Secondary regulator

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elmetal

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So I have a regular primary regulator connected to one of those 2 port distributors with valves.

I'm thinking a 3 gauge secondary regulator to take car of my 4 kegs

question is, if my primary is at say 14 psi, can the secondaries pull 12 or no?
 
If you're going to have a primary/secondary arrangement (I have one myself), you need to have as many secondary regulator bodies as you want different pressures. I have 4 kegs that I wanted to be able to keep at different pressures, so I have 4 secondaries. The output of the primary just feeds the secondaries. You can keep your primary at 20 or 30 pounds and keep your secondaries at anything less than that.

If you want to keep your manifold and then attach 3 secondaries to one of its outputs, yes, that should work as long as your 3 secondaries are set for less pressure than your primary, and you'll still be able to use the other output of your manifold directly off the primary's pressure.
 
ok. the reason being that 3 is cheaper obviously and I already have it split for 2 coming off 1 reg. that way I can always keep my hefe heavily carbed.

so as long as the secondaries are equal or lower it should theoretically work yeah?
 
Yep, should be fine. You'll want to at the very least have one check valve on the output of the primary, if not a check valve on all 4 outputs, to prevent the possibility of beer getting into your regulator. A check valve on each output will keep your beer out of your other beer.

I highly recommend kegconnection.com . Call Ben and tell him what you want to accomplish and he'll get you set up for a good price.
 
Yeah, a check valve is just a one-way valve. If you don't have any of them, if for any reason beer gets into your gas line, it can get into your regulator. Then you're looking at buying a new one. No fun.
 
Just hook a gas line from one of your current manifold outputs to the input of your new 3 body secondary. The check valves for the secondary will be built in to the output ball valves. (Make sure you specify you want check valves.) And make sure you're dealing with kegconnection, not kegkits.
 
no for sure. I just found the check valves on kegkits easier.

dealt with kegconnections twice now and would love to do it again
 
Here's how I rigged my secondary regs...

Imageshack - dsc0053ai - Uploaded by chuggs_33458


I have the highest pressure set at the primary, outside the kegerator...this pressure is available on the valve on the far left side port. The output (bottom) of the secondarys can be set to independant lower pressures. Most of my kegs are set at serving pressure on the regulator with the 3 port manifold. The regulator on the right only has a single output...and can be used for a special carbonation level...
 
looks good. I have beers fermenting right now from ESB to hefe so same pressure definitely isn't doable for me. gotta get the 3 reg secondary
 
I havnt seen anyone say this yet so here goes. If you are setting up another reg make sure its just a low pressure regulator. If you hook up a high pressure reg, then a low pressure your 14 psi dont do squat.
 
Brewin Crazy

You state that there is a difference between a primary regulator and a secondary regulator. However, if you go to the Micromatic websight and check out the repair parts for both types of regulators in the same series they are the same. I ask because I plan on using some "primary" regulators as secondaries.

Also, it is my understanding that the pressure coming into a seconday regulator has to be at least 5 PSI more than what the secondary is going to be set at for the secondary to regulate properly. Am I wrong on this point?

Thank You
Paul
 
On the Reg you have attached to your tank;
Remove the high pressure gauge then you have 2 options;
1: easiest & cheapest run that straight line from the High Pressure gauge to the (tank input) on the 2nd Reg. (the high pressure gauge on the 2nd Reg will give you your tank pressure)
2; you could use a 3 way T fitting between the regs and put a high pressure gauge on the T fitting and Daisy chain high pressure regs till your hears content) without worrying about Secondary regs at all.
This is all based on the assumption that primary regs are easier and cheaper to find than Secondary regs. If I am wrong somebody please post a link for a secondary reg.
Ray
Question; has anybody made a multi-port manifold out of a solid chunk of aluminum and a drill press then tapping/threading the holes? I have a big chunk of ½” thick aluminum and I could make some 2~6 port manifolds pretty quick and easy I’d just need the barbed valves.
 
Just buy two extra primaries and hook them all up at tank pressure. Then you can control all three independently to whatever pressure you want.

I don't see the point of "secondary" regulators in a homebrew setting. Presumably, the advantage of a secondary regulator is that you can run a lower pressure line to your regulators if your CO2 source is very far away from where you are serving. I guess it's possible that in some more complex homebrew dispensing setups it may be easier to have your regulators near your kegs and your tank a good distance away, but if you only need to run your hoses a few feet it's probably not worth it to use secondary regulators. Another nice thing about running all primaries is that you can pop one off the chain at any time and put it on another tank (to travel, or whatever).

Besides, primaries are cheaper than secondaries, kind of a no-brainer IMO.
 
Brewin Crazy

You state that there is a difference between a primary regulator and a secondary regulator. However, if you go to the Micromatic websight and check out the repair parts for both types of regulators in the same series they are the same. I ask because I plan on using some "primary" regulators as secondaries.

Also, it is my understanding that the pressure coming into a seconday regulator has to be at least 5 PSI more than what the secondary is going to be set at for the secondary to regulate properly. Am I wrong on this point?

Thank You
Paul

Yes, the repair parts are for the most part the same, the issue come with the opening size of the regulator, pass through of the gas, and the gauge itself. If you managed to hook up two primaries the high pressure side would not all appropriate levels of gas through (I have never tested this though).

Second, you dont necessairaly need higher pressures of gas between regulators (you might loose like .5 psi), but then again, what is the purpose of having a regulator with little to no pressure drop.
Now, you do run into a problem if you are trying say go 11psi -10psi using regs (silly) you will have to have the second reg WIDE open, so basically its not regulating at all. Now say you accidentally change the pressure of the first reg (failures are the main issue), well your second reg will significantly change as well. Which is why you normally have a decent pressure step so your reg is not just wide open. At least this is what I have been told, and just follow to be safe. Seems to work great for me.
 
Brewin Crazy

You state that there is a difference between a primary regulator and a secondary regulator. However, if you go to the Micromatic websight and check out the repair parts for both types of regulators in the same series they are the same. I ask because I plan on using some "primary" regulators as secondaries.

Also, it is my understanding that the pressure coming into a seconday regulator has to be at least 5 PSI more than what the secondary is going to be set at for the secondary to regulate properly. Am I wrong on this point?

Thank You
Paul

That may be true for some makes...but not for all. IMI Cornelius regulators have different parts. Compare these two links.

http://www.micromatic.com/draft-keg-beer/regulators-parts-pid-183065000.html

http://www.micromatic.com/draft-keg-beer/regulators-parts-pid-183099000.html

The orifice diameter on the valve seat is different for one... Secondly, the ports on the horizontal axis...where your CO2 stem connect, and High Pressure Gauge connect...are Left Hand Thread on Primary regulators...Not so on Secondary regs...they are Righ Hand Thread. They specifiy 500 minimum inlet pressure for Primary Regulators...and 200 psi Maximum inlet pressure for Secondary Regulators.

If you leave your tank inside your kegerator...then I guess a triple primary would make sense. Or if your idea of running a gas line into the kegerator from outside is to drill a big hole...stick the gas hose through...and seal it with silicone caulk...then you'd be fine. But the cost of putting multiple bulkheads to route gas from outside the kegerator to the inside...is better spent elsewhere, IMO. I have just two gas bulkhead fittings on the kegerator...one passes the N2-CO2 blend, the other pure CO2. Inside the kegerator is where I like to have the secondary/ manifold/ etc...to route the gas.

The nice thing about it though...nobody is wrong when it comes to homebrew. If it pushes beer into your glass the way you like it...then good on you -- howerver you did it.
 
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