Dual Body regulator or Manifold?

With a two keg kegerator how important would it be to have a dual body regulator? I assume thats just so you can adjust the pressure for each tank. With the manifold would there be any other downsides besides not having the individual control?

If all your beer is going to be carbonated at the same volume, then it's not a big deal. I now wish I had gone with a dual-regulator so I don't have to disconnect my other kegs for a couple weeks to carb up a mild.

Thats what I was afraid of, to have one beer getting force carbed I wouldn't be able to serve from the other.

If you carb using set it and forget it method a manifold is fine. I'm impatient more often that I should be so I tend to force carb with 30 psi while serving around 11.. So dual regulator was what I went with..

set it and forget it? That works how?

Set and forget is a method where you simply hook up an uncarbonated keg to a CO2 line set at whatever your desired pressure is at. If you let that keg sit for a long enough time (3-4 weeks), you will reach your desired pressure. This is assuming that in your case you're serving at something resembling a equilibrium pressure.

Many people serve at pressures of 3-5 psi because of short lines. If you have long lines, you can serve at 11-15 psi or so which, if you have a manifold, can serve as carbing pressure as well. No need to have a separate pressure gauge or disconnect the serving lines.

how long to carb if your impatient and set it to 30psi? just a few days? I wouldn't mind the taps being down for that long.

24-36 hours @ 30psi usually works for me.

I just did 2 kegs (IIPA and Imp. Stout) in 2 days at 30 PSI. It's really wasy to over shoot your carb volume though, so be careful. I was on a deadline for a vacation, and WAY over shot the stout
And this is assuming your beer is cold. It won't work at room temp.

I have a single body reg in my little 3-keg Haier kegerator. It's good for serving, and for set and forget. While I'm drinking 2 kegs, the 3rd is carbonating to just the right volume in the back. When I kick a keg I pull the dead one, move the (now carbonated) keg to the front, and install a new un-carbonated keg in the back to "set and forget" again

It works great as long as you don't kick more than 2 kegs every 2 weeks :rockin: