beer line gas line

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

smellie_hippie

Junior Member
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Messages
61
Reaction score
0
Location
Kingsport
Ok,

I looked for a while, and couldn't find a thread completely related to this subject.

Different tubing for CO2 and beer in a kegerator/keezer? The ball-locks are the same diameter, so I assume it should work fine... I just felt the need to ask because some pictures look like the gas line is red, or braided...

I don't have a LHBS, and didn't want to get something "wrong" at Home Depot or Lowe's.
 
You can get 1/4 inch ID "air hose" at any hardware store. Works fine for 5/16 or 1/4 barbs. You might not find 5/16 line at hardware store, from what I gather, it is kind of specific to the beverage industry.
 
I use the same 3/8"ID line on my air and beer.

If I were to do it over again, I'd do the same thing. Much easier if you have consistency across your system so you don't need to worry about different size tubing for beer and for gas. Look at the quick disconnects online, you'll notice that the beer and gas have the same barb size - 1/4". Pressure is pressure regardless of the ID (as far as I know...)
 
Pressure is pressure regardless of the ID (as far as I know...)

The pressure drop through a tube is very much a function of ID. To balance your system you'd need a whole lot of 3/8" ID beverage tubing.
 
If I were to do it over again, I'd do the same thing. Much easier if you have consistency across your system so you don't need to worry about different size tubing for beer and for gas. Look at the quick disconnects online, you'll notice that the beer and gas have the same barb size - 1/4". Pressure is pressure regardless of the ID (as far as I know...)

All my QDs are threaded so I just fit the different lines with the correct size swivel nuts. Makes it far easier for when you want to clean the QDs or change the lines.
 
I have always used 1/4" ID on both gas & beer lines. Makes it easier to only stock one size hose. I agree with using 1/4 barb/flare nuts on your hose ends. It may be a few more pieces of hardware, but in the long run it simplifies things.

I've heard a pressure drop of 1 # psi/feet of 1/4" hose. Having said that, my system is being pushed with 12 psi across +/-15 ft of gas lines (10' to a manifold and 5' to each keg). Seems flow just fine.
 
MrBrewEsq said:
I have always used 1/4" ID on both gas & beer lines. Makes it easier to only stock one size hose. I agree with using 1/4 barb/flare nuts on your hose ends. It may be a few more pieces of hardware, but in the long run it simplifies things.

I've heard a pressure drop of 1 # psi/feet of 1/4" hose. Having said that, my system is being pushed with 12 psi across +/-15 ft of gas lines (10' to a manifold and 5' to each keg). Seems flow just fine.

Gas line length won't matter. Balancing out the liquid side is the challenge. 1/4" will require longer lines than 3/16"
 
By balanced, are you referring to even flow a across all your faucets?

I have discovered that which ever size line you use, stick with it. Don't switch between say 3/16 & 1/4" in a single run. I had done that with a jocky box I retubed. The end result was uncontrollable foaming. Once I went to all 1/4" from the keg, through the chill plate and on throught the faucet the problem was solved.
 
fwiw, here's a typical listing of beer line performance {diameter & material vs restriction} that you can find pretty much anywhere you look for it.

3/16″ ID vinyl tubing = 3 psi/ft
1/4″ ID vinyl tubing = 0.85 psi/ft
3/16″ ID Polyethylene tubing = 2.2 psi/ft
1/4″ ID Polyethylene tubing = 0.5 psi/ft
3/8″ OD Stainless tubing = 0.2 psi/ft
5/16″ OD Stainless tubing = 0.5 psi/ft
1/4″ OD Stainless tubing = 2 psi/ft

I don't subscribe to the absolute values in these numbers (eg: if that 3psi/ft was true for 3/16" vinyl, why does pretty much everyone with 5 foot 3/16" ID beer lines have CO2 breakout at a typical serving pressure/temperature?) but I would respect the relative differences wrt ID.

As one can see, there's a huge difference in flow restriction as a function of ID for any material used...

Cheers!
 
By balanced, are you referring to even flow a across all your faucets?

I have discovered that which ever size line you use, stick with it. Don't switch between say 3/16 & 1/4" in a single run. I had done that with a jocky box I retubed. The end result was uncontrollable foaming. Once I went to all 1/4" from the keg, through the chill plate and on throught the faucet the problem was solved.

Balanced means (roughly) countering the pressure on the keg before it hits the glass. There's a certain pressure drop per foot of line, per foot of elevation gain, and a little bit at the shank/faucet. Ideally you want the pressure drop on the beverage side to be equal to the pressure on the keg so it's not squirting into your glass at 10 psi (=lots of foam).

As day_trippr noted you get about 4 times the pressure drop per foot of 3/16" ID than you do 1/4" ID. This is desirable because it means to get the same pressure drop you'd need 4x the length of the bigger tubing.
 
I use the red CO2 gas line. I hope it keeps me from attaching the gas to the out for the $$$^! time.

Easy identification is also one of the reasons I'm using the [double wall] red gas line. I use clear, 3/16" ID, Bevlex for all beer lines. That includes the short line I use to transfer from primary to keg. :D Yes it probably takes longer to trasfer than it would otherwise, but I can also use that same length as a keg jumper if I want to transfer some brew from one keg to another later. :D
 
I use the red CO2 gas line. I hope it keeps me from attaching the gas to the out for the $$$^! time.

My ball lock connectors are the plastic ones. Grey is gas and black is beer. Guess if you have the fancy stainless ones it is harder to tell apart?
 
My ball lock connectors are the plastic ones. Grey is gas and black is beer. Guess if you have the fancy stainless ones it is harder to tell apart?

It's not that difficult to tell the difference on the stainless QDs. You have a colored band just above where you lift up to release. Black for beer, grey for gas, same as the plastic version.

If the QD simply won't go onto the post easily I would double check to make sure you didn't install a pair of gas posts on the keg.
 
I have them clearly marked but I still manage to get one on the wrong post every once in a while. Dark inside the Kegerator and I try not to move the kegs. Could have something to do with the fact that I might have to change out a keg after a few pints.
 
Back
Top