apo09283
Active Member
Ok, I think I have my feeble mind wrapped firmly around the whole issue of balancing my kegerator but I used several different sources for info and three questions come to mind.
1. One source says to account for gravity by measuring vertically from the center of the keg to the faucet. Another says to measure from the bottom of the keg to the faucet? For me it is only a difference of one foot. Which is it? In my calculation below I measure from the bottom.
2. One source mentioned a compensation factor for altitude in the volumes of CO2 chart. It says to add one PSI for every 2000 feet of altitude. I'm at 2250ft ASL. If I've got it right I need to add one pound of regulator pressure to compensate. Is this correct and do any of you bother compensating for altitude?
3. Does my math below look ok? From reading here in the forum it looks like many of you use 7ft of line but the math here calls for 3.8ft in my system. Should I start with more line and cut if necessary?
Beer @38F I want 2.5-2.6 volumes of CO2. System is just an old fridge set up with 6 Perlick taps in the door 27" above the bottom of the kegs. Liquid line is superflex 3/16" ID.
I need 12.5 PSI at the gauge to maintain correct CO2 volume. (13.5 if I add for altitude)
Resistance in my system due to gravity is: 27" or 2.25ft so 2.25 x .45= 1.0125PSI.
Beer line resistance is 3PSI per ft.
So I need to add 11.48lbs of resistance to the system. So 11.48/3 = 3.8ft or 45.5".
With no altitude compensation and measuring from the bottom of the keg to the faucet instead of the middle means I need to make my lines 45.5" long.
So, does this sound correct?
Thanks,
Bill
1. One source says to account for gravity by measuring vertically from the center of the keg to the faucet. Another says to measure from the bottom of the keg to the faucet? For me it is only a difference of one foot. Which is it? In my calculation below I measure from the bottom.
2. One source mentioned a compensation factor for altitude in the volumes of CO2 chart. It says to add one PSI for every 2000 feet of altitude. I'm at 2250ft ASL. If I've got it right I need to add one pound of regulator pressure to compensate. Is this correct and do any of you bother compensating for altitude?
3. Does my math below look ok? From reading here in the forum it looks like many of you use 7ft of line but the math here calls for 3.8ft in my system. Should I start with more line and cut if necessary?
Beer @38F I want 2.5-2.6 volumes of CO2. System is just an old fridge set up with 6 Perlick taps in the door 27" above the bottom of the kegs. Liquid line is superflex 3/16" ID.
I need 12.5 PSI at the gauge to maintain correct CO2 volume. (13.5 if I add for altitude)
Resistance in my system due to gravity is: 27" or 2.25ft so 2.25 x .45= 1.0125PSI.
Beer line resistance is 3PSI per ft.
So I need to add 11.48lbs of resistance to the system. So 11.48/3 = 3.8ft or 45.5".
With no altitude compensation and measuring from the bottom of the keg to the faucet instead of the middle means I need to make my lines 45.5" long.
So, does this sound correct?
Thanks,
Bill