Balancing My Keg System

[Paul H]

guys,
I am looking at setting up a balanced keg dispensing system & am keen to find out what other brewers run in terms of PSI, beer line length, & manifolds. I have one fridge which has 4 taps & a separate fridge with 2 taps which I hope to connect to run off the same tank.

Cheers

Paul

 

[razz]

G'day Paul, My system is balanced. I run a chest freezer at 1-2 degrees, 2.4 mt beerline and the CO2 usually sits at about 90kpa.

 

[Jye]

Hey Paul,

My fridge is at 5C and I set the reg between 80-90kpa... depends on whether I remember to up top the kegs after a few beers, and have about 2.5m of line on the taps.

Cheers
Jye

 

[Uncle Fester]

Paul,
I have found the following article very informative:

Balancing a draft system


It takes into account all of the criteria you need....

Carbonation level, rise between keg bottom and beer tap and diameter of beer line.

Just have an imperial/metric calculation tool handy


I keep my kegs at 12Psi/4 degrees. I need 13ft of line to rise 1.5m to my taps.

This gives me 2.5 volumes of CO2 (on the high side for an ale, and on the low side for a lager, but a happy medium for me...)


Hope this helps.


Swill on!

:chug:


Fester.

 

[Paul H]

Paul,
I have found the following article very informative:

Balancing a draft system


It takes into account all of the criteria you need....

Carbonation level, rise between keg bottom and beer tap and diameter of beer line.

Just have an imperial/metric calculation tool handy


I keep my kegs at 12Psi/4 degrees. I need 13ft of line to rise 1.5m to my taps.

This gives me 2.5 volumes of CO2 (on the high side for an ale, and on the low side for a lager, but a happy medium for me...)


Hope this helps.


Swill on!

:chug:


Fester.

Hi Fester,
Based on the site you referred to, if I had the following varaiables:
12psi for 2.5vols @ 40C
3/16" or 5mm beer line
2.5 or 75cm Height differential

then I would need only 3.61ft or 1.08m of beer line?

Cheers


Paul

 

[crozdog]

Paul,
I have found the following article very informative:

Balancing a draft system


It takes into account all of the criteria you need....

Carbonation level, rise between keg bottom and beer tap and diameter of beer line.

Just have an imperial/metric calculation tool handy


I keep my kegs at 12Psi/4 degrees. I need 13ft of line to rise 1.5m to my taps.

This gives me 2.5 volumes of CO2 (on the high side for an ale, and on the low side for a lager, but a happy medium for me...)


Hope this helps.


Swill on!

:chug:


Fester.

Hi Fester,
Based on the site you referred to, if I had the following varaiables:
12psi for 2.5vols @ 40C
3/16" or 5mm beer line
2.5 or 75cm Height differential

then I would need only 3.61ft or 1.08m of beer line?

Cheers


Paul

Paul,

I entered those numbers into the spreadsheet I compiled to perform these calculations to simplify all the conversions etc with performing this calculation by using metric(available as post#30 here).

It agrees with your answers (OK it gave me 11.9 psi & 1.09 m of beer line.....)

Beers

Crozdog

 

[Sammus]

For what its worth I used that same guide from hbd. My tap is level with the top of my keg and I run about 10-15psi (depending on the brew) with about 1.5m beer line. (I use 5mm ID). I ramped up the pour rate a little because I prefer to pour a little faster (techinque is important here to avoid a cup of head) and it works perfectly.

 

[Uncle Fester]

Paul,
I have found the following article very informative:

Balancing a draft system


It takes into account all of the criteria you need....

Carbonation level, rise between keg bottom and beer tap and diameter of beer line.

Just have an imperial/metric calculation tool handy


I keep my kegs at 12Psi/4 degrees. I need 13ft of line to rise 1.5m to my taps.

This gives me 2.5 volumes of CO2 (on the high side for an ale, and on the low side for a lager, but a happy medium for me...)


Hope this helps.


Swill on!

:chug:


Fester.

Hi Fester,
Based on the site you referred to, if I had the following varaiables:
12psi for 2.5vols @ 40C
3/16" or 5mm beer line
2.5 or 75cm Height differential

then I would need only 3.61ft or 1.08m of beer line?

Cheers


Paul

Too true, but I use 6mm (1/4") beer line. hence the extra length.

Festa


[Edit - BTW, I plugged my stats into the spreadsheet, and it comes out @ 3.66m, which is close enough to 13 feet for Government work! /Edit]

 

[Paul H]

Paul,
I have found the following article very informative:

Balancing a draft system


It takes into account all of the criteria you need....

Carbonation level, rise between keg bottom and beer tap and diameter of beer line.

Just have an imperial/metric calculation tool handy


I keep my kegs at 12Psi/4 degrees. I need 13ft of line to rise 1.5m to my taps.

This gives me 2.5 volumes of CO2 (on the high side for an ale, and on the low side for a lager, but a happy medium for me...)


Hope this helps.


Swill on!

:chug:


Fester.

Hi Fester,
Based on the site you referred to, if I had the following varaiables:
12psi for 2.5vols @ 40C
3/16" or 5mm beer line
2.5 or 75cm Height differential

then I would need only 3.61ft or 1.08m of beer line?

Cheers


Paul

Too true, but I use 6mm (1/4") beer line. hence the extra length.

Festa


[Edit - BTW, I plugged my stats into the spreadsheet, and it comes out @ 3.66m, which is close enough to 13 feet for Government work! /Edit]

Who said size doesn't matter!

 

[Shunty]

Hi Fester,
Based on the site you referred to, if I had the following varaiables:
12psi for 2.5vols @ 40C
3/16" or 5mm beer line
2.5 or 75cm Height differential

then I would need only 3.61ft or 1.08m of beer line?

Cheers


Paul

for what it's worth, i found that there was a significant difference in the pour between 5mm and 3/16" line - although at that stage my reg was reading 5psi low.

 

[Uncle Fester]

Hi Fester,
Based on the site you referred to, if I had the following varaiables:
12psi for 2.5vols @ 40C
3/16" or 5mm beer line
2.5 or 75cm Height differential

then I would need only 3.61ft or 1.08m of beer line?

Cheers


Paul

for what it's worth, i found that there was a significant difference in the pour between 5mm and 3/16" line - although at that stage my reg was reading 5psi low.

I have no option.... Mt taps are about 2.5m from my fridge. unless I bastardise a half and half solution, I am stuck with 6mm line.

 

[als_world]

Paul, if beer line length is an issue, you can use in-line restrictors, either bought ones ($$) or "Jye's epoxy mixer bargain in-line flow restrictor" - http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...p;hl=restrictor

 

[JasonY]

Paul, I have my chest freezer between 3 - 5degC @100kpa. Beer line is short but I also have restrictors mounted close to the shanks so I don't need much line. This post by Nearly was of great help to me in setting my system up when I started.