Balancing Keg System newby- Super high velocity beer!!!

Hey Gang,

I'm trying to figure out how to properly balance my system and theres a few things I am unsure of. I've read through alot of the other threads on it, but theres a couple things I really just don't understand.
Now I KNOW my system is not balanced but I'm trying to understand the current symptoms I have, to correct in a short term, but things just aren't clicking in my brain.

I've got approxiamately 5 feet of 3/16 ID vinyl tubing (I understand this is too long), located 2 feet under my taps...

What doesnt make sense to me is everything is seen says to estimate 3/16 vinyl tubing at 3 psi/ foot (i.e. 15 psi) as well as 1 psi for the 2 feet height, plus another 2 psi for the losses in the shank/faucet.... all totalling a pressure loss of 18 psi... meaning theoretically, I shouldn't be able to dispense beer at anything under 18 psi to my understanding... however, at 12 psi... it shoots out like a rocket making me think the 3 psi per foot is either far off, or I am misunderstanding something here?

Please help - party on saturday and I would love to be able to figure this out!!!

I use 10ft of line at 12psi and get great pours. So I'm not understanding how you're understanding that your 5 ft lines are too long. I haven't had to think about this in a long time but I would try longer lines. If it pours to slow you can shorten it.

99% of purported beer line length calculators are based on that faulty premise that 3/16" ID line has a resistance equivalent to 3 psi/foot.

Here's the 1% that gets things right. Use it.

http://www.mikesoltys.com/2012/09/17/determining-proper-hose-length-for-your-kegerator/

Cheers!

Haha I had found that site too but, i'm not sure if I'm just tired or what, but I don't actually see the link to the calculator on the site... just the description of what he did. Am I going crazy? Do you see a link on that site?

Without looking at the calculator, you can guestimate that at 40 degrees you'll need approximately 1 foot of 3/16" line for every 1 psi on the regulator.

So for 10 psi, 10 feet works great. For a warmer serving temperature, I find that warm beer foams much more readily and so needs more restriction, ie a long serving line.

What is your fridge temp? That makes a huge difference in the volume of c02 (carbonation) in the beer as well as the psi.

Here's the link for the calculator from that blog.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...TTuvE6HNAgALYsP3g&sig2=LIRUK7vaWK0KRFe_f_r-Hg

I used 12, figured I can always go shorter...No issues at at.

CoreyG said:

Haha I had found that site too but, i'm not sure if I'm just tired or what, but I don't actually see the link to the calculator on the site... just the description of what he did. Am I going crazy? Do you see a link on that site?

Click to expand...

Whoa. Sorry about that, but Mike must've recently changed that page and removed the embedded calculator, and stuck the Excel file up on a public share.
Thankfully Yooper had the link to the file because even after mousing over every word and image on the blog page I still can't find the link to the spreadsheet.

It's like "Where's Waldo"...

Cheers!

[edit] I sent a message to Mike last night about the "gone missing" embedded line length calculator and he replied this morning that it must have crashed. I just checked and it's back where it belongs...http://www.mikesoltys.com/2012/09/17/determining-proper-hose-length-for-your-kegerator/

Haha im glad the link wasn't just directly in my face on the website. thank you again for the link.

Yooper: to answer your question, im at 50 degF. Now I know thats high, but when I had done my research, I got the impression I could carb at a high temp and pressure, then vent the pressure, and serve at the standard 10-12 psi. Granted, over time, as the serving pressure is below my carbing pressure.. I will loose some volume of Co2, but in the past, it never bothered me. Also, in all my other kegged beers, this method did work. Is method completely wacko? Am I crazy? I like my 50 degF beer as I find the 40 degF beer is too cold so it would be nice to maintain this method. Yooper, if you had an opinion is would be appreciated??

Anyways, since this initial post... pressure has been reduced to 12 psi at 41 degF and its serving better. I'm still going to order a couple 12 feet lines to make sure I don't have future issues. I'm just hoping to find a way to keep temp at 50 degF without much foaming.

Im such an idiot, with all my playing around with the kegs, last night... the temperature controller for the freezer feel out and i forgot to put it back it... it went ful blast last night... both kegs are slush on the top and I have a cask that was for tonight for my girlfriends bday party.... im standing over it, questioning whether to vent it or not!!!! **** me!!!

CoreyG said:

Haha im glad the link wasn't just directly in my face on the website. thank you again for the link.

Yooper: to answer your question, im at 50 degF. Now I know thats high, but when I had done my research, I got the impression I could carb at a high temp and pressure, then vent the pressure, and serve at the standard 10-12 psi. Granted, over time, as the serving pressure is below my carbing pressure.. I will loose some volume of Co2, but in the past, it never bothered me. Also, in all my other kegged beers, this method did work. Is method completely wacko? Am I crazy? I like my 50 degF beer as I find the 40 degF beer is too cold so it would be nice to maintain this method. Yooper, if you had an opinion is would be appreciated??

Anyways, since this initial post... pressure has been reduced to 12 psi at 41 degF and its serving better. I'm still going to order a couple 12 feet lines to make sure I don't have future issues. I'm just hoping to find a way to keep temp at 50 degF without much foaming.

Click to expand...

Changing the temperature and venting doesn't work well, as you've seen. It's not ideal. It has to do with the ideal gas law (or, is it boyle's law?- I haven't had my coffee yet........) that everything seeks equilibruim. Foaming is c02 breaking out of solution, trying to find that equilibrium.

If you want to keep it at 50 degrees, that should be fine. Just make the lines even longer than you think you need. So, for 50 degrees you'll want to set it at 17 psi, and then get at least 17' of line on the tap.

Warmer beer is more likely to foam, so to discourage that, more restriction on the line (longer line) is needed.

CoreyG said:

Im such an idiot, with all my playing around with the kegs, last night... the temperature controller for the freezer feel out and i forgot to put it back it... it went ful blast last night... both kegs are slush on the top and I have a cask that was for tonight for my girlfriends bday party.... im standing over it, questioning whether to vent it or not!!!! **** me!!!

Click to expand...

Oh, no. That sucks. I guess the only thing to do is let it thaw and see where you're at.

Yooper said:

Oh, no. That sucks. I guess the only thing to do is let it thaw and see where you're at.

Click to expand...

haha yaaaaaa, the kegs i've given up on for the night... i already have two in my dispencing fridge so Ill be okay there. For the cask, I have it now in the sink and im warming it with a little warm water every hour... theoretically as it was a sealed vessel at a "relatively constant pressure - ignoring pressure change in the head space due to temp" as is cooled the carbonation of the beer probably increased a little so as long as I get it above freezing, get the slush melted and vent it early enough, it should be "okay"... anyways, i've got no other event that I need a cask for sooooo its coming out one way or the other tonight!!! wish me luck!!!

ps thanks again for the advice. I'm probably gonna go mid way... aim for 45 degF in the future and have like 15 feet or line.