Question about multiple primary Co2 regulators

Hey all! So I've procured my chest freezer for storing corny kegs. It holds 4 kegs! Now onto carbonating. Until now, I've only bottled my beer, so this part is totally new to me.

I have been considering two possible setups and I was wondering if I could get some opinions.

Option 1: - Primary Co2 regulator, going to a 4-way splitter.

If I'm carbing up a keg, I'd have to disconnect the other 3 kegs. When the keg is carbonated, I'd lower the C02 pressure and turn on the other 3 kegs again. Basically, with this setup, I'm assuming it's okay to have the same, constant pressure for tapping all 4 kegs.

Option 2: - Primary Co2 regulator, splitting going to 1 secondary regulator on one side, and a 3-way splitter on the other.

In this setup, I'd be able to carb up one keg while leaving the other 3 alone. When it's done, I'd just lower the Co2 pressure on that one keg. The advantage to this option, as I see it, is that if I ever needed to more/less pressure going to one of the kegs, I could switch the hoses and do it without having to shut off the other 3.

AM I THINKING ABOUT ALL THIS CORRECTLY? Any obvious issues or misunderstandings? When carbonated kegs sit in a fridge, is it okay to leave all of them the same pressure (say, 8-10psi)?

I have only been using one regulator for three kegs for a while now, and it stinks...

I have now gotten two more regulators and will basically have it set up like you say, but just one for each keg.

They actually go inline with each other, do a search for dual regulators and you will understand. If you piggy backed one off of the other, you would end up controlling the second regulator with the first, which is an option, but not ideal.

It sounds like you're planning on using the burst carb method at higher pressures instead of the set and forget method of carbonation, and plan on carbing all of your beers to the same level. If you go with option 1 you may run into issues with the beers that aren't on the gas losing carbonation if you serve from them. You'll also only be able to serve a few pints from fuller kegs when they're disconnected from the gas. The serving pressure is ultimately what determines the carbonation level, so leave them at the same pressure as long as you want them to have the same level of carbonation. If you use the set and forget carb method and want the beers to all be carbed to the same level, just use a single regulator and keep it at the same pressure all the time.

Option 2 WILL NOT WORK.

As I see it, you have:
The 2nd regulator will be limited to going only as high as the primary regulator. So, this would allow you 1 keg at 12 PSI and 3 kegs at 30 PSI, but NOT the other way around.

You want:

This allows you to set your single keg to any pressure, lower OR higher than the 3 kegs. The "side" outlets on a regulator are "pass through".....they pass full CO2 tank pressure laterally. The top and bottom outlets are typically the ones regulated to lower pressures.


Do what Ben said - gang the regs together, don't split off like you have in option 2.

Do you already have the regulator? If not, you could get a dual pressure regulator and split each output.

shortyjacobs said:

Code:

Primary Reg   ------- another primary reg
       |                        |
3 way splitter               single line

Click to expand...

Thank you for taking the time to do the visual. Really helps! I think that's what I'll do.

Incidentally, do you have any recommendations on where to purchase a dual primary regulator set? My main concern is about space. It's going to be a tight squeeze in my freezer.

I'd go with dual splitter off the primary regulator. One side to a single line with a disconnect. The othe side to your secondary regulator. Set the primary at about 30psi and use the single line for sealing and the initial carbonation of your kegs. Set the secondary at serving pressure and run a multi-splitter off of that to your kegs that are ready to serve.





Edit to say:
This also give you the option of serving one keg (with say a wheat beer) at a higher volume.

why not just set-and-forget? be patient for a few weeks?
(figured the peanut gallery should have a voice in here...)

you could either...
have one high pressure regulator coming off the CO2 tank. set that at 35psi. Tee off of that 35psi line, and have one hose going to a ball lock for force carbing, and the other going to another low pressure regulator to be reduced to serving pressure, and then split that however many times you want.

OR
have a dual regulator coming off the tank and set one to 35psi and one to 10 and split the 10psi one.

either way will get you to the same place.

The one thing I'm worried about is space in my teeny keezer. Something like this might be a little tricky to fit in there.

Maybe I'll go this route instead:

jeremydgreat said:

Maybe I'll go this route instead:

Code:

             Primary Reg 
           (at "carbing" psi)
                    |
                   / \
                  /   \
                 /     \
  Secondary Reg        Single line to keg 
(at "serving" psi)      being force-carbed
       |
       |
  3-way splitter

Click to expand...

Yup. That's what I meant.
(. . . something about a picture's worth lots of words)

audger said:

you could either...

Click to expand...

Is there an echo in here?

jeremydgreat said:

The one thing I'm worried about is space in my teeny keezer.

Click to expand...

Before I had my keezer I had a small kegerator. I kept the CO2 tank outside fridge with a splitter set-up as described above. The single higher pressure disconnect stayed outside for purging, sealing and carbing. A line ran from the secondary to a distributor inside the kegorator for serving.

AnOldUR said:

Is there an echo in here?

Click to expand...

thats what i get for not reading every post first....

You can always just leave the CO2 outside the keezer...run the CO2 lines in through the collar....

shortyjacobs said:

You can always just leave the CO2 outside the keezer...run the CO2 lines in through the collar....

Click to expand...

Then I have to build a collar.

jeremydgreat said:

Then I have to build a collar.

Click to expand...

Or just drill a hole. I my keezer I drilled into the lid from the back and then met that hole with another drilled up from the inside of the lid. By drilling in the lid, there's no chance of hitting something and causing damage.







. . . that damn echo is back.
only this time it's shorter.

AnOldUR said:

Or just drill a hole. I my keezer I drilled into the lid from the back and then met that hole with another drilled up from the inside of the lid. By drilling in the lid, there's no chance of hitting something and causing damage.

Click to expand...

That would work fine- this thing is sitting off to the side of my living room (small apartment) so I wanted to avoid tubes and tanks outside of the chest freezer if possible.