Lets start with the basics first as I know nothing about what I'm about to do. I'm looking at roughly 12-14 feet to run between the keg and the faucet.
What type and size line should I run?
Do I set up a 3-4 inch PVC pipe and then insulate with foil?
Do I need to run a fan for cooling?
How much of a variance can I expect when dialing in keg pressure?
Any pictures you may have would be super helpful.
Thank you!
The line length will be determined by your carb generally. So depending on the line I would cut it long and coil it in the keezer down stairs until you figure out how long.
Here is what I did:
1. Use the
bev seal line smaller ID leaves less liquid in the line between pours. Also this line has less resistance than standard 3/16 line, so it is the perfect balance between the resistance you will need and minimal liquid left in the line. I think I started with 20+ feet for each line.
2. run your lines from the taps upstairs to the basement and leave then long in the basement.
3. ziptie your beer lines together (periodically) and wrap them in 2-3 layers of insulation (I used piping insulation at HD for cheap1).
4. I think wrapped that all up with aluminum tape to reflect the sun and keep the lines from overheating.
Line Sizing:
a. get a keg with water and hook it up in the basement
b. set your psi to your desired level and hook up your line to the quick disconnect.
c. go upstairs and open the faucet, too slow? cut a foot of line, too fast? oops you screwed up and now you have to add longer lines or the swizel sticks to get more resistance.
I decided to go the cheap way first and avoid fans, glycol, etc. I am happy I did. I have no issues with pours, though I do purge the little bit left in the lines in between pours if I don't use that tap for a couple days. I recently took my set up apart to replace the lines and the lines were absolutely clear and clean, no baddies. I cleaned my lines 3 times with concentrated PBW over the course of a year,... that was it!
Miy advice is to have longer lines with more restriction and a slower pour vs. a faster pour. This gives you more flexibility in carbing your beer to various levels.
Click non my gallery for some pictures, though not great ones. I now added a second tower to my bar, lines all run up through the floor. There is a thread somewhere on here where I posted better picks of my set up, but I can't seem to find it....
Found this:
This was my first set up with larger line, I have since switched to the bevseal line and love it.
There is another thread, will try to dig it up.
