Ok. I got a dead guy ale clone kegged with the set it and forget it method. it is set at 13 psi and i have a 5 ft. 3/16th beer line w/ cobra tap. will this hose do the job of serving without too much foam or do I need a longer line? if need be, i can dial down the psi to 12 if that would be better. i heard a rule that said 1 ft. of beer line for every 1 pound if pressure. (e.g. 12 psi= 12 ft). i wouldnt mind buying longer lines, but if i can save money just using the 5 ft. line it would be better. thanks!
13 psi, 5 ft. 3/16th ID...ok to serve with?
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PintOfBitter
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Longer really is better, especially since you'll be serving multiple beers off this setup eventually. I like 10 feet.
How much does beer line cost? You will be happier doing it properly with the right amount of line. I would just try the 5' line, if it works great - if not just buy another 10 - 15' cut the line off the QD and tap and stick them on the new length of line. Keep the 5' leftover because it will come in handy for stuff like making a keg-keg jumer, etc.
hoppymonkey
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+1 on the longer line, but I still have my 5' hose and I just dial back the PSI to 5 to serve with and it works well.
the beer line costs .50 a foot plus i want to get 2 more cobra taps and 2 more liquid out disconnects and i gotta pay for shipping. i am hoping kegconnection.com will assemble the 2 lines for me if i ask, if not i gotta do it myself. im just gonna spend some money and buy a couple longer lines. thanks for your help!
jeffmeh
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I can understand your apprehension in doing this if you have not done so before. That being said, and please do not take this the wrong way, but if you are going to own a kegging system, changing a line and attaching the liquid connector and a cobra tap is one of the simpler things that you are going to have to learn to be able to keep it up and running. If you can find someone to do the maintenance for you that is certainly fine, but at some point you will have to replace o-rings, and perhaps poppet valves, keg posts, check valves, regulator gaskets, etc. There are plenty of people here who can help you out if you have questions. Good luck.
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depending on your setup that may be fine. I used the calculators around here and using 40 degrees F and 11 psi, it tells me 3.5 ft of line. I use 5ft just to have slack enough to open the lid and maneuver lines and it's is fine. I too started with 10ft lines when I got into kegging, but later used the calculator to get it "proper".
You really need to get the calculator and determine you desired carb level, and temp and then based on your keg height to taps, use the length it tells you.
You really need to get the calculator and determine you desired carb level, and temp and then based on your keg height to taps, use the length it tells you.
That is true. And trust me when I say that if I can have two kegerators with different needs, and keep them going, then anybody can! I'm not mechanically inclined at all, and I was so intimidated by all of the "stuff" that I ordered my stuff assembled the first time. After playing around with it for a while, I have taken apart the regulators, the lines, the faucets, etc, and it's really simple. If I can do it, anybody can. Really.
That said, I'd go with the longer lines sooner rather than later. You're simply going to have foaming issues with 13 psi and 5' of line. You'll be messing around with it all the time- purging and resetting the pressure, and then turning it back up to keep it carbed. Either go with longer lines, or learn to live with a lower carbed beer. If you go with 9-10 psi, you may be able to serve with 5-6' lines without too much foaming.
yea I am a complete kegging noob. I just got my system on thursday and got my first beer hooked up and carbing right now. I have no doubt that I am going to learn how to maintain my system, or else would I wouldn't buy a keg system and just stick to bottles. I just want my first kegged beer to come out great. I'm gonna change out the lines myself, cause i gotta learn sometime..right? thanks guys.
