Colored vs. Clear gas line

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Which Co2 line do you prefer?

  • Clear

  • Red or Blue Colored


Results are only viewable after voting.

Prost!

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I know some brewers like to use clear Co2 line so they can see if there's any beer backing up from the corny to the Co2 tank. I'm leaning toward the colored gas line, in my opinion it looks really cool in red or blue. I'd like to have the best of both worlds, balancing function and appearance. As long as I'm not sloshing the kegs around with the gas line connected, is there really any significant danger of having beer back up in the Co2 line?

Those with experience please give my your thoughts and answer the poll.

Thanks.
 
The real danger comes if you crank a keg up to, say, 30 pounds of gas, then disconnect it, turn down the regulator, and then hook it back up at another time. The beer can push back in then, but only if the keg is so full that the beer can exit via the gas-in line. Some of my kegs have dip tubes a couple inches long on the gas-in line and it does happen from time to time.

But I swap my tanks out when I get em filled, so...

I use clear tube just because it's easy to find and it's what I have. I'd use the colored if I had that, though.

Cheers :D
 
Janx said:
The beer can push back in then, but only if the keg is so full that the beer can exit via the gas-in line. Some of my kegs have dip tubes a couple inches long on the gas-in line and it does happen from time to time.
Cheers :D


1. Would installing an inline check valve in the gas line help with this problem?
2. What is the function of the gas-in dip tube?
3. Isn't the dip tube on the beer-out side?

Probably dumb questions, but I can't find any info on this topic.


Thanks
 
1 - Probably so.

2 - No idea. My kegs are Franken-kegs...they've had all manner of parts swapped in and out over the years. For some reason, some of them have these stubby dip tubes on the in line. I think they're necessary to properly assemble the post, but maybe not.

3 - Yeah, one that goes all the way to the bottom of the keg.

Cheers :D
 
My gas manifold has check valves in each line AND the regulators have check valves. I use clear plastic, as I didn't run across the colored stuff until long after the keggerator was done.
 
The gas side dip tupe is only like 1.5 inches long.... my guess is you need it because that holds the o-ring in place inside the gas side post.
 
I use those diffusion stones from morebeer like this:

3926.jpg


Attach 2’ of 1/4" tubing from the ‘gas in’ dip tube inside the keg. (Tubing not included). You set your desired pressure on the regulator and gas gets emitted through the .5 micron stainless stone. The half micron bubbles rise through the beer creating so much surface area contact between gas and liquid that the absorption rate is very rapid. This is very similiar to how beer is carbonated in breweries. You can also use this stone with an oxygen source to oxygenate the wort pre-fermentation. Our stone is the most affordable all stainless steel stone on the market.

I have issues with beer coming up the CO2 side even after force carbing sometimes. For that reason I prefer clear lines.
 
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