Commercial keg and homebrew same fridge question...

[pig140]

I need a little advice on pressure and line balancing with multiple kegs - mixing 2 different types (commercial sixtel and a corny). My set up now is:

CO2 and regulator outside the kegerator to a manifold inside the kegerator, split into 2 air lines to 2 commercial sixth barrels. My beer lines are 3/16" at 6.5 feet and my pressure is usually around 12-13psi (which is proper where I live based on sea level). I use a tower set up with a tower cooler. Beer liquid temp stays 38-40. I have QD's on one CO2 line inside the keg and the main line outside the keg because occasionally I set up for Guinness - this makes it very quick and easy.

I'm a homebrew beer beginner, but I've made gallons and gallons of mead and wine. I'd like to brew my first beer from a kit and keg it. I read a lot about homebrew with much longer lines and pressure below 10psi. Do I need to plan on longer line and maintain 12psi, or plan for the homebrew to have it's own regulator so that I can maintain 12psi on the sixtel? Or both?

I'm already adding QD's to one of the beer lines so that the change out will be easy. One beer and CO2 set will always be commercial, and the other set will have QD's on it so that I can swap commercial/homebrew/nitro.

Any advice is very much appreciated. I'm just curious what to expect.

 

[dxbq48]

I currently run about 7.5-8 foot lines for my beer set at 13psi. As far as I can tell, it pours great; a little fast, but with a perfect 2-finger head.

The one thing you have to watch out for with homebrew is to make sure that you beer is fully carbbed before playing with the pressures/line lengths. If you mess around with the pressure too much, the beer will not settle down and pour foamy.

Cheers!

 

[wi_brewer]

Beer is beer. Your pressures and line lengths will be the same for commercial and homebrew. Pressure may/will vary by style, but it won't be any different just because you made it instead of bought it.

 

[pig140]

Thanks for the responses. Just curious... why is it that I see so many homebrewers with 9+ feet of line and larger beer line diameters with low pressure?