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I think im going to try the 1/4 OD line and a little longer lines first. If it doesnt work im out a few bucks. If it does work I dont have the though of formaldehyde.

Just food for thought I work in a biochem/molecular bio lab and we use paraformaldehyde which breaks down to formaldehyde and i will say this stuff is pretty nasty
 
Just as another thought to getting something that has no potential risk has anyone though about putting in a long SS spring. Such as part #9637K64 from MMC? It seems like it might not be as good at the epoxy mixer but better than a 1/4" ID tube by surface area. It is SS so no leaching and it should last longer than your liver. Might by some and try if I can locate any close at Lowes
 
ekjohns said:
Just as another thought to getting something that has no potential risk has anyone though about putting in a long SS spring. Such as part #9637K64 from MMC? It seems like it might not be as good at the epoxy mixer but better than a 1/4" ID tube by surface area. It is SS so no leaching and it should last longer than your liver. Might by some and try if I can locate any close at Lowes
Click to expand...

CHI has these for sale. If I needed these inserts I would try SS first. They come in 1/4 sizes but seem quite spendy....when all's said and done it just looks like a piece of SS screen.

Insta Balance Foam Preventer
http://www.chicompany.net/index.php...id=859&zenid=d77e827a9cd8108bdad92b95782192f8


12B03235.jpg
 
The 1/4" tubing works perfect for me and it's made to be water hose for a fridge so it's safe. It's like $2.50 for 25' of it so you aren't really out anything if you find it doesn't work. But I bet it will ;)
 
yeah I was going to get some Tygon B-44-4X tubing and would like to not have to spend an arm and a leg getting 15' for each keg. I'm going to get the tubing insert and if that doesnt work try some SS springs ($4.16 per 20") not to shabby
 
I see a lot of posts of praise for these things - so I figured I'd throw in an opposing view.

I've used these things in two different kegerators just over a year now- both kegerators equipped with 1/4" ID Bev-Seal lines. One of the kegerators uses 15' stretches of line and the other is 20+' of line.

The swizzles do seem to restrict flow quite a bit and works decently in the 20+' line kegerator, but in the 15' line kegerator, it's still a mess.

Maybe it's just my setup or I'm doing something wrong (which seems hard to do, it's pretty simple) - but my words of caution is that while these things definitely decrease the amount of line you need...it doesn't completely neutralize the beer and give you a perfect flow.

I'm in the process of buying new 3/16" Tygon lines hoping that they alone will give me a good pour so I can get rid of the swizzles except when I'm pouring a very high carbed beer.

Regardless of my experience, I do think anyone with a faster pour than they would like should try these things out before buying a whole new stretch of line.
 
Yup from what I have read 1/4" ID lines are not good you need 3/16th ID it's the 20+ ft of line working for you thats why the 15' one isn't bigger ID means you need longer lines. Lots of guys use 3/16th ID line AND swizzle sticks or hose inserts and STILL need 10' beer lines to control foam.
 
akthor said:
Yup from what I have read 1/4" ID lines are not good you need 3/16th ID it's the 20+ ft of line working for you thats why the 15' one isn't bigger ID means you need longer lines. Lots of guys use 3/16th ID line AND swizzle sticks or hose inserts and STILL need 10' beer lines to control foam.
Click to expand...

Hopefully the 15' per tap stretches of 3/16 Tygon will be the trick. If not, I may climb Mt. Everest just to throw this POS kegerator off the top of it, lol. :mug:
 
Got about 5 feet of 3/16 hose and one swizle in each keg at 12 - 15 psi.
Get 1/2" of foam.
Love it!
 
Stevorino said:
Hopefully the 15' per tap stretches of 3/16 Tygon will be the trick. If not, I may climb Mt. Everest just to throw this POS kegerator off the top of it, lol. :mug:
Click to expand...

Depending on the resistance table you look at 3/16" line drops your head pressure 1.3-1.7psi per foot of length while 1/4" line only drops head pressure 0.7psi (or less) which is why you would need 2.5 times as long 1/4" tubing. Basically your goal is to get down to just a couple psi at the tap (while the beer is flowing, naturally when the faucet is closed the system will be at equilibrium at your regulated pressure). Other things that make a difference in the calculation is height of the faucet above the keg and your starting pressure. Now, the tricky thing is that if your tubing is much too long (or you are using the inserts unnecessarily) you could get to the point that head pressure is basically nil and you get foam in the tube before it gets to the faucet. Now I have never used Tygon but depending on how much pressure drop you get per foot, 15 could be too long.

Best of luck getting the kegerator working.
 
akthor is that with tygon or just regular 3/16" I got 10' of 1/4 and am getting 1/2 head with letting it splash in the glass trying my best effort to get foam. I have been thinking about cutting them to 7 or 8'
 
so then tygon should need more correct since it is smoother on the inside
 
How are people sterilizing these swizzels? I would assume with star sanz but the msds clearly states this will leach formaldyde
 
Will these have any effect with a nitrogen setup? Pressure will be set to 40 psi but pushing it through the stout faucet automatically causes foam.
 
ekjohns said:
How are people sterilizing these swizzels? I would assume with star sanz but the msds clearly states this will leach formaldyde
Click to expand...

I am missing the part on formaldehyde in the MSDS for Star San:

Link to MSDS

I looked at McMastercarr as well for an MSDS for the swizzles and see nothing listed. What's your source for the MSDS that clearly states the issue with leaching formaldehyde.

Thanks!

Dean
 
Its in the MSDS for the swizzels which are made of delrin. Someone posted the MSDS for delrin which states that exposure to strong acids (Star Sans) causes leaching of formaldeyde. I am going to get some Tygon tubing and if 10' lines give me problems im going to try 1/4" ID tube in the dip tube and if i still have problems going to try a SS spring. I would rather not have to give a disclaimer that my beer may contain formaldehyde everytime someone wants to have drink. For those of you that are using it and it doesnt bother you more power to you! I am a worrier and these kind of things keep me up at night
 
They feel like plastic, not delrin if you ask me. Even if they did leech something, as soon as you took away the star san (first pour of beer after sticking them in) you should no longer have that problem. So the solution is to dump the first glass of beer ;)
 
You mean 1/4" OD tubing ;)

ekjohns said:
Its in the MSDS for the swizzels which are made of delrin. Someone posted the MSDS for delrin which states that exposure to strong acids (Star Sans) causes leaching of formaldeyde. I am going to get some Tygon tubing and if 10' lines give me problems im going to try 1/4" ID tube in the dip tube and if i still have problems going to try a SS spring. I would rather not have to give a disclaimer that my beer may contain formaldehyde everytime someone wants to have drink. For those of you that are using it and it doesnt bother you more power to you! I am a worrier and these kind of things keep me up at night
Click to expand...
 
ekjohns said:
Its in the MSDS for the swizzels which are made of delrin. Someone posted the MSDS for delrin which states that exposure to strong acids (Star Sans) causes leaching of formaldeyde. I am going to get some Tygon tubing and if 10' lines give me problems im going to try 1/4" ID tube in the dip tube and if i still have problems going to try a SS spring. I would rather not have to give a disclaimer that my beer may contain formaldehyde everytime someone wants to have drink. For those of you that are using it and it doesnt bother you more power to you! I am a worrier and these kind of things keep me up at night
Click to expand...

Hmmm.... Maybe they get sanitzed in something other than Star San, like iodine or something. I have both on hand. Plus if you just dumped what was in the line after racking it over, it should clear it out, right?. Point well taken and I too don't want a disclaimer! Maybe the hard freezer water line hose is the way to go!
 
I bought these things over a year ago when the thread started and didn't look at it until now when Im building a new kegerator. I went looking for the sticky but it was apparently not there since the post itself is carcinogenic.

I just wanted to update that I have been using these for over a year and havent started glowing yet. And I was still thinking the things were basically food safe (because someone said they were earlier) so I was cleaning them with all sorts of stuff, or not cleaning them at all and using the constantly. Hopefully the disclaimer is a "cover our a$%" sort of thing and not a real danger.

Now that I am building a new system I am interested in finding a quantitative measurement of how much back pressure these things actually add. Any thoughts? I will experiment with my new setup but Id prefer if someone else did the grunt work. Ill update after my radioactive goo bath with camel unfiltereds.

BTW I just read all 27 pages, at work, productive morning.
 
ekjohns said:
Its in the MSDS for the swizzels which are made of delrin. Someone posted the MSDS for delrin which states that exposure to strong acids (Star Sans) causes leaching of formaldeyde. I am going to get some Tygon tubing and if 10' lines give me problems im going to try 1/4" ID tube in the dip tube and if i still have problems going to try a SS spring. I would rather not have to give a disclaimer that my beer may contain formaldehyde everytime someone wants to have drink. For those of you that are using it and it doesnt bother you more power to you! I am a worrier and these kind of things keep me up at night
Click to expand...

Chemically speaking, the acid in Star-san (phosphoric acid) isn't a strong acid but rather a weak acid. I'd be surprised if the Delrin was leaching signifcant amounts of formaldehyde in the presence of Star-san.
 
Anyone have 1 or 2 they could spare? I would buy 1 or 2 , I hate to pay more shipping than the item is worth. If any one has extra I'm sure they could drop them in a envelope with a stamp. Please pm me
 
EFaden said:
Anyone ever try 1/8" line?
Click to expand...

I have tried using 1/8" ID, 1/4" OD polyethylene tubing. I had to use short piece of regular beerline as a coupling between the poly and barbs with two clamps on each end. The max pressure this can handle is around 20psi. Someone else tried it and I think it blew at 30psi and it would be really bad news to lose a full keg of beer. It would be awesome if someone would have some 3 foot lengths made up with flared ends molded in.
 
Why would you do that? You take the tubing and slide it into your dip tube.

Bobby_M said:
I have tried using 1/8" ID, 1/4" OD polyethylene tubing. I had to use short piece of regular beerline as a coupling between the poly and barbs with two clamps on each end. The max pressure this can handle is around 20psi. Someone else tried it and I think it blew at 30psi and it would be really bad news to lose a full keg of beer. It would be awesome if someone would have some 3 foot lengths made up with flared ends molded in.
Click to expand...
 
Maybe someone could make and sell some 1/8" ID SS dip tubes with the same flare as the standard issue version (maybe with a small o-ring to help center it in the port). How about it Bobby_M? Maybe swage a SS flare onto some PE tubing? That could be really inexpensive as long as one has the equipment to do it.

Cornies were designed for serving sodas, not beer. So why do we have to use them as they are. Modify! (that should be the hombrewers creedo)
 
pjj2ba said:
Maybe someone could make and sell some 1/8" ID SS dip tubes with the same flare as the standard issue version (maybe with a small o-ring to help center it in the port).
Click to expand...

Interesting idea... I know a guy who knows a guy who saw the equipment at his cousins neighbors house while over for a birthday party for a local retiree...

I'm gonna make a couple calls...
 
what is the difference between making a SS 1/8" ID tube and sticking a 1/8" ID poly tube in the dip tupe you already have?
 
ekjohns said:
what is the difference between making a SS 1/8" ID tube and sticking a 1/8" ID poly tube in the dip tupe you already have?
Click to expand...

I would say probably the biggest advantage would be cleaning and sanitation. There is a LOT of surface area between a regular diptube and an inserted poly tube. Lots of places for critters to hide. Yes the poly can be removed and everything cleaned and sanitized, but it would be a lot easier to not have to. And many of us are lazy


Also, no we are talking about the dip tube itself, not the serving tubing
 

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