cyberbackpacker
Well-Known Member
Short story-- last December I picked up a bunch of kegs and some faucets because I had gotten a kegerator for free. I placed an order from kegconnection for 40' of 3/16" bev and 5/16" gas line, etc to finish things off.
I was a new brewer and kegger, and when I got my supplies from kegconnection I just went to town, never thinking about measuring the ID of the lines I ordered.
Nevertheless, after attempting to keg with two 2.5 gallon batches and never being able to get a glass with less than 3/4 of foam, I gave up and went back to bottles. I chalked it up to a lack of patience, understanding, not balancing the system right, etc. It was a HASSLE and bottling for me was easier. I went so far as to sell some of my shanks, faucets, etc. because I couldn't envision kegging again any time soon.
However, a year later I felt a bit more confident in my knowledge of things, more patient, and just as importantly now have a few local brewers around me who keg that can help me if needed. So I got a bunch of faucets, turned my ferm chamber back into my kegerator again, and placed another order with kegconnection for more 3/16" bev line and a few other odds and ends.
Yesterday I got my order, and when I opened the box and saw the bev line I said to myself, "whoa, that is too small an inner diameter, they sent me the wrong line". I grabbed my measuring tape, and no, it was right on- 3/16".
So after I measured the line I got yesterday and discovered it was 3/16" line, I said to myself "I know that is smaller than the hose they sent me last year" (I ordered from kegconnection last year and this year). So I measured the line I got last year and sure enough it is 1/4" line, not 3/16"!!!
I am not saying that having the 1/4" as opposed to 3/16" was the only reason for my bad kegging experience, but it nevertheless had to certainly play a role, as I know the line diameter is critical whenever you use one of the line balancing calculators.
So just thought I would share... when I got the line last year I never thought to measure the hose to make sure it was the right size, I just went to town. Now I know!
Like I said, it might not be the sole reason for my foaming issues, but it certainly played a part, that is for sure. If nothing else my lines had to be much too short, because there was not enough resistance!
So, I am hoping that this kegging experience goes much better! Now I know I will have the right ID of bev-line, and I am going to "set and forget" as opposed to trying to burst carb.
I hope to get my Irish Red (coincidentally enough which was the beer I brewed and tried to keg as my first beer last year) racked to keg tonight or tomorrow and on the gas so it is ready for the family for Christmas.
Wish me luck!
I was a new brewer and kegger, and when I got my supplies from kegconnection I just went to town, never thinking about measuring the ID of the lines I ordered.
Nevertheless, after attempting to keg with two 2.5 gallon batches and never being able to get a glass with less than 3/4 of foam, I gave up and went back to bottles. I chalked it up to a lack of patience, understanding, not balancing the system right, etc. It was a HASSLE and bottling for me was easier. I went so far as to sell some of my shanks, faucets, etc. because I couldn't envision kegging again any time soon.
However, a year later I felt a bit more confident in my knowledge of things, more patient, and just as importantly now have a few local brewers around me who keg that can help me if needed. So I got a bunch of faucets, turned my ferm chamber back into my kegerator again, and placed another order with kegconnection for more 3/16" bev line and a few other odds and ends.
Yesterday I got my order, and when I opened the box and saw the bev line I said to myself, "whoa, that is too small an inner diameter, they sent me the wrong line". I grabbed my measuring tape, and no, it was right on- 3/16".
So after I measured the line I got yesterday and discovered it was 3/16" line, I said to myself "I know that is smaller than the hose they sent me last year" (I ordered from kegconnection last year and this year). So I measured the line I got last year and sure enough it is 1/4" line, not 3/16"!!!
I am not saying that having the 1/4" as opposed to 3/16" was the only reason for my bad kegging experience, but it nevertheless had to certainly play a role, as I know the line diameter is critical whenever you use one of the line balancing calculators.
So just thought I would share... when I got the line last year I never thought to measure the hose to make sure it was the right size, I just went to town. Now I know!
Like I said, it might not be the sole reason for my foaming issues, but it certainly played a part, that is for sure. If nothing else my lines had to be much too short, because there was not enough resistance!
So, I am hoping that this kegging experience goes much better! Now I know I will have the right ID of bev-line, and I am going to "set and forget" as opposed to trying to burst carb.
I hope to get my Irish Red (coincidentally enough which was the beer I brewed and tried to keg as my first beer last year) racked to keg tonight or tomorrow and on the gas so it is ready for the family for Christmas.
Wish me luck!
