BES Order help

[Newtons Shed]

I currently have an order in for BES currently just for 6m of propane hose I'm luckly enough to have a reletive passing through who will collect for me so no postage/delivery costs. I'm in the middle of setting up the brewery, not got far and thought I might as well take advantage of free delivery/collection, but not sure what else I want/need at the moment.

I'm sourcing the flexible tubing from the forum through Vossey.

I've sourced a 2 piece ss bv with 15mm male threads on both ends from a local plumbers merchant at £5 each.

I need some way to connect the male threads of ball valve to the tanks? Tank connector or back nuts/Rear Ferrules (BES part N0 14244)?

I've brought one of the bv today that I will hopefully test tonight, to see how they fit and whether I can use back nut in which case I can just get the back nuts from BES as well or if I need tank connectors.

I also want a sight tube, so just seen the ss elbows BSPT M x BSP F 1/2" (part n0 14283 at nearly 1/2 price to MM at £1.50 + vat ) would the John guest push fits go on the end just like the kit malt miller and others sell?

Thanks
Andy


As the elbow has male thread at the side again could I screw this stright on to the tank with a compression nut and olive or would this also need a tank connector?

The current set up is 2 backnuts with copper tube going through the tank and a drum tap on end. I want to screw the ball valves stright into either a tank connector or back nuts (rather than having copper tube going through with compression fitting to bv) and for the time being compression copper tube pushed into the food grade hose held in place with jubilee clips on the other end going to the pump which will eventually be replaced with some quick disconnect like camlock.

Anything else that I would need to convert pots into a HLT, MT and Boiler?

 

[Vossy1]

I need some way to connect the male threads of ball valve to the tanks? Tank connector or back nuts/Rear Ferrules (BES part N0 14244)?

Tank connector through pot wall to BES 14349 (stainless socket) screwed on, then screw your ball valve into the socket....maybe

I also want a sight tube, so just seen the ss elbows BSPT M x BSP F 1/2" (part n0 14283 at nearly 1/2 price to MM at £1.50 + vat ) would the John guest push fits go on the end just like the kit malt miller and others sell?

Have a look here at my boiler build for the parts

 

[rpt]

I've sourced a 2 piece ss bv with 15mm male threads on both ends from a local plumbers merchant at £5 each.

From my very limited plumbing experience that doesn't sound right. Are they actually 1/2" BSP male threads? (It's possible that the male thread on a 15mm compression fitting is the same as 1/2" BSP). Are they parallel or taper?

As the elbow has male thread at the side again could I screw this stright on to the tank with a compression nut and olive or would this also need a tank connector?

The male thread is taper so it won't work like this.

So you might be able to put a sealing washer on the ball valve's thread and pass through a hole into the tank and screw on the coupler that Vossy mentioned.

 

[Newtons Shed]

Thanks Vossey I'll digest the sight tube later tonight, I think my reletive is going Wednesday or Thursday so a bit of time yet.

I did think of the sockets but just feels like its an extra piece that I'm trying to do away with to convert the male threads to female sockets but we'll see.

Thanks rpt, I do believe 15mm is the same as 1/2" bsp, I've asked on here before and someone has commented that they are interchangable.

Measuring the ball valve threads the o/d is 2cm or 20mm and i/d is 1.5cm or 15mm and has 5 threads. They are parallel. The nuts they come with are are 2cm/20mm i/d and o/d is 2.5cm or 25mm.

As I already have a couple of lock nuts on the tank and the ball valves come with compression fitting on both ends, I'm going to try to take the current lock nuts off and feed the b/v threads through the existing hole and screw the lock nut or compression nut back on, so the ball valve will be directly on the tank. Theres a small gap about 3 mm between the nut that it comes with being screwed tight without the olives and a bit of a lip that's about 1mm thick with a o/d of about 25mm on the end of the bv away from the thread that I'm hoping will seat a washer on the outside of the tanks to creat the water tight seal with the lock nut tightening it up to the skin wall. I'll try and get some pics up to show what I mean, if it doesn't work then yeah next plan would be tank connector and female sockets but as I'd at least 6 of each maybe total of 12 sockets those £1.72 soon add up

 

[Newtons Shed]

Just got back in from the shed, I've just about got the cold water feed going into shed through a T one end mains feed in the other will go to a ball valve and the last end goes a tap. Anyway took the current nipple out with the copper tube going through and put the ball valve in, there was enough thread to tighten the nut up but there was a tiny leak so I think if I get a washer on either side it should hopefully seal. I did quickly make a water by cutting a bit off a rubber bung and very crudley pushed it on the end of the bv on the outside of the tank and this reduced the leak a bit so if get some proper fittings it should work. The only other thing is I need to switch the Handel over as not enough Clarence to open as it moves towards the tank so can't open it any further and if I turn it around there's the hex nut rather than smooth round lip to push washer up to if that makes any sense
C

 

[Newtons Shed]

Does any one know if the "o" rings sold by bes are suitable for home brewery?
I was thinking of having one o ring on the inside and one o ring on the outside or maybe just one on the outside in which case it wouldn't mater if its not food grade as such would it? As I only want 6 or 12 didn't really want mess around trying to make my own as no hole punch or anything.

Part number from BES is 16439
Thanks
Andy

 

[EskiBrew]

I've sourced a 2 piece ss bv with 15mm male threads on both ends from a local plumbers merchant at £5 each.

Are you sure they are stainless? - That sounds far too cheap :hmm:
Would be interested to know the part number as I need a few shortly...

Does any one know if the "o" rings sold by bes are suitable for home brewery?

Might need to phone and ask them directly. It doesn't say what they are made of on their (terrible) website.

 

[Newtons Shed]

hmm doh, after dinging an o ring off another keg that has the same o/d I've managed to get a water tight seal by putting one "o" ring on the outside, then having turned the handle on the ball valve round so its open away from tyhe tank rather than towards the keg it now appears the threads are too short as the handle catches on the side of the keg as you operate the ball valve which turns the whole of the ball valve round. So looks like I need something to go into the keg and then onto the ball valve just to give some clearence.

I'll have a look on the ball valve for any markings but according to the plumber merchant after asking several times and even asked why they're more expensivethan the ones on ebay to be told its cos these are ss looking inside (noi had it apart as yet) it certainly is silver and does feel/look crome but they are only 2 peice and not 3 peice. BES sell the 2 peice for £8 so these are £3 cheaper from a local plmbers merchant

 

[EskiBrew]

BES sell the 2 peice for £8 so these are £3 cheaper from a local plmbers merchant

Exactly - seems suspicious. I think they do brass ones that are nickel coated so look silver - not that it matters, just interested if your ones really are SS :thumb:

 

[Newtons Shed]

So plan b to fit the ball valves I'm going to order 8 of these ;

14283 1/2" stainless steel 150 lb screwed 90° street elbow at £1.50 each plus vat.

The male thread end compression fit to the tank with an "O" ring on the inside of the tank (similar to how I had the ball valve set up orginally, only reason using the elbows in first instance is to give the handle lever the clearence to open/close away from the tank) and the male thread of the ball valve screwed into the female end of the elbow to give a downward facing tap/ball valve, will it work?

Thanks
Andy

 

[Newtons Shed]

Also, does anyone know if these be food grade?

11472 Red 1/2" service valve/tap connector washers, pack of 10 37p

 

[rpt]

Are you going to pass the male part of the street elbow into the tank hole? If so, I'm not sure that will work as these are taper threads. You might not be able to get the nut far enough along the thread to seal. And don't you need a washer on the outside of the tank to seal?

 

[Newtons Shed]

THnks,yes was wanting to pass the male thread end through the tank hole.

Just looking at the picture they looked parelle and not tapered?

Yes I also thought the washers go on the outside, however when I tried the washer/o ring on the ball valve on the outside of the tank it didn't seal as well as it did when I put the washer on the inside, I'd prefer the washer on outside as does awau with need to worry if food grade.

Plan C was hex nipple, lock nut, washer and female sockets but that's like £30 compared to £10 for elbow and 29 service tap washers

 

[rpt]

They are described on the BES website as BSPT M x BSP F which means taper male. Also the hex nipples are taper. You will need the parallel nipple.

 

[Vossy1]

The male thread end compression fit to the tank with an "O" ring on the inside of the tank (similar to how I had the ball valve set up orginally, only reason using the elbows in first instance is to give the handle lever the clearence to open/close away from the tank) and the male thread of the ball valve screwed into the female end of the elbow to give a downward facing tap/ball valve, will it work?

Are there shoulders on your ball valve to give you compressive force against the pot to seal the elbow? Also worth noting the threaded area of the elbow is only about 5mm-10mm, I would imagine the thread area of your ball valve is a damn sight bigger, so the ball valve won't screw into the street elbow enough for you to get compression, unless you shorten the ball valves threaded area or 'pack the thread out' with something, as per rpt's advice.