I’ve got my beer sitting on 14psi to get 2.55vol at 42*F. Do I turn the pressure to 5 and purge to serve? After drinking for the evening, should I turn it back up to 14psi? I’ve noticed that the beer comes out too foamy serving at 10psi…
Please help fellow keggers!
Try searching for balancing keg lines. What a lot of people find, including myself, is you’ll need somewhere around 8-10 ft of 3/16" line to serve in the 10-12 psi range. Ideally you’ll want the proper length of line to be able to serve at the same pressure you are carbing at.
At 14 psi you’ll probably need ~11 ft of 3/16" line to get a good pour. http://seanterrill.com/2011/11/11/a-mor … balancing/
You can also use the insert from an epoxy mixing nozzle to increase the flow resistance. viewtopic.php?f=3&t=102401
In the meantime, you can turn down the pressure before serving, vent the keg’s head space, pour, then turn the pressure back up.
[quote=“a10t2”]At 14 psi you’ll probably need ~11 ft of 3/16" line to get a good pour. http://seanterrill.com/2011/11/11/a-mor … balancing/
You can also use the insert from an epoxy mixing nozzle to increase the flow resistance. viewtopic.php?f=3&t=102401
In the meantime, you can turn down the pressure before serving, vent the keg’s head space, pour, then turn the pressure back up.[/quote]
Very helpful…
so to use 5’ of line at 2.55vol I’d calculate
5ft * (0.71psi/ft) + 6.5 psi = 10.05psi serving pressure. To get my 2.55vol I’d need to get my beer to 35*F.
Based on those calculations, I could turn the temp down, thus reducing pressure for carbonation and serve with 5’ of line, correct?
Whoops didn’t realize I was logged in as my girlfriend. (mvsawyer)
That should work as long as you’re willing to serve it that cold.
That should work as long as you’re willing to serve it that cold.[/quote]
That is pretty cold. I serve mine around 38 to 40 with 10ft of 3/16 ID and I love how it pours. Five foot (what i started with) just didn’t work for me, but its all about personal preference and the rate of flow you want.
Michael,
I’ve been running 6ft of 3/16id at 10psi (serving) and 36-38F for the past several weeks since I started kegging. I get nice, foam free pours. It took me a couple of “trys” to get it dialed in, but i’m happy now.
:cheers:
bob
It will warm in the glass after a couple of minutes. 
If you reduce the pressure on the gauge, be sure you have a back flow re stricter on the gauge. You don’t want beer being pushed back into the gauge.
Thanks all for the advice and info. I’ve got 25’ of beer line that I had planned on using for 4 kegs. I’ll just get another bundle and use 25’ for 2. I’m so glad I didn’t buy the 5’ “Foam Free” beer lines.
Thanks again!
:cheers:
I made the mistake of buying my kegerator at a local home brew shop. My liquid lines are both 5 feet long. Unfortunately, there is no room for more lines inside because this is a converted wine fridge. I’ve been living with keeping temps cold and turning down pressure for pour sessions for years.
Why did I not join here sooner? Epoxy mixer tube inserts down the dip tube! I’ll be. This just made my day!
The inserts trick works like a charm. I only used them for root beer to keep from having to run 30+ feet to get a proper pour for soda carbonated to 4.0 volumes. I have 10 ft of line for my beers and that works perfect for beer coming out of the keg at 38f carbonated to 2.5 volumes with 11 PSI. I would think one to one half of an insert should be plenty to get a good beer pour with 5 ft.
One thing to consider with inserts and beer will be really hoppy beers that may have been dry hopped. The insert may have a tendency to clog if their is a heavy load of hop material in the finished beer.
Congrats on the epoxy thread find, That will be much better than having to monkey around all the time sounds like you’re all set now. Welcome to the board.
[quote=“mvsawyer”]Thanks all for the advice and info. I’ve got 25’ of beer line that I had planned on using for 4 kegs. I’ll just get another bundle and use 25’ for 2. I’m so glad I didn’t buy the 5’ “Foam Free” beer lines.
Thanks again!
:cheers: [/quote]
Using 12’ for each serving line is a bit overboard unless you are serving beers with extreme amounts of carbonation. 6-7ft of 3/16" ID seems to be a sweet spot with most systems for a wide variety of carbonation levels when served at the standard 36-38F temp. The extreme long lines will give an extremely slow pour for no good benefit.
[quote=“Dean Palmer”][quote=“mvsawyer”]Thanks all for the advice and info. I’ve got 25’ of beer line that I had planned on using for 4 kegs. I’ll just get another bundle and use 25’ for 2. I’m so glad I didn’t buy the 5’ “Foam Free” beer lines.
Thanks again!
:cheers: [/quote]
Using 12’ for each serving line is a bit overboard unless you are serving beers with extreme amounts of carbonation. 6-7ft of 3/16" ID seems to be a sweet spot with most systems for a wide variety of carbonation levels when served at the standard 36-38F temp. The extreme long lines will give an extremely slow pour for no good benefit.[/quote]
+1. Dean’s right on here. I believe that’s almost exactly where my system is dialed in. I never measured the lines, but I think they’re about 6-7’ and I know my fridge is right around 36-38F. I keep it set right at 10psi. Takes about 7-10days to carb. The head will still be light after 7 days, but it’s carbed nicely. At 10-14days it’s perfectly carbed with a nice thick head. And I never have to adjust the psi for serving.
I used Sean’s math to find the line length. For my system’s pressure and temperature, 12’ is just right.
[quote=“mvsawyer”]I’ve got my beer sitting on 14psi to get 2.55vol at 42*F. Do I turn the pressure to 5 and purge to serve? After drinking for the evening, should I turn it back up to 14psi? I’ve noticed that the beer comes out too foamy serving at 10psi…
Please help fellow keggers![/quote]
Do this, its cheaper!
How so? You’d go through ~0.5 lb of extra CO2 per keg.
How so? You’d go through ~0.5 lb of extra CO2 per keg.[/quote]
Prove that you would go through that much and I will prove to you why it is cheaper.
Not sure why anyone wants to try and invent something when the science is proven and is industry standard. Balance your draught system to the carbonation level of the beverage and keep it at the proper temperature and you’re done. Trying to avoid the physics is why we have a constant flow of postings from people with serving problems.
Once you set up and balance, you’ll forget you ever messed with it and just enjoy endless perfect draught beer!
[quote=“Dean Palmer”]Not sure why anyone wants to try and invent something when the science is proven and is industry standard. Balance your draught system to the carbonation level of the beverage and keep it at the proper temperature and you’re done. Trying to avoid the physics is why we have a constant flow of postings from people with serving problems.
Once you set up and balance, you’ll forget you ever messed with it and just enjoy endless perfect draught beer![/quote]
Easy to do in premise, not always by $ standards. I have a fridge that holds 2 kegs on one regulator. I cant likely keep a stout and a pale ale in the same fridge at the same temps without some fiddling with c02 levels or buying more equipment/fridges.
[quote=“brans041”]
Easy to do in premise, not always by $ standards. I have a fridge that holds 2 kegs on one regulator. I cant likely keep a stout and a pale ale in the same fridge at the same temps without some fiddling with c02 levels or buying more equipment/fridges.[/quote]
If you prefer two different carbonation levels for two different brews that is true. The point of the thread was about carb (volumes) vs serving (pressure), when those are the items to be balanced. To choose to have different pressures in the same system does require another regulator.
