jwbeard
Well-Known Member
I'm in the process of cutting new lines for a keezer, and am trying to calculate the proper line length for a nitro faucet. I used to get way too much head on stouts poured from my nitro system (1.5-2 inches, easily), and turning the pressure down gave a better result (~1 inch) but invariably resulted in the keg going flat since it didn't have enough applied CO2 pressure. I was running 7 ft lines on a kegerator that, on a good day in the summer, could only get down to 45º or so.
I'll probably be running the new system (a keezer) at 42-44º, but can't quite figure out how to calculate the proper line length for a stout (assuming 42º, 2 vol works out to 7.8psi). I read through this excellent resource, but the formula in Appendix C that purports to give you the proper applied pressure for a blended gas system (75 N2/25 CO2) seems to want me to put the keg under 75 psi to get 7.8 psi of applied CO2 pressure:
Since most everything I've ever read has said blended systems do well at 30-40 PSIA, what am I missing here? I know the stout restrictor plate adds a bit of resistance, but I can't imagine it is enough to compensate for an extra 60 psi over what most 12" systems can comfortably handle. Not to mention 75 psig seems absurdly high... Thoughts?
[Edit] It occurs to me that 2 vol is a bit high for a stout (it's what the program I use, Beer Alchemy, suggested...), but even at 1.5 volumes the formula still suggests 53.3 psia of beer gas so the problem persists...
I'll probably be running the new system (a keezer) at 42-44º, but can't quite figure out how to calculate the proper line length for a stout (assuming 42º, 2 vol works out to 7.8psi). I read through this excellent resource, but the formula in Appendix C that purports to give you the proper applied pressure for a blended gas system (75 N2/25 CO2) seems to want me to put the keg under 75 psi to get 7.8 psi of applied CO2 pressure:
Applied = (Ideal CO2 Pressure + 14.7)/.25 -14.7
Applied = (7.8+14.7)/.25 - 14.7
Applied = 22.5/.25 - 14.7
Applied = 90 psia - 14.7
Applied = 75.3 psig of N2/CO2
Applied = (7.8+14.7)/.25 - 14.7
Applied = 22.5/.25 - 14.7
Applied = 90 psia - 14.7
Applied = 75.3 psig of N2/CO2
Since most everything I've ever read has said blended systems do well at 30-40 PSIA, what am I missing here? I know the stout restrictor plate adds a bit of resistance, but I can't imagine it is enough to compensate for an extra 60 psi over what most 12" systems can comfortably handle. Not to mention 75 psig seems absurdly high... Thoughts?
[Edit] It occurs to me that 2 vol is a bit high for a stout (it's what the program I use, Beer Alchemy, suggested...), but even at 1.5 volumes the formula still suggests 53.3 psia of beer gas so the problem persists...