Balancing the keg system

[gcdowd]

I've read to expect about 2 psi resistance per foot of line on 3/16 line (which is what I have) plus 0.5 psi per foot upwards. I have a 5 foot line and my tap is about 2 feet above the center of my keg. This tells me that to get to a 1 psi pour, I would need to set my serving pressure to 12 psi. I currently have it set to 10 psi and it is coming out way too fast. I had it set to 12 before and it was way too fast so i set it to 10. No crazy foam, just a very fast pour. Is my math wrong here? Is 2 psi per foot right? Do I need to increase the length of my line?

 

[jetmac]

I've read to expect about 2 psi resistance per foot of line on 3/16 line (which is what I have) plus 0.5 psi per foot upwards. I have a 5 foot line and my tap is about 2 feet above the center of my keg. This tells me that to get to a 1 psi pour, I would need to set my serving pressure to 12 psi. I currently have it set to 10 psi and it is coming out way too fast. I had it set to 12 before and it was way too fast so i set it to 10. No crazy foam, just a very fast pour. Is my math wrong here? Is 2 psi per foot right? Do I need to increase the length of my line?

Start at 20' and keep cutting it down a foot at a time until you get it right.

I did the same thing trying to calculate everything and it never worked out

 

[The_Mad_Scientist]

I've read to expect about 2 psi resistance per foot of line on 3/16 line (which is what I have) plus 0.5 psi per foot upwards. I have a 5 foot line and my tap is about 2 feet above the center of my keg. This tells me that to get to a 1 psi pour, I would need to set my serving pressure to 12 psi. I currently have it set to 10 psi and it is coming out way too fast. I had it set to 12 before and it was way too fast so i set it to 10. No crazy foam, just a very fast pour. Is my math wrong here? Is 2 psi per foot right? Do I need to increase the length of my line?

How many seconds to pour a full Pint?

I would say 5-7 seconds is where you should shoot for. My system with very similar setup as far as lines and height of kegs runs at 11psi. Unless I am doing a super carbonated or very low carbonated beer.

 

[gcdowd]

It's probably like 2-3 seconds. I'm thinking I gotta get a larger line and cut down as necessary. 20' seems like a lot though.

 

[JSGT09]

Have you seen this website? Is this the equation you followed? You can plug numbers in the calculator on the right, very handy.

http://www.iancrockett.com/brewing/info/kegbalance.shtml

 

[jetmac]

Have you seen this website? Is this the equation you followed? You can plug numbers in the calculator on the right, very handy.

http://www.iancrockett.com/brewing/info/kegbalance.shtml

This didn't work for me. I mean the calculator worked but my system foamed like crazy when I used the recommended length.

So i started with 20' and i am now at 17'. I get a slower pour but I'm not running a bar. I will probably go a little shorter.

 

[JuanMoore]

IMO it's best to go with long lines and then cut them shorter if you really need to. The only disadvantage to extra long lines is a slightly slower pour. Like jetmac said, we're not running high volume bars where the number of beers we can pour in an hour effects our profit. If I have time to drink a beer, I have an extra couple seconds to wait for it to pour, but as always YMMV.

FWIW I was happy with 12' vinyl lines previously, but after switching to barrier lines which have lower resistance I'm running 18'. That's keeping my keezer at 40°F and carbing the majority of my beers to ~2.4 vol (11 psi at my serving temp). I've gone as high as 3.5 vol with this set-up and had no issues.

Have you seen this website? Is this the equation you followed? You can plug numbers in the calculator on the right, very handy.

http://www.iancrockett.com/brewing/info/kegbalance.shtml

Those calculators only work if you keep your kegerator/beer very cold, and even then they only provide a rough estimate. Line resistance varies quite a bit between materials, manufacturers, and even between the same material/manufacturer between production runs. They also calculate the line length that gives the fastest possible flow without creating foaming issues, which while ideal for commercial use, isn't always ideal for home use. For homebrewers that may want to occasionally serve a hefe or belgian at a higher carb level, those "ideal" length lines will be way too short. A keezer or kegerator at use in a home often has to combat less than ideal temperature stratification or warmer towers/coffins, where commercial systems have fans and glycol chilled trunks that take care of the issue. Bars are also pouring frequently enough that the shanks and faucets usually stay cold between pours even without chilling systems.