Dispensing pressure VS Serving pressure

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EricK The Red

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Ok, this has been bugging me. If my Pale Ale requires 12-14 PSI to force carb over a period of two weeks, what happens when I drop the regulator to around 5-6 PSI to serve? Will my beer eventually lose carbonation?

I don't have to keep my beer at the higher pressure & bleed off every time right?
 
erohver said:
Ok, this has been bugging me. If my Pale Ale requires 12-14 PSI to force carb over a period of two weeks, what happens when I drop the regulator to around 5-6 PSI to serve? Will my beer eventually lose carbonation?

I don't have to keep my beer at the higher pressure & bleed off every time right?
I always turn my serving PSI down to around 7 once the beer is properly carb'd. I've never had a beer begin to flatten out.

You run a higher risk of serving flat beer by having the dispensing PSI too high and pouring a foamy beer.

As long as your beer remains cold, you'll loose barely any CO2 out of solution.
 
Leave the reg at 12-14 psi. Your Serving pressure is regulated by the length and diameter of your beer line (also how high from the keg but unless you are running lines from the basement we'll ignore that).

I'm assuming you understand how temperature effects what pressure you need to reach the ideal carbonation for your beer?

7-10 feet will lower your pressure down considerably. 7 is fine but longer will also let you pour high carbed beers (ie hefe's, etc) without problems.

There's a chart around here somewhere....

Try here. Don't get to confused by the math. lol. I know there is a site with a calculator on it, but not sure where...

Oh! found it! Take the "resistance" from the chart in the first site and enter that info in here: Beer Line Balancer

For 3/16 the resistance can very 1.8 to 2.7. That's because depending in the manufacturer, 3/16" ID is not always 3/16". Also if you live in a high altitude you may need a longer line. For me 7 feet works about right, but 5 feet may be fine for you. Start long and cut back from there.
 
I converted all my lines to 10' (3/16" ID) and I get great pours at my carb pressure. I'm really not a big fan of manipulating pressures once you get the carb you're after.
 
I have NEVER had to lower the pressure to pour, I always store my beers at the appropriate pressure given their level of carbonation (usually around 12 PSI) and the long lines take care of regulating the pour.
Dropping pressures to serve is not only a hassle, but a waste of CO2 each time you have to purge it... And for me, getting a CO2 fill is a rather long and inconvenient trip, so that's an important factor in my case.
 
Lengthening my beer lines was the best thing I did for my kegerator. I used to have 5' lines, and I'd have to lower my pressure for serving. Once I upped them to 7', I can keep it at 12 PSI all the time.:ban:
 
fyi, dispensing pressure is the same thing as serving pressure...

ideally you wanna balance psi to your tap lines, so the pressure you carb at can also be used to dispense.

I have 8ft beer lines on my system, but I like my beer thoroughly carbed.
 
Bobby_M said:
I converted all my lines to 10' (3/16" ID) and I get great pours at my carb pressure. I'm really not a big fan of manipulating pressures once you get the carb you're after.

I did the same thing as Bobby. 10' on each tap... I've served everything from 9-10psi to 14-15psi (depending upon style) without foam issue...

Never lower the pressure to serve here...
 
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