Keg Balancing Is Making Me Unbalanced

[SevenSeaScourge]

i've tried several different balance calculators online and though i've been told repeatedly that i need 8'-10' of 3/16" beer line, the calculators are showing 2'-3' feet. if i'm using longer line, i need to up the pressure, yes? my LHBS says i should be serving around 5-8 psi but the beer seems awfully flat when i tried that. i carbonated @42-45F (due to fridge fluctuation) for 10 days at 14 psi. what gives? i'm on my third keg try and i still can't get the damn thing to pour/carbonate correctly. my wedding is in four weeks and we're going to end up with cans of PBR if i can't get this figured out...she'll have my hide for spending all this time and $$$ for naught.

 

[Sleepyemt]

Here is a link that Ed (BMW) posted in the kegging FAQ's. you can always go a foot over to make sure. It's worked for me.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/sticky-kegging-faqs-43347/index2.html#post1916841

 

[weirdboy]

You have 8-10 feet runs, are those lines refrigerated or at least insulated very well? Otherwise The temp will drop as it goes down the lines and it will be unbalanced by the time it gets to the tap. You will get heady foam on every pour but then it will settle down after you run off a pint (or whatever) and the line is full of cooler liquid. But then it will get warm again when you stop pouring and you'll have to pour off more excess foam...

 

[Yooper]

In theory, those calculators work, but not in my experience.

I dislike the idea that there is a "serving pressure" and a different pressure for the rest of the time. That means every time you want a beer, you have to purge the keg, reset it, and then when you're done with drinking, reset it back to the right pressure? That's silly. I have a 40 degree kegerator, and ALL my kegs are in there. Some are older, some are recently filled, but all will be at 2.4 volumes of co2. I can't imagine trying to lower one to serve, raise it back up, lower a different one, etc.

At 14-16 psi (good for your temperatures, probably, but check a carbonation chart), 10' lines would be ideal.