Keg line lengths? There are diff opinions.

I'm researching kegged beer line length. I've read so far that many people just go with 10 foot lines and claim that the foaming is not an issue.

There are several website that use this equation:
Length = (serving pressure – 1 – (elevation/2))/resistance per foot.

I have also found this equation (reportedly from commercial tap installers):
Length = (keg pressure + 5)/resistance per foot.

Assuming that you use a normal serving pressure of 10 PSI, and have an inner diameter vinyl tube of 3/16" (which is 2.7 resistance), then you'd require 3.14 feet of line with the 1st equation, and 5.55 feet with the 2nd equation.

I have 4.7 foot length lines at 10 PSI and I am getting too much foam.

Any ideas???

Longer lines. It's always best to err on the side of "too long", because not only can they be cut shorter, but the only real disadvantage to a long line is that it will pour a bit slower. I'd recommend starting at 10-12 feet and going from there.

I agree. I think the line length equation is completely unnecessary. You could calculate a length of 3.5 feet for one type of beer, and then another length of 5.5 feet for another type of beer. There's no way to adjust it back after you've cut the line.

Slow pours wouldn't bother me, and I guess you can always pour more vertically if there's not enough head from the pour.

Agree with the advice that longer is better (TWSS).

Had six foot lines in my three tap kegerator and often had problems with foaming.

Switched out to ten foot lines for all three and never have a problem now.

spaceyaquarius said:

Slow pours wouldn't bother me, and I guess you can always pour more vertically if there's not enough head from the pour.

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Technically pouring more vertically is better anyways for the flavor of the beer. A pour right down the middle of the glass helps break up some of the proteins in the beer and releases a lot of aroma. And we've all heard and know that smell is a very important factor in taste. I look at beer totally differently now that I pour down the middle instead of sneaking the side.

Sorry for the post hijack.

You can also turn down to 8psi. I keep my regulator set to about 7psi, but I'm kind of a porter nut. If you love fizzier beers, I would add line length.

5 foot lines and never a worry of overfoaming unless the beer was overcarbed to begin with.

The only beer I've had trouble with so far is one I burst carbonated to get ready for a party. I overshot my target and it was a foamy mess until half way done. I think "set and forget" is the best way to go.

spaceyaquarius said:

I'm researching kegged beer line length. I've read so far that many people just go with 10 foot lines and claim that the foaming is not an issue.

There are several website that use this equation:
Length = (serving pressure – 1 – (elevation/2))/resistance per foot.

I have also found this equation (reportedly from commercial tap installers):
Length = (keg pressure + 5)/resistance per foot.

Assuming that you use a normal serving pressure of 10 PSI, and have an inner diameter vinyl tube of 3/16" (which is 2.7 resistance), then you'd require 3.14 feet of line with the 1st equation, and 5.55 feet with the 2nd equation.

I have 4.7 foot length lines at 10 PSI and I am getting too much foam.

Any ideas???

Click to expand...

Those equations are both flawed for a variety of reasons. First, line resistance is not a constant for a particular line, it actually varies depending on flow rate. The table where you got the 2.7psi/ft figure assumes a flow rate of ~1gal/min, which is usually ok for commercial systems where the beer is kept under 38° and the carb level under 2.8 vol, but may not work well for a home system. The warmer the beer is stored or more carbonated it is, the slower it needs to be poured to prevent foaming. The places you got those equations likely misled you into thinking that they calculate the "ideal" line length, and anything other than that ideal length would cause foam. The fact is that all they do is calculate the length required to result in a particular flow rate, typically 1gal/min. The only side effect to a longer line is a slightly slower pour, and IMO an extra long line that can handle a wide variety of serving temperatures and carbonation levels is a whole lot more "ideal" than a length that results in an arbitrary flow rate.

The only halfway decent line length calculator I've seen is the one created recently by Mike Soltys found here-http://www.mikesoltys.com/2012/09/17/determining-proper-hose-length-for-your-kegerator/
The only hard part is determining the pint fill time that won't result in excessive foam. IMO it should be at least 10sec to give a little system flexibility, and FWIW mine is set for a 13.5 sec pint fill.

Keep in mind that you'll want to use the highest pressure and slowest pint fill rate that you'll use for any of your beers, not simply the figures for your current batch. That way your lines will be long enough to handle any of your future brews too.

mjdonnelly68 said:

Agree with the advice that longer is better (TWSS).

Had six foot lines in my three tap kegerator and often had problems with foaming.

Switched out to ten foot lines for all three and never have a problem now.

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+1 on this exactly. Was running a 6ft line on my kegorator and when I added the 3 new faucets I made all 4 faucets 10ft lines. Poured much better at all pressures. I suggest to all my customers at work (LHBS) to run 10ft lines now. They all think I'm crazy but when they come back they thank me for the suggestion.

Sounds good. I was thinking that the equation was not making sense. 10 foot lines are in the mail now. Trial and error.

Do you already have your faucets?

If not, then consider the Perlick 545 flow control. They have an adjustment lever that effectively adds resistance as a long line would. Might help cut out the compilation of precisely getting the best line length.

H22W said:

Do you already have your faucets?

If not, then consider the Perlick 545 flow control. They have an adjustment lever that effectively adds resistance as a long line would. Might help cut out the compilation of precisely getting the best line length.

Click to expand...

I have had these faucets for a year now with no complaints other that they are a pain to put back together if you take them apart (if you have a garden sprayer line cleaner, there is no real reason to take them apart.) I run 5ft lines @ 8 psi (38 degrees) with no faoming issues.

3/16 x 10 ft long 10 to 12 psi at 36 to 38 degrees only foam first glass perfect every time after till keg runs dry

^ 5/16" ? Really?

Cheers!

day_trippr said:

^ 5/16" ? Really?

Cheers!

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Yeah that's gotta be the OD, not the ID right?

sorry its 3/16 id typo guys , should have proof read it

That's makes more sense.

It would be silly of anyone to argue whether you're getting good pours from 5' 3/16" ID lines.

So I won't.

But a couple of years of seeing the constant bombardment of "Help! My pours are all foamy!" threads (comprising not only the plurality of threads in this forum, but often the majority for days running) which were most frequently resolved with 10 footers, it would be equally silly of anyone to recommend 5 foot lines on a new build.

So I won't.

Cheers!

Now I'm even more confused. Trial and error I guess.

Ahahahaha! It's a mystery!

Well, no, it isn't. And trust me, it's easier to make a long line shorter than to make a short line longer...

Cheers!

This is a great thread. I have been assembling the necessary items for my keezer build, but I have not completed it because I've gotten conflicting information on how long my beer lines need to be. I decided to go a minimum of ten feet at 3/16 diameter line. Reading this thread has given me the confidence to know that I am on the right track.

Thank you to all who have offered their thoughts in this thread.

Mark

Ok, so my draft tower has 5 foot lines with 3/16 inner diameter lines. But I just got Perlick faucets in the mail, so shouldn't the Perlick faucets fix the foam problem?

I did order a 10 foot line from Amazon, and they sent me the wrong size. They even charged me $6 for shipping. Crap! FYI: never let UPS print out the shipping label for you, it costs $2.49 for one black and white piece of paper!!!

spaceyaquarius said:

But I just got Perlick faucets in the mail, so shouldn't the Perlick faucets fix the foam problem?

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Not unless they're the expensive flow control model, with the valve on the side to adjust the pour speed.

If anything, the Perlick "vanilla" 525 faucet will aggravate a marginally tuned dispensing system, as they have lower internal resistance than a rear-sealing faucet...

Cheers!

Doh! It doesn't have a valve on the side, but it was a little expensive.

I will have to wait and see what happens.

Those are fantastic faucets, even if they don't have the flow control feature. With a longer line and a more patient carbing method you'll be all set.

First time poster here... Setting up a basement keezer and kitchen (ground floor) faucets... Elevation rise is 11 feet from faucets to centerline of corny, and about 14 feet minimum of hose length to get there... So based on a few equations I have seen, I need 1/4 inch poly? Anyone actually use it? I am new to kegging, but have only seen vinyl... I have room in my "chase" (1.5" abs with 1" insulation) for 6, 3/8" od lines... 4 beer, two coolant...

I have yet to form opinions about keg pressure, but from what I can ascertain, flexibility is pretty key... Obviously, without a pump, I am limited to no less than about 7-8 psi without line losses, so looking for low friction options...


Any suggestions?

Dingobitme said:

First time poster here... Setting up a basement keezer and kitchen (ground floor) faucets... Elevation rise is 11 feet from faucets to centerline of corny, and about 14 feet minimum of hose length to get there... So based on a few equations I have seen, I need 1/4 inch poly? Anyone actually use it? I am new to kegging, but have only seen vinyl... I have room in my "chase" (1.5" abs with 1" insulation) for 6, 3/8" od lines... 4 beer, two coolant...

I have yet to form opinions about keg pressure, but from what I can ascertain, flexibility is pretty key... Obviously, without a pump, I am limited to no less than about 7-8 psi without line losses, so looking for low friction options...

Any suggestions?

Click to expand...

The equations/calculators you're looking at are likely giving you the line length and diameter that will result in a flow rate of 1gal/min, which might be too fast depending on the serving temperature and carbonation level. You may be able to use standard 3/16" line, or 3/16" barrier line, which has even less resistance than poly line. The only downside to longer or smaller id lines is a slightly slower pour. Check out this spreadsheet, and see what the pint fill time would be using standard 3/16" vinyl lines- https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ApGb-vIKLq7FdGtzN3BrY2xZSldORzQ2bHVVX0hzaEE#gid=0

JuanMoore said:

The equations/calculators you're looking at are likely giving you the line length and diameter that will result in a flow rate of 1gal/min, which might be too fast depending on the serving temperature and carbonation level. You may be able to use standard 3/16" line, or 3/16" barrier line, which has even less resistance than poly line. The only downside to longer or smaller id lines is a slightly slower pour. Check out this spreadsheet, and see what the pint fill time would be using standard 3/16" vinyl lines- https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ApGb-vIKLq7FdGtzN3BrY2xZSldORzQ2bHVVX0hzaEE#gid=0

Click to expand...

Nice and Nerdy... so looks like 1/4" vinyl is ok?

For 1/4" vinyl, the numbers are: At 42F

Stouts and Porters (8 psi) 16
Ales (12 psi) 11
Wheats (20 psi) 7

So if I am to believe the numbers in: http://www.pjmuth.org/beerstuff/Kegging.pdf

Then I should be closer to:

Stouts and Porters (8 psi) 6
Ales (12 psi) 7
Wheats (20 psi) 9

Spectacularly interesting...

Im having 0 issues with the standard line I got with a 3 gal keg as far as foam after 2 weeks,now 4.. I have it on 11-12 now and it pours perfect. The line appears to be like 3 feet maybe.

How long have you had it kegged?

OK, got the 10 foot long 3/16" inner diameter lines and it fixed the foaming problem. I had also overcarbed the beer as well. Now that the lines are not the issue I focused on fixing the carbonation problem.

The 4.75 foot line that came with the brew kit can now be used as an overflow line when "vigorous fermentation" occurrs (which happened today).

spaceyaquarius said:

OK, got the 10 foot long 3/16" inner diameter lines and it fixed the foaming problem. I had also overcarbed the beer as well. Now that the lines are not the issue I focused on fixing the carbonation problem.

The 4.75 foot line that came with the brew kit can now be used as an overflow line when "vigorous fermentation" occurrs (which happened today).

http://s1083.photobucket.com/user/spacey0666/media/4_zpsdeb6dd14.jpg.html

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Don't let your new overflow line get clogged with yeast and or hops. It could blow off the top and you can end up with krausen on the ceiling.

PS. Yes I know from experience.

Noted. The rubber stopper and airlock hit the ceiling this morning bc I used my carboy as a primary fermenter (the bucket was full) and there wasn't enough head space in the 5 gallon carboy. Had to clean the ceiling. The little woman was NOT happy lol.

spaceyaquarius said:

Noted. The rubber stopper and airlock hit the ceiling this morning bc I used my carboy as a primary fermenter (the bucket was full) and there wasn't enough head space in the 5 gallon carboy. Had to clean the ceiling. The little woman was NOT happy lol.

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She'll be telling this story laughing at the next party y'all go to.

Right. The vigorous fermentation lasted for around 18 hours. Put the airlock back on and moved it into a cooler room with the AC turned up. I hope the taste is ok. Will have to see.

I use a 1" hose of about 4 ft. for a carboy.Safer,especially for minimum headspace.

JuanMoore said:

The equations/calculators you're looking at are likely giving you the line length and diameter that will result in a flow rate of 1gal/min, which might be too fast depending on the serving temperature and carbonation level. You may be able to use standard 3/16" line, or 3/16" barrier line, which has even less resistance than poly line. The only downside to longer or smaller id lines is a slightly slower pour. Check out this spreadsheet, and see what the pint fill time would be using standard 3/16" vinyl lines- https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ApGb-vIKLq7FdGtzN3BrY2xZSldORzQ2bHVVX0hzaEE#gid=0

Click to expand...

Hey Juan,
Thanks for spreading the word on my spreadsheet on these forums! Just an FYI, I also have a blogpost that explains all the equations I used, and has a really handy javascript calculator at Thanks for linking to my spreadsheet! Just an FYI: I have a webpage that explains all the equations and has a quick little JavaScript Calculator at:
http://www.mikesoltys.com/2012/09/17/determining-proper-hose-length-for-your-kegerator/

I'm glad it's useful!

All the way to page 4, but a lot of trouble can be avoided by just simply ordering 10 feet of 3/16" inner diameter vinyl beer line (make sure to get a thick outer wall, and Home Depot does not have it).

Then just order a Perlick Perl Flow draft beer faucet for around $45 that has the ability to adjust carbonation flowing through the beer lines. It even keeps your first pour from being all foam (if you haven't tackled the PC fan/copper tubing in your draft tower yet).

I just got one and it's completely worth the money. Why would you want to have to adjust your beer line length when you change styles of beer?

I had a question about gas line length, and it appears this is the best place to post it. I currently have a 5ft gas line. My question is are there any problems having a shorter gas line as long as you have a lengthy beer line???I recently bought a 3 way manifold. And thought of cutting the gas line into sections to reach each keg. It's a very tight space. I just wanted to know if there were pros or cons.


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Gas lines can be as short or long as necessary, no worries there...

Cheers!

Too much gas line is a pain to manage.

Too short and you might not be able to open your lid, if you have dual hinge collar and a mounted primary/secondary.

day_trippr said:

Gas lines can be as short or long as necessary, no worries there...



Cheers!

Click to expand...

Perfect!


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