When anyone first enters the world of home brewing, a common initial reaction may be to feel overwhelmed. It’s only natural – there are many intricacies involved in making a quality brew, and much like fishing, there’s much more work and decision-making involved underneath the superficially-simple surface.
One of these deeper intricacies in the world of home brewing is the question of tubing, and more specifically, tubing sizes and the valves that best go with them.
In most cases, your best option for a ball valve is a ½ stainless steel ball valve, especially from a quality provider like Stainless Steel Ball Valve. While most would agree with you if you repeated those words, it’s more important to know why they’re true than anything else.
Why Stainless Steel?
Metallurgy is very important in home brewing, and as per Beer Smith, stainless steel is among your better options. It’s easily cleaned with oxygenated cleaners, stronger than aluminum, and less prone to scratches and dents than many other materials.
It’s also a little pricier, but very well worth it.
Why ½ Inches?
In home brewing, ½ inch tubing allows you to complete hot side transferring and have enough of a circumference for several other operations, including siphoning. It’s only disadvantageous in setups of over 10 gallons, as per Home Brew Academy.
Why a Ball Valve?
Simply put, they’re cheaper and highly effective. They’re also relatively easy to clean, depending on the kind of valve you purchase, and a stainless steel ball valve is highly durable as well.
