Still looking for a larger fermenter and I’m pricing out some options. Tri clamps add almost $300 to the cost of a 14 gal conical. Are they really worth that? Anyone have good experience with both? I was looking at a 27 gal with tri clamps but I can buy two 14 gal regular conicals for about the same. This would give me more flexibility.
Thoughts?
Have you looked at these?
http://www.bargainfittings.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=51
http://store.proflowdynamics.com/modules/store/-Couplings-for-Homebrewers-_C12074.cfm
Cam lock couplers are much cheaper than tri clamps, just as sanitary using either a buna n or silicone gasket, and easier to connect and disconnect than a tri clamp.
They are nice but you can certainly do without them.
Sure you can certainly do with out them, but man after years of hose barbs why would you want to do without them. I got sick of going through hoses because they get tore up. The sanitary benefits of using cam locks are most beneficial when weighed against the cost.
I use both tri-clamps and cam-locks depending upon the application. One thing I’d like to do, however, is migrate to all of one or the other. In my situation, it’s not possible to go one way or the other, but whatever you decide be consistent.
Just my 2 cents, but there’s a reason why most (if not all) commercial brewing equipment is fitted with tri-clamps. But then again, for homebrewing purposes cam-locks would be fine.
I will say that cam locks do need to need to have the gaskets pulled out and the socket ends need to be soaked/cleaned, but with the sockets on the hoses it makes it really easy to clean them.
I would like to gradually make the shift to tri-clamps. They are easier to work with and clean, not to mention very sanitary. I currently have QD’s that work fine but tri-clamps are definitely better IMO. The initial cost will set you back, but I think they’re worth it in the long run.
Yes, well worth it.
Anyone got a tri-clamp link? IIRC they are something like 10 times the cost of the camlocks. That’s what has me balking at the outlay.
You can get them here.
[u]St. Pats of Texas[/u] has them too.
Punatic, don’t you ever sleep?
Only one eye at a time. 
Isn’t the guy at St Pat’s militantly anti-homebrewer? :o
Anyway I don’t see any sizes of tri-clamp usable in my brewery while the camlocks do come in the appropriate sizes.
That’s not been my experience, but we usually aren’t discussing homebrewing. More along the lines of boilers, columns and condensers. It’s just a parts store with a good selection of parts.
http://probrewer.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=17115&highlight=pats
http://www.probrewer.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=14223
From what I read, the guy at St. Pats is militantly anit-brewer (most of their equipment is winery related). BUT – I’ve never had any problems with any orders I’ve placed (large >$250 or small <$100), that said, I’ve been ordering for my start up business. From the thread above, sounds like you should know EXACTLY what you want when you place an order and I wouldn’t bother calling.
That should be gal.
These folks often have good prices too: Security Measure
With all the talk about the benefits of sanitary fittings, I’d like to point out that triclamps are only “sanitary” if they are welded in and not screwed in. If you’ve got threads, it’s not technically sanitary. Same goes for the camlocks.
Aside from the sanitary aspect of tri clamps, the best things is being able to hook up stuff in crazy configurations without requiring all kinds of adapters. Need to add a temporary thermowell, throw a Tee in there and put the thermowell through.