makes the kegs a bit too tall to fit in the fridge though, so for now I’ll stick with using a short length of tube :-)
Oooo, prettyThey are effectively my CO2 manifolds (with a bit of extra functionality!). Here's two of them installed (the third box is my "field" manifold). All the gauges are zero because I've been without homebrew for a few weeks now
View attachment 86481
peebee
Out of Control
Rats! Yes, those "standard" disconnects do have an inconvenient angle on them. I've never used them, but you can get those "metal" disconnects that have a 90° angle? These are for illustration only (I'm not recommending then):
https://www.howdybrewer.com/products/torpedo-ball-lock-disconnect-set-both
Good shout
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