Spike Brewing barb fittings are made out of the same high quality 304 stainless steel that they use in their line of brew kettles. This hose barb connector allows you to attach tubing directly to your ball valve. This barb is specially designed to have a 5/8" OD. This stretches the 1/2" silicone tubing over the barb and thus will not require a hose clamp to stay securely attached to the barb.