Help - Final pieces for kegging

Ok, I've got the cornies (ball lock) & CO2 tank/regulator. For the remaining items so I can keg the beer, I've got some questions. I'll just post the question next to the items i'm unsure about.

i'd like to connect 2 kegs to the line and will just use a 'Y' for now, no fancy distribution manifold or anything, also, I'll be serving at a standard pressure (not sure what that is ~ 10 psi?):

(2) Gas ball lock connectors (with barb)
(2) Liquid out ball lock connectors (with barb)

Gas hose (is 3/16 or 5/16 the standard here?)
Beverage Hose (same question as above and if it's 5/16, is 5 ft. of hose the standard length for a 'balanced' system? and can one just use regular vinyl hose from lowes for this?)

(2) picnic taps (for now)

also, i need a new seal for my pressure regulator and I saw plastic and fiber ones, will either work or are they specific to regulator brands (for lack of a better term)?

thanks for helpin a brother out. that's all i can think of, let me know if there are any blaring omissions.

alright, got most of my questions answered by not working today but i am curious to know if you can use braided line from lowe's for gas line?

No. just get official gas line from LHBS. its much thicker than normal hose, and isn't air/co2 permeable like thinner walled hose.

I would suggest QDs that are threaded. They offer more versatility, and are easier to change when needed. I force carb through the beer out which make the CO2 bubble up through the beer, to do this you have to put a black connector on the gas line. Make sure you have check valves installed before trying this. When done its simple to change the QDs back to the serving configuration. I also use the same QDs when transfering from keg to keg. Using 2 black QDs so the beer isn't splashing to the bottom. This reduces the chance of oxidation while saving gas from purging empty kegs.

beerthirty said:

I would suggest QDs that are threaded. They offer more versatility, and are easier to change when needed. I force carb through the beer out which make the CO2 bubble up through the beer, to do this you have to put a black connector on the gas line. Make sure you have check valves installed before trying this. When done its simple to change the QDs back to the serving configuration. I also use the same QDs when transfering from keg to keg. Using 2 black QDs so the beer isn't splashing to the bottom. This reduces the chance of oxidation while saving gas from purging empty kegs.

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Agree.

Also - the braided vinyl hose you get at your hardware store should be OK but make sure its a small diameter and check the rating - you want it to be able to withstand AT LEAST 20% more PSI than can come out of your regulator.

Malkore might know something I don't or just more EAC than me. I have been using Lowes braided line for gas and 3/16 clear vinyl(beer) for years. I pumped near boiling water through the vinyl hose for several minutes to help rid the taste. Since then I've pushed about 250 gallons of beer through it and many quarts of line cleaner. I don't have the most refined tastebuds but I have never tasted anything that wasn't in the beer.