CO2 Distribution Advice

[bfinleyui]

So, I'm just getting into kegging.

I was originally going to go with a mini fridge, but decided to move my fermentation into the mini fridge and use my 7 cuft freezer as the keg storage, which means, without a collar, i can do 3 kegs, no problem.

Also, originally, I was just going to buy one keg, and grow the collection later.

Then I came across a great deal on craigslist and got 2 more kegs for $20 a piece. So now I have 3 kegs, and a sad single-body dual gauge regulator, and three kegs that need gas.

What's that you say? Just run a $40 manifold and enjoy all the beer?

Unfortunately, the requests that have been made for the next batches are:

American Wheat (about 23PSI)
Citra Pale Ale (About 12 PSI)
Milk Stout (7 PSI)

What in the world do I do?


From what I gather, please correct me if i'm wrong, what I'll need to do is:

1. CO2 and Primary regulator outside the tank, with the primary set to the PSI of my highest level of carbonation (23psi)

2. Inside, daisy-chain two single-body secondary regulators together (12psi and 7psi), making sure that the last regulator has the open-end, which should be running the same pressure that the primary is set to.

Is that correct?

If so, what's a reasonable inexpensive secondary regulator that I can daisy chain in the method above?

 

[bfinleyui]

Am I correct in assuming that the only different between primary and secondary is the fittings on the front and back end? So I could take something like this, switch out the HP gauge on the far left for another shutoff/check valve to MFL, change out the right side for just a straight MFL, and do what I described in the post above?

 

[SpentGrains]

Honestly, I would RDWHAHB (or three all set to 12-14 PSI).

I think 9 out of 10 people on HBT would agree. Otherwise, what you said would work too.

Edit: Primary gauges can take tank pressure, secondary gauges cannot. Trying to hook up secondary gauges inline with a primary would be bad news. (the dual regulators on the tank that serve two different pressures are two primary gauges).

 

[bfinleyui]

So yes, don't use secondary as primary, but can i use primary as secondary?

In my scenario, the primary, attached directly to the tank, would drop the pressure to ~23 PSI, and that would feed (via the bottom port, not the high pressure gauge output) into another dual-body primary inside the primary. Instead of attaching a gauge to the far end of that primary, i'd just attach another shutoff. So it would just be passing through the 23PSI set from the primary outside the freezer.

That seems like it'd work, unless I'm missing something?

 

[JuanMoore]

The difference between a primary and a secondary isn't the fittings, it's what pressures they can handle.

That seems like it'd work, unless I'm missing something?

What you may be missing is that it will be nearly impossible to pour your wheat properly at 23 psi. To serve anything over ~3 vol through a kegging system you'll need to keep the beer very cold, and use very very long lines. Those style guidelines are often a source of confusion when it comes to carbonation levels. They're just suggested levels, and IME they don't represent the carb levels that most people prefer their beers to be at very well at all. Have you tasted beers carbed to the levels you're planning to use?

FWIW the vast majority of commercial beer is carbed within the relatively narrow range of 2.4-2.8 vol. Your plan to have three separate pressures sounds fine, but if I were you I'd keep them closer together. You may also find that it's unnecessary, and that you could have skipped the extra expense and hassle and just served all of your beer at a moderate carb level and been perfectly happy with it.

 

[bfinleyui]

OK, I'm back to being confused then, I guess.

Based on the charts and calculators:

3/6" ID = 3psi/foot resistance

23 psi (for beer at 40 degrees to 3.5 volumes) would mean to have 1psi left at the tap, i'd need just over 7 feet of beer line. Which doesn't seem all that ridiculous.

And really, what it comes down to, is that I have to buy something, whether it's a manifold or this extra regulator, I'm just trying to get the best bang for the buck, i think...

 

[JuanMoore]

OK, I'm back to being confused then, I guess.

Based on the charts and calculators:

3/6" ID = 3psi/foot resistance

23 psi (for beer at 40 degrees to 3.5 volumes) would mean to have 1psi left at the tap, i'd need just over 7 feet of beer line. Which doesn't seem all that ridiculous.

And really, what it comes down to, is that I have to buy something, whether it's a manifold or this extra regulator, I'm just trying to get the best bang for the buck, i think...

Those charts and calculators are for commercial systems, and don't really apply to your situation. They make several assumptions, and ignore the basic laws of fluid dynamics. The 3psi/ft is only valid at 1 gal/min flow. If you make the line longer, it will slow the flow rate slightly, and the line resistance will also be reduced. Do you really think that if I serve at 12 psi through a 30' long line, there will be zero flow, or negative flow? (3 psi/ft times 30' is 90 psi resistance) The only thing they do is result in a flow rate of ~1gal/min. Why? Because that's the fastest a beer can be poured under commercial conditions without excessive foaming. Those conditions BTW are carb level