Jim with Pro Refrigeration sells the hoses with disconnects. See:
http://discussions.probrewer.com/sho...8522#post18522
I believe the hoses are nitrile for the inner tube. You have to be careful what hose you use with glycol. PEX would probably work (I think one of the local breweries just installed disconnectable drops using PEX), but it seems pretty stiff to me. Having the flexibility to move an operating FV around seems to me to be worth the cost of better hose.
The main thing to be concerned with is to leave at least one end of your jacket open when it's disconnected (probably the upper end). So a double-sealing disconnect is a bad idea, though it might seem like a good idea as it keeps the glycol from spilling on disconnect. I've seen small FVs with the corny-style ball lock fittings for the glycol jacket...risky, I'd say, unless there's some built-in PRV for the jacket. If your FV heats up (from cleaning) or cools down, you could very easily damage the jacket or vessel walls. In the case of that small FV with the corny ball-lock fittings, the inner wall was buckled out into interior. The problem with leaving the end open is glycol will probably spill out if you heat the vessel. So a way to blow the glycol into the return line before disconnecting will save mess and expense (glycol is really costly). Or, drain the jacket into a bucket from the lower end when you disconnect. Just make sure it's not possible to close off the jacket.
I'd give Jim a call. Or make them up yourself (local industrial supplies will make hoses for you--I do it all the time) using something compatible with cold propylene glycol.
Regards,
Mike Sharp