What is a Camlock Fitting?
A camlock fitting or camlock coupling, often shortened to simply “camlock” or “cam,” is a type of coupling that allows one to quickly attach or detach the fitting from pipes and hoses. Sizes for brewing typically range from between half an inch to six inches, and there are six major categories for camlocks, ranging from A to F. There are also a number of materials used in brewing camlocks, though the most popular two choices are brass and stainless steel.
Camlock Fitting Types
Type A camlocks have female pipe threads and male grooved adapters, with each being the size of the other.
Type B camlock fittings have a female end of the camlock with a male thread, both the same size.
Type C camlocks have a male horsetail at one end and a female camlock on the other.
Type D use a double-female camlock and pipe thread, of equivalent size.
Type E camlocks have male camlocks and a male horse thread.
Type F have a male pipe thread and male adapters of equal size.
There are also a few specialized sizes that can vary depending on their specific use, and vary from vendor to vendor.
Camlock Fitting Materials
While the two most common camlock fitting materials are stainless steel and brass, there are a few others that are used, such as aluminum and plastic. Choosing the right type of material for your camlocks is important in order to avoid affecting the brewing process or damaging your equipment.
Stainless steel is a popular choice because of its high durability and corrosion resistance, as well as the fact that it does not react with beer and thus add any flavors. The only exception to this is when the stainless steel has not been properly maintained and allowed to corrode, in which case a metallic, blood-like taste can be perceived in the finished product. However, stainless steel also tends to be the most expensive material for brewing equipment, and if not well-maintained can be susceptible to corrosion.
Brass has high thermal conductivity and is corrosion-resistant, as well as being more affordable than stainless steel. The only reason brass is not frequently used in commercial applications is that the cleaning products used on a commercial scale tend to be too corrosive for brass, thus warranting stainless steel instead. However, for a home brewing setup, brass tends to be easy enough to clean with regular household materials. Some brewers may be initially put off by the small amount of lead (no more than three percent) in brass, but this percentage is small enough that there are no health risks associated with it.
