Alternative Ways of Adding Resistance

EFaden · Jan 15, 2011

Hey All,

So I am looking for alternate ways to add resistance to my kegs without adding 30 feet of line. So far I have found

Micromatic EZ-Balance - http://www.micromatic.com/draft-keg-beer/ez-balance-pid-802991KS.html
Insta Balance - http://www.chicompany.net/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=859
Cornelius In-Line Compensator - No Link, Keg Smart Used To Have It. It looks like the premix faucet with a barb instead of a faucet.
Random Adjustable Faucets - Micromatic Sells Some, etc.
Needle/Ball Valve

I have tried a few of the above and had mixed luck. I tried a stainless steel needle valve first. That seems like it might work, but I feel like I lost a lot of carbonation with it. I then tried the long line which worked, but has its drawbacks also. Next I tried the insta-balance.... so far I can't seem to tell what if anything it even does. I put two in my soda line with a 8ft hose and it comes out at the same rate with or without the balances in there.

Anyone else have suggestions for balancing soda? Or other products that can be used? I am trying to not have 30 feet of hose in my kegerator for space reasons...

-Eric

Eisendrath · Jan 15, 2011

Either go for 3/16 line at 1 foot per 2 psi of pressure or go for the swizzles. They work really well and are inexpensive.
See : https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/cure-your-short-hose-troubles-100151/

lmnop · Jan 15, 2011

Eisendrath said:
Either go for 3/16 line at 1 foot per 2 psi of pressure or go for the swizzles. They work really well and are inexpensive.
See : https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/cure-your-short-hose-troubles-100151/

Just because the thread is so long, I'll point this out here: those swizzles are a non-food-safe plastic which is known to out-gas formaldehyde (which is dangerous at any level), when exposed to acids (like star san) or oxidizing agents (like oxi clean) even at levels as low as chlorinated tap water.

Lots of people seem to use them anyway, but the health concerns are definitely non-negligible.

Edit: these (http://www.chicompany.net/insta-balance-foam-preventer-859.html) work on a similar principle but they are stainless steel. the cost is 10x as much, but it's still only 15$ and there is 0% chance of formaldehyde. I don't have these, so I can't vouch for them, but it's what I'll buy if I need something once my kegerator is set up.

EFaden · Jan 16, 2011

lmnop said:
Just because the thread is so long, I'll point this out here: those swizzles are a non-food-safe plastic which is known to out-gas formaldehyde (which is dangerous at any level), when exposed to acids (like star san) or oxidizing agents (like oxi clean) even at levels as low as chlorinated tap water.

Lots of people seem to use them anyway, but the health concerns are definitely non-negligible.

Edit: these (http://www.chicompany.net/insta-balance-foam-preventer-859.html) work on a similar principle but they are stainless steel. the cost is 10x as much, but it's still only 15$ and there is 0% chance of formaldehyde. I don't have these, so I can't vouch for them, but it's what I'll buy if I need something once my kegerator is set up.

Hey,

I agree. That's why I was looking for alternatives. I tried the insta-balance things, but they just don't seem to slow it down enough. I even tried two of them.

-Eric

kpr121 · Jan 16, 2011

Theres a thread here somewhere where people put some epoxy mixing tube into their beerline/diptube. I cant find the thread right now, but if you search for epoxy mixing tube you get a bunch of other threads referencing it. Now there will be one more.

EFaden · Jan 16, 2011

kpr121 said:
Theres a thread here somewhere where people put some epoxy mixing tube into their beerline/diptube. I cant find the thread right now, but if you search for epoxy mixing tube you get a bunch of other threads referencing it. Now there will be one more.

I am well aware of that thread. In fact it is referenced above. I am looking for other ways... ways that don't involve placing non-food safe plastics in my lines.

kpr121 · Jan 16, 2011

Ahh I apologize I didnt see that post. Need my coffee to kick in!

EFaden · Jan 16, 2011

No worries. Basically I am trying to see what "other" options there are. Since the wife and I are planning on having kids soon I would like to be able to have SELTZER (not beer) and soda on tap for her without the risk of exposing her to chemicals (kind of defeats the purpose of not drinking). So I was looking at the other options. The insta-balance things "may" work, but the max is 12+ lbs resistance... I tried putting multiples in the line, but that didn't help. Right now it looks like the only thing I have found that works is a long line or needle valve (although there may be some carbonation loss here... still investigating)..

As an aside... this is the inline compensator from Corny I was referring to... they run $90ish a piece.

Bobby_M · Jan 16, 2011

How about 10 feet of 1/8" ID reinforced silicone tubing? I THINK it would stretch over 1/4" barbs.

EFaden · Jan 16, 2011

Bobby_M said:
How about 10 feet of 1/8" ID reinforced silicone tubing? I THINK it would stretch over 1/4" barbs.

Thought about that... I also thought about making a 1/8" or less dip tube for the kegs...

HeyNoPie · Jan 16, 2011

What about putting polythylene lines (ice maker supply lines) inside your dip tubes? I heard that worked for some.

Yooper · Jan 16, 2011

Bobby_M said:
How about 10 feet of 1/8" ID reinforced silicone tubing? I THINK it would stretch over 1/4" barbs.

That would be my thought too- it seems like that might work.

I know you said you don't want 30 feet of line, but I bought some line from McMaster-Carr that was $0.15/foot, and it was 3/16" inside. I can't remember the OD, but it was very small too. The line is pretty rigid, and it is in a very small roll on top of the keg. It's much more convenient that the traditional "beerline" I have on my beer kegs.

EFaden · Jan 16, 2011

HeyNoPie said:
What about putting polythylene lines (ice maker supply lines) inside your dip tubes? I heard that worked for some.

Just PET tubing shoved in the line? ... seems like it might work.

Yooper said:
That would be my thought too- it seems like that might work.

I know you said you don't want 30 feet of line, but I bought some line from McMaster-Carr that was $0.15/foot, and it was 3/16" inside. I can't remember the OD, but it was very small too. The line is pretty rigid, and it is in a very small roll on top of the keg. It's much more convenient that the traditional "beerline" I have on my beer kegs.

What is your traditional beer line then? I use 3/16" for everything. That's why I was looking to go smaller.

Yooper · Jan 16, 2011

EFaden said:
Just PET tubing shoved in the line? ... seems like it might work.

What is your traditional beer line then? I use 3/16" for everything. That's why I was looking to go smaller.

Mine is too- it's the Bevflex 3/16". The "soda line" is same ID but a thinner OD. I can't find the part number now, but I started finding it through this thread: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/beer-line-tests-solution-plastic-taste-60380/ and I bought it from McMaster-Carr. I'll keep looking, but maybe someone else will remember which line that was and can help us out!

JRems · Jan 16, 2011

What about using one of those European flow control faucets which have the adjustment lever on the side to slow the pour. I know they are expensive but it should work.

EFaden · Jan 16, 2011

JRems said:
What about using one of those European flow control faucets which have the adjustment lever on the side to slow the pour. I know they are expensive but it should work.

The problem is most of them (all the ones I found) come with their own shank and don't work on existing shanks. The shanks they come with aren't long enough for my kegerator. I did think about that though.

Bobby_M · Jan 16, 2011

Anything that only restricts a small portion of the overall serving length should have the tendency to increase velocity and potentially knock CO2 out of solution. I also agree with Yooper in that a coil of 10' of line and a coil of 30' of line isn't all that much different when sitting on top of the keg.

EFaden · Jan 16, 2011

Bobby_M said:
Anything that only restricts a small portion of the overall serving length should have the tendency to increase velocity and potentially knock CO2 out of solution. I also agree with Yooper in that a coil of 10' of line and a coil of 30' of line isn't all that much different when sitting on top of the keg.

Yeah. I am still trying to fully understand this fluid dynamics thing. Does anyone understand how the inline compensator or the micromatic EZ-Balance actually are supposed to work?

JRems · Jan 16, 2011

I can't find a link but I saw a ss insert for your shank to slow the pour. They did n't look very long so if you have long shanks I'm
sure you could add 2. I did look at those flow contol faucets and it did look like they came with small shanks. It would work if you cut a longer shank and used a double sided beer nut to screw them together.

EFaden · Jan 16, 2011

JRems said:
I can't find a link but I saw a ss insert for your shank to slow the pour. They did n't look very long so if you have long shanks I'm
sure you could add 2. I did look at those flow contol faucets and it did look like they came with small shanks. It would work if you cut a longer shank and used a double sided beer nut to screw them together.

The SS inserts are the "Insta-Balance" things. I thought about that with the small shanks...

-Eric

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