Seriously.....Does size really matter?

I'M TALKING ABOUT HOSE LENGTH! I just bought my first keg setup and I am having foam issues. After checking temp (fine) and realizing I'm new and I probably overcarbed I purged several times. Now the beer tastes carbed but not too fizzy. actually I like a little more so I am sure it is not over carbed. The only thing left is my hose length. The guy at my local homebrew store convinced me that I didn't want a long hose for the picnic tap because "it would be in the mud". After voicing my concern he told me i was wrong it didn't matter that much and sold me a two foot hose. He screwed me didn't he? This is why I have foam! He also made me clean out my newly purchased Corny! Sorry sir it's used you need to clean them out yourself! This is one of the biggest homebrew stores in Chicago!!!!!!!! Bastards!!!!

to answer your question - yes, size matters. The length and diameter of the hose balance the system so that your beer travels from its high-pressure home in the keg to the low-pressure home of your glass in style and isn' disturbed, losing its carbonation.

Switching to 4' of 3/16" tubing will likely take care of any issues you may have.

I can't believe a LHBS would tell you it doesn't matter! That kind of pisses me off.

Yup. Today is my birthday. So instead of kegging my first home made beer that is ready ...Today.,..I'm screwing around with scrubbing black sludge out of the keg I just bought and trying to fix a foaming issue that I cant fix. So now I've wasted half a tank of CO2, two hours of time cleaning, a half a jar of one step, and my birthday sanity...man I'm pissed.

That's kind of messed up. I would think they would know better. The extra length is to add restriction and balance the system. You want around 3-4 psi. at the faucet. So if your reg. is set at 12 psi., your going to need 8-9 psi. of restriction. This slows the flow of the beer down so it doesn't foam as soon as it hits your glass. You always adjust the length of the beer line, not the pressure on your reg. The rule of thumb is 5' of 3/16" hose. Personally, I have around 8' on mine.
BTW, how did you check the temp? Did you use ambient temp or liquid temp?

Honestly, I took the temp of another liquid in the fridge. I should of taken it of the beer. I put it in the fridge yesterday but I forgot to take it before kegging today. So I (OMG I am admitting this) popped a thermometer in a juice box that was next to the keg......Alright, I will voluntarily give up my man card for one week.

Nothing wrong with that. I use a beer bottle full of water with a thermometer epoxied in the mouth. It works just the same. As long as your measuring the temp of the liquid in the fridge.

Cheapspkrs111 said:

So now I've wasted half a tank of CO2, two hours of time cleaning, a half a jar of one step, and my birthday sanity...man I'm pissed.

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That sucks man. I've never used the 'One Step' before, but i DO use Oxiclean Versatile Free (no perfumes or dyes) and it works like a champ for just about everything. I mix between 3/4 and 1 1/2 T per gallon of hot water and soak for anywhere from 30 min to 2 hrs. It seems to get about anything out. A quick contact (5 min) with Starsan sanitizes and removes the slick feel from the Oxiclean.

Something to consider in the future. I compared about 5 places a while back looking for kegs and ended up going with Sabco. For (literally) a few dollars more on a 4-keg order, I received kegs that had been cleaned extremely well and even gad the exteriors polished! I would recommend them to anyone. I even called them to ask a question about the residue in the kegs (detergent residue) and the customer service was awesome.

Thanks!!! Just checked out sabco's site and I am definately ordering from them from now on!!!

You can absolutely dispense perfect beer with a 1 foot tap line. Long lines aren't the only way to add resistance to balance the system.

There's a thread in kegging already on using McMaster's 'epoxy nozzles' in the dip tube...and I tell you, it works like a charm!

malkore said:

You can absolutely dispense perfect beer with a 1 foot tap line. Long lines aren't the only way to add resistance to balance the system.

There's a thread in kegging already on using McMaster's 'epoxy nozzles' in the dip tube...and I tell you, it works like a charm!

Click to expand...

I've been contemplating this very thing for the belgians I keep on draft. I usually have to turn down the psi to 10-15, bleed for a second, and then pour. It's a tiresome process AND I'm worried I'll wear the regulator out prematurely.

Link if anybody else is looking for it: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/cure-your-short-hose-troubles-100151/

malkore said:

You can absolutely dispense perfect beer with a 1 foot tap line. Long lines aren't the only way to add resistance to balance the system.

There's a thread in kegging already on using McMaster's 'epoxy nozzles' in the dip tube...and I tell you, it works like a charm!

Click to expand...

Oh, right. Forgot about those. They do work well, I use them in my kegs for soda, I haven't messed with them for beer because I already had my system balanced for that.