Kegging Setups

[Ciderman]

I'm a complete newbie to kegging but I've blindly started to buy things without much idea of what else is needed.

My plan is to have 4 kegs with a font coming out of the top.

So far I have the following:

- chest freezer
- 3 corny kegs
- 1 CO2 canister
- 1 micro matic regulator
- 3 push in fittings/disconnects
- old beer lines
- new rubbers for kegs

I know that I need;

- new beer line
- gas manifold
- beer font
- beer taps
- 3 more disconnects

I see so many other things like No return valves etc.

What else do I actually need?

 

[Ciderman]

Also, what's the deal with keg king? Having a look at the price list and it seems so much cheaper than everyone else.

 

[Pogierob]

I'm about to get a start on my keezer build over the weekend, when you say messy. The paint job doesn't look as good?

I bought a couple of cans of black board spray paint when I did mine, I did remive the door of my fridge before spraying though cause you get a fair bit of over spray. Paint job came up quite well I thought.

 

[pipsyboy]

Updated since last post. Have started brewing a keg full in cubes as I can fit 3 in my fermenting fridge and I HATE bottling. Also got another keg and 1 more to come with a 4 way splitter. May put a stout tap in between the two already there.

 

[Kumamoto_Ken]

Picked up the basic ingredients today...main decision now is whether to use hammered finish paint or chalkboard to fix up the fridge.

My kegging story has continued, and I also have a question...read on fellow AHBers

Here's the basics I bought as posted previously. A small system that I assumed would be a good starting point (but as has been posted by many others I already want more).

Sanded the fridge back to at least get all the rust off (some mugging in the pic from assistant brewer no. 2).

After the start of the 'hammered finish' painting. As it turns out I got a dud batch of the red which was replaced with the proper stuff, so I gave it one more coat. It also turns out I am hopeless with a paint brush so there is sagging galore on the current (finished?) version, but I cannot be stuffed sanding back and painting further.

Both assistant brewers celebrating my first ever beer out of a keg (via a $4 bronco). Note the superb Demons colour scheme.

The product as it currently stands...close enough to final I reckon.

And now to my question, if anyone has read this far. For two weeks while waiting for my 'main' tap to arrive I have been using a $4 bronco stored inside the fridge and have been getting a pour I am perfectly happy with using 3m of 5mm ID line at 5-6 degrees and 70kPa. Today I connected up my 'you beaut' Perlick 650SS SS flow control tap and have got nothing but foam. I can restrict it to zero flow using the flow control lever but even at a trickle it is all foam. I've gotten drunk trying the tap out (and this frustration has managed to reduce my enjoyment in the Aussie win this arvo and also what should be the crowing glory of my kegerator efforts), so I'd really appreciate any advice. I have attached a 90 degree barbed elbow to the shank using a hex nut, and the washer that was provided was actually an o-ring (15mm or so diameter), so I wonder whether that is causing turbulence and hence the foaming? I've poured a few beers (foam) in quick succession so I don't think it's an issue of tap temp.The shank is a Krone 75mm SS version, and I have 1m of the same 5mm ID line connected.

I'm extremely frustrated, if anyone could offer advice I'd be extremely appreciative. The only thing I can think of is to replace the o-ring with a nylon washer that has an ID that matches the bore of the shank and elbow...thoughts?

 

[Ciderman]

I'm certainly not fully equiped to dish out advice yet, but try increasing your beer line longer than 1m.

 

[Ciderman]

I'm a complete newbie to kegging but I've blindly started to buy things without much idea of what else is needed.
My plan is to have 4 kegs with a font coming out of the top.
So far I have the following:
- chest freezer
- 3 corny kegs
- 1 CO2 canister
- 1 micro matic regulator
- 3 push in fittings/disconnects
- old beer lines
- new rubbers for kegs
I know that I need;
- new beer line
- gas manifold
- beer font
- beer taps
- 3 more disconnects
I see so many other things like No return valves etc.
What else do I actually need?

Also bump on this if anyone can help

 

[Kumamoto_Ken]

I'm certainly not fully equiped to dish out advice yet, but try increasing your beer line longer than 1m.

That's why I went with flow control, so I could get away with a shorter length of line.

 

[Kumamoto_Ken]

Also bump on this if anyone can help

Manifolds can incorporate no return valves, so you're getting a manifold you can cross those off your list.

 

[4KingAle]

Yep....sorry go buy 5 metres of line roll it up in a neat coil and see how you go...1 metre is just not long enough!
Also if you forced carbed your keg you may have overdone it which will further amplify the foaming issue.....
Get some more beer line.

 

[Kumamoto_Ken]

Yep....sorry go buy 5 metres of line roll it up in a neat coil and see how you go...1 metre is just not long enough!
Also if you forced carbed your keg you may have overdone it which will further amplify the foaming issue.....
Get some more beer line.

Thanks for the response, but again, that's why I went with the flow control tap. My understanding was/is that being able to restrict the flow via the flow control tap meant I didn't need additional line.
The keg isn't overcarbed, it pours beautifully with 3m of the same ID line and a cheap party tap but that's not really the point. I spent 30 times as much to get a stainless steel flow control tap and that's what's really frustrating at the moment, it's giving a terrible pour.

 

[MastersBrewery]

with these flow controls line length means nothing, I have one tap at less than a meter one at1.5 and the other is around 2m you have the flow control (shown in your pick) past wide open. So easiest way to set these things is to push the flow control all the way down, then open the tap (nothing will come out) now adjust the pour to a speed where your geting the right amount of head. Dead set easy!

 

[Kumamoto_Ken]

with these flow controls line length means nothing, I have one tap at less than a meter one at1.5 and the other is around 2m you have the flow control (shown in your pick) past wide open. So easiest way to set these things is to push the flow control all the way down, then open the tap (nothing will come out) now adjust the pour to a speed where your geting the right amount of head. Dead set easy!

Thanks MB. Yeah the pic shows it open, but as I said in my original post I've restricted it to zero flow and then barely opened to a trickle and it's still all foam.

 

[MastersBrewery]

if you have been pouring too fast previously the beer in the line will be foam so it will need to come through. Also first beer off the tap will always be a little heady as the tap is warm, slow the pour speed( which is basically what the longer beer line does) and cold tap should always give a good beer


totally closed

About where I have the tap set

wide open

I note your is way past where I would think one of these would go, You may have to remove the tap , set the flow control to the lower quadrant before replacing.

sorry crappy web cam pics

 

[Camo6]

I think MB might have nailed it. I use one metre max on my flow controls and don't have any issues. When tightening the tap to the shank make sure the lever's in a neutral position so the flow control cone doesn't butt up against the seat. Looking at your pic there's still a few threads on the tap exposed compared to mine.

 

[Kumamoto_Ken]

Thanks for the further input MB, it's much appreciated. However,

My first post with all the pics might have been misleading. I took those pics as soon as I attached the tap to the shank and hadn't poured a beer yet, so they don't represent the setting on the tap I have been using.

So yes, in the pics it is wide open. But I did shut it, completely, and then opened it to a trickle (as well as full speed). I also poured back-to-back beers (froth) which I assume took care of the warm-tap vs cold tap issue (SWMBO even poured a couple of extras when she got frustrated with my profane ranting). There's no evidence of foaming in the line inside the fridge, but even if that is something that isn't easy to see I poured multiple beers at a very restricted flow setting (ie ******* slow) and still got foam.

That's why I wonder if it's the o-ring issue I referred to? How are your shanks connected to your lines? Barbs or GJ fittings?

I can't think of what else I am doing wrong. The keg definitely isn't overcarbed because the bronco works fine. Despite the earlier pics I have restricted the flow right down and it doesn't impact the foam I am getting.
It's really frustrating as this is my first ever tap (apart from the bronco) so I don't have experience to go on.

Apologies to everyone for clogging the thread with my problems, I realise this is the blingy thread for kegging.

 

[Kumamoto_Ken]

I think MB might have nailed it. I use one metre max on my flow controls and don't have any issues. When tightening the tap to the shank make sure the lever's in a neutral position so the flow control cone doesn't butt up against the seat. Looking at your pic there's still a few threads on the tap exposed compared to mine.

Ok, thanks Camo and MB. I'll give this a try tomorrow. Cheers.

 

[Blind Dog]

I use the prior version of perlick flow control with lines between 1m and 2.4m, but I'm going with a standard 1m as each keg is emptied. Length of line should be largely irrelevant with flow control taps.

I'd be thinking over curbed keg or regulator set too high in the first instance. Even if it poured fine from a 3m length line To a bronco tap doesn't mean the keg is not over carbonated. Cut off 1 to 1.5m and try serving via the bronco rap with that length line and see what you get

 

[mb-squared]

Hi Kumamoto, it sounds like you're getting gas (air?) into your line. Since you don't have a problem with the picnic tap, you can rule out the dip tube o-ring. But it is somewhere after that. I'd check and re-check the disconnect-to-line connection, the line-to-shank connection and the faucet-to-shank connection. If you don't have bubbles in the line, then you're sucking in air somewhere along the way when you open the tap and get the beer flowing. That's the Venturi effect.

hope you get it sorted

 

[Kumamoto_Ken]

I think MB might have nailed it. I use one metre max on my flow controls and don't have any issues. When tightening the tap to the shank make sure the lever's in a neutral position so the flow control cone doesn't butt up against the seat. Looking at your pic there's still a few threads on the tap exposed compared to mine.

Thanks to everyone for their advice. MB and Camo were right. Removed the tap and reattached with the lever in the neutral position and it all seems to be ok.
I'll stop my whining now.