Bubbles in beer line after the keg and before Faucet

[Maverick1]

Using 3/8 ID Plastic beer line and at the moment the length is 1.5m, and I'm having bubbles in the beer line before the tap and after the keg.
Used the crozdog_balancing_table.xls.xlsx 126.76KB and its says I must use 11meters of beer line for 5deg and 1,8volume of Co2 and I used o height as my taps are pretty much level with centre of keg.
Can this be, as I don't have enough space for so much beer line?
Help!!

 

[Grott]

Welcome to the forum Maverick1. 3/8" id is about 9mm and I'd say this is too big. I run 4mm id at a metre in length and a lot run 5mm. Personally I would go for a smaller id , this should help solve the problem. 1.5 metre length should be ok.
Cheers.

 

[nosco]

11 meters sounds like heaps! I think there are better tables around than that. Ones that go by psi/kpi, line length and temp are better. I use about 3m @ 10psi and 4c. 4c is a better temp too imho.

 

[damoninja]

9mm, way, way too big. The bigger you go the greater the surface area to volume ratio, so it's exponential. Less surface area means less friction means more line.

Or, get flow control taps h34r: h34r:

According to the one I use, you will need a few hundred feet for a balanced pour.
http://www.mikesoltys.com/2012/09/17/determining-proper-hose-length-for-your-kegerator/

 

[unwrittenlaw]

Valpar Flexmaster II ID5mm/OD8mm would probably sort you out. Matches john guest fittings nicely too.

Is ID4mm line difficult to fit onto barbed fittings?

 

[Grott]

Yes, but end of line cut at an angle (trimmed square with knife when on), boiling water to soften end, long nose pliers to expand the end. Lot easier if beer line is the soft nylon type.

 

[manticle]

11m? Christ on a stick.

Do you keep your kegs next door?

 

[Pnutapper]

Is ID4mm line difficult to fit onto barbed fittings?

Valpar and Cobraflex make their tubing to 4mm x 8mm as an option as well as 5mm x 8mm. The 8mm OD is a perfect fit for 5/16" push in fittings if you need to use Imperial fittings. 8mm is also widely available.

4mm barbs are not hard to find either, it's just that so many people use 6mm as their "go to."

 

[Maverick1]

Thanks guys, spoke to a gentleman that installs and looks after all the draft equipment for South Africa Breweries and he reckons too that I must install 3/16(5mm) and says I must drop the temp too around 3 - 4degress. What flow rate do u guys use damoninja

 

[damoninja]

CO2 pressure 12 PSI
Line diameter 0.1875 (5mm)
Vertical Distance Between Keg and Tap 1.5 feet
Flow rate 10 seconds / pint

Line length: 10.11 feet (I went 10.5ish)

Solty's calculator got it spot on

 

[Grott]

Table spot on for my set up.

 

[peteru]

You will never solve the foaming issues if your delivery line is bigger diameter than your dip tube*. Typical dip tubes are 8mm, so a 6mm beer line is probably the biggest you can go. However, given the distance, you can go 5mm or even 4mm.

* Because you will end up going from higher to lower pressure environment at the widening of the diameter and the gas will come out of solution as a result.

 

[earle]

Thanks guys, spoke to a gentleman that installs and looks after all the draft equipment for South Africa Breweries and he reckons too that I must install 3/16(5mm) and says I must drop the temp too around 3 - 4degress. What flow rate do u guys use damoninja

There's plenty of guys here who keep their kegerators and keezers at maybe 7-8 degrees as its their preference. Obviously they would adjust there line length etc when balancing to suit.

I suspect his insistence for 3-4 degrees might apply more to commercial setups where they work with different pressures and line lengths to our home set ups.

 

[Maverick1]

Thanks Guys, busy sourcing 5mm soft tubing and will keep u posted once up and running!
3/8 which I'm running now is very rigid too, supplied by Brewcraft and keeps pushing the door open, never rains!

 

[Grott]

You got Brewcraft in South Africa, hope they are not the big rip off merchants as they are in South Australia.
Don't forget to advise on your changed set up.
Cheers

 

[Holden4th]

I saw some bubbles in my tubing tonight, however the beer is pouring perfectly.

My local publican showed me a great trick. As the last few centimteres from the tube up into the tap are not refrigerated this warmness (especially in QLD) causes foaming if you pour straight into a glass. I have a spare glass and give a quick flick of the tap into this (just enough to fill the bottom) and my beer runs clear and pours beautifully. If I don't do this then I get a very foamy glass of beer. Over a keg I might use an extra 3 glasses. Not as much as I would use if I kept pouring until the foaminess went.

 

[Maverick1]

Okay got my setup going, used on the faucet and ball lock about 2 inches of 3/8th with a john guest 3/8 stepdown to 3/16th. 2.5m in length is the 3/16th and pressure set at 13psi@3deg temp. Faucet has flow controls on them and are set almost fully open. If I was to shorten the length will it change the flow control as in having to close the flow control from max to min?
Brewcraft is crazy with there prices but the homebrew in South Africa is still new, not much other options out there!

 

[Pnutapper]

Faucet has flow controls on them and are set almost fully open. If I was to shorten the length will it change the flow control as in having to close the flow control from max to min?

Yes mate. The longer your riser line is, the more restriction it provides.

 

[Cyclic]

Guys I'm running at 14psi to dispense with a temp of 1deg Celsius on a 3/16 which is 1.5m long. Is this pressure to high, If I was to shorten the length will it drop the pressure for dispensing or should I leave my set up as it is?
Also take note that I'm 5500ft above sea level In Pretoria!

 

[Cyclic]

You got Brewcraft in South Africa, hope they are not the big rip off merchants as they are in South Australia.
Don't forget to advise on your changed set up.
Cheers

Help I cannot get my system to work, its foaming beyond when pouring a pint, and the beer is then flat!!
Running 3/16" line at 1.5 metres in length, temp is 38f and pressure I cannot pour below 10psi and when I up the pressure above 12psi its just foam!