Air in one of three kegorator beer lines....

[ListerH]

I am a little baffled. I have a 3 Tap kegorator and currently have 3 corny kegs connected. 2 are 2.5gl and the 3rd is a 5gl.
I make 2.5 gl batches so the 5gl keg is always half filled when I have a new batch.

All 3 kegs are connected to 15’ of bevseal accuflex line which is coiled and sits on top of its keg. All are held at the same pressure and of course temperature.
I set and forget at 12 psi to carbonate and serving pressure is also 12 psi.

The 2.5gl kegs pour beautifully but the line from the 5gl keg consistently fills with air pockets causing foaming and burping during the pour.

Anyone know of any reason why this could happen? It’s always the 5gl keg!

 

[day_trippr]

If the small O-ring under the Out dip tube flange is compromised or missing it will allow pressurized CO2 in the keg head space to be injected into the beer stream under the Out post.

Remove both gas and beer lines, latch the PRV open, remove the Out post, pull the long dip tube, and give that small O-ring a close inspection. It only takes small ding in the right spot...

Cheers!

 

[Feldmann]

You could try isolating the problem. Hook the 5 Gal keg up to a different air and liquid line. If the problem persists, its the keg, if it doesn't, its your liquid or gas line. Next hook it up on its original gas line and different liquid line. If problem persists, its the gas line, if it doesn't, its the liquid line.

 

[Feldmann]

The fact that it isn't draining your C02 tank makes me think its a problem with your keg or somewhere in your liquid line.

 

[ListerH]

If the small O-ring under the Out dip tube flange is compromised or missing it will allow pressurized CO2 in the keg head space to be injected into the beer stream under the Out post.

Remove both gas and beer lines, latch the PRV open, remove the Out post, pull the long dip tube, and give that small O-ring a close inspection. It only takes small ding in the right spot...

Cheers!

I’ve changed out that O ring... I pulled off the dip tube and the old ring did have an imperfection... fingers crossed that resolves it. Will report back!! Thanks!!

 

[ratinator]

Why so much line? Less line the better. Cut down your lines, mine are about 3', just enough to get to kegs with some added space to move them around. Are you purging kegs after you fill them? If I were you I would brew 5 gal batches...you fill up your 5 gal keg and you can mess around with split batches and try out different yeasts or add fruit to one.

My other idea is your kegerator is too cold and some ice build up the line might be occuring causing blockage/foam until the beer melts it. Has happended to me

 

[day_trippr]

"Less line the better" is not a valid proposition, there's physics involved that dictate optimal line length.
Perhaps this site - with the only beer line length calculator worth using - will prove enlightening...

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

Cheers!

 

[ratinator]

"Less line the better" is not a valid proposition, there's physics involved that dictate optimal line length.
Perhaps this site - with the only beer line length calculator worth using - will prove enlightening...

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

Cheers!

I am more referring to an all in one store bought fridge, like a danby. If you have a homemade one it's completely different and to go even further to say you may need difference types of gas depending on distance

 

[day_trippr]

It matters not whether a dispensing system is bought or built by the user, the dynamics are identical.
If you want a consistently high-quality pour you need to balance the system properly, or you'll be fighting it forever.

Wrt home brew systems it's rare that line ID needs to exceed 3/16" ID, and even rarer to require mixed gas dispensing...

Cheers!

 

[ListerH]

I am more referring to an all in one store bought fridge, like a danby. If you have a homemade one it's completely different and to go even further to say you may need difference types of gas depending on distance

All the calculations are different for the accuflex line because of the very different resistance of the tube lining. My flow rate is good on all 3 lines so I’m fairly sure line length isn’t the issue.

 

[ratinator]

It matters not whether a dispensing system is bought or built by the user, the dynamics are identical.
If you want a consistently high-quality pour you need to balance the system properly, or you'll be fighting it forever...

Cheers!

Well I guess you can consider me lucky, I strap my kegs on at 12 psi and run the distance stated above and they carbonate and pour perfectly everytime with a finger or two of head, which then reflect how much head rentention I was able to get on my recipe

 

[day_trippr]

How your beers carbonate matters not - that's not a function of beer line, which is the other side of the equation that matters.
And if you're getting consistently good pours with "3 feet" of beer line, you're definitely operating in rare space.
It's not close to anything I'd recommend.
And if you were to have followed this site for long you'd note a large chunk of the "Help! My beers pour too foamy!" threads in this sub-forum are resolved with proper length lines.

As for the Bev Seal Ultra Series 235, most of the extra length requirement is due to the ID actually being 1/5" and not 3/16". If you plug those numbers into Mike's calculator you can see the effect of that slightly wider bore. The rest of the difference is the PET liner being smoother than solid PVC line...

Cheers!

 

[ratinator]

How your beers carbonate matters not - that's not a function of beer line, which is the other side of the equation that matters.
And if you're getting consistently good pours with "3 feet" of beer line, you're definitely operating in rare space.
It's not close to anything I'd recommend.
And if you were to have followed this site for long you'd note a large chunk of the "Help! My beers pour too foamy!" threads in this sub-forum are resolved with proper length lines.

As for the Bev Seal Ultra Series 235, most of the extra length requirement is due to the ID actually being 1/5" and not 3/16". If you plug those numbers into Mike's calculator you can see the effect of that slightly wider bore. The rest of the difference is the PET liner being smoother than solid PVC line...

Cheers!

My apologies I was having a brain fart and was thinking of my 3ft gas lines that I just had cut to run from my 2 way splitter to the kegs. My beer lines are 6ft, but like I said him saying 15ft threw me for a loop.

 

[day_trippr]

You wouldn't be the first one to be "looped" by the Ultra 235 line "requirements". Lots of folks did a straight replacement of solid PVC lines only to find the pours went down the tubes because the flow rate was so high. It's not uncommon for folks to use as much as 18 feet of that line to tame the beast

Cheers!

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

How your beers carbonate matters not - that's not a function of beer line, which is the other side of the equation that matters.
And if you're getting consistently good pours with "3 feet" of beer line, you're definitely operating in rare space.
It's not close to anything I'd recommend.
And if you were to have followed this site for long you'd note a large chunk of the "Help! My beers pour too foamy!" threads in this sub-forum are resolved with proper length lines.

Yep. I run a 2-pressure regulator, with 4 kegs driven off manifold at one pressure and 2 kegs driven off a manifold at another pressure. The 4 are all 10' of standard 3/16" line, and the 2 others are 25' of the same 3/16" line. The idea for me being that if I want to run something that requires much higher carbonation levels, I have the lines to do it.

Which is important as I'm going to put 5 gallons of chardonnay on so that my wife can have champagne on tap ;-)