Keg Issues

[RobinW]

I got one keg out of 4 serving kegs that flows at twice the rate of the other three.

All have new seals etc on all kegs so I can't fathom why one pours so quickly compared to the others.

I have the gas bottle external to the fridge, going through a one way valve then into the fridge. I then have a 4 way splitter and a 3 way splitter. No matter where this keg is put it always pours faster than the rest.

I've sort of run out of stuff to look at. Not a huge issue as you just get that beer quicker

It emptied tonight so I have a chance to check it again.

 

[EmptyB]

Beer line length can heavily affect pour rate. Do you use the same length of beer line when connecting to this keg? I know you swapped it between gas manifolds but if you've not yet tried swapping between beer line & tap I suggest you give that a try.

 

[RobinW]

I only have one tap on the fridge.

 

[FarsideOfCrazy]

Maybe there's a problem with the other 3

 

[RobinW]

Buggered if I know, which is sort of why I'm asking.
A slower pouring keg should empty over the week end.

 

[Wall]

Different coupling to the others?
Might have some strange Estonian off brand coupling that has less restriction.
You’d guess that line length would have more influence on pour though.

 

[MHB]

Given that the kegs are all the same make/design (i.e. Cornelius, Spartanburg…) some makers use different sized dip tubes 8-10mm which could have a big effect on flow, so diptube diameter is the first thing I would look at.
Second is the poppet, some of the newer third party poppets are way different to the traditional design, so worth seeing what's under the hood.
Mark

Poor photo but good info

 

[RobinW]

Cheers guys. I've replaced all poppets with universal so maybe it's the dip tube. I didn't realise they had different sizes.

They've forecast 36C up here today so there's a good chance that other keg will be empty by tomorrow so I can compare

 

[RobinW]

Got it. The shaft of a 6.5mm twist drill fits into the dip tube on the fast keg but won't fit in the dip tube of the slower keg. At least I now know what's going on.

 

[JDW81]

Got it. The shaft of a 6.5mm twist drill fits into the dip tube on the fast keg but won't fit in the dip tube of the slower keg. At least I now know what's going on.

Sounds like there's your answer. Remember that flow is proportional to the radius of the tube to the power of 4, so if you double the radius of your tube, flow will increase by 16 times.

 

[Abird89]

Had the same issue.. will be inspecting the kegs when they run dry