Keg Gas and Liquid Piping and Fittings - Design Thoughts

[Ralphie0523]

Hi all,

I recently pulled the trigger on some kegs and the wife has given a green light to a kegerator. I am piecing this together from our current fridge we will make available for this build. I have been thinking of how to build the piping from CO2 to tap with what my requirements are:

1. Ability to burst carbonate and adjust pressure on a keg for lower/higher carbonation for specific styles. Ok if other kegs are all at same carb level.
2. Easy to maintain and rearrange/expand if needed.
3. Check valves put in the right spots to prevent back flow into the regulator.

I have come up with the following scheme:

From CO2 tank I will have a single regulator with dual output. This should fulfill requirement 1.

For requirements 2 and 3, I think the easiest is a duotight fitting setup for all connections, and use two tees and an elbow to allow up to three kegs at the same pressure. The adjustable pressure feed for a single keg will be a straight line to one gas in connector with a check valve on the line in case of an over full keg. Three keg line will have check valves on each line up to the tee or elbow and another check valve up to the regulator as a backup plan. This is all gas side.

Liquid side will be pretty simple, out to stainless shanks and faucets, hopefully I can snag a good deal on some Intertap or Perlick as the holidays approach. Or Santa will think I was good this year.

Hopefully this concept makes sense. Is there something I missed? I have done some research but know I don’t have all the answers. Based on looking around this made the most sense to me. Figured I would ask this forum due to the high number of knowledgeable people.

 

[bracconiere]

sure, i'll play tag, @day_trippr helped me with my draught problems....

 

[LittleRiver]

Leaks happen, both in initial setup and down the road. It's good to have shutoff valves on each line to help narrow down the problem.

 

[day_trippr]

So if I'm getting the requirements correctly, the system will provide for 3 kegs at a common pressure and 1 keg at potentially different pressure. Unless there is a provision for a down-stream "secondary" regulator, what is needed at the cylinder end is a dual body primary regulator.

[If one were to ask a retailer for a "single regulator with dual output" what is most likely to arrive is a single body primary regulator with a wye splitter and a pair of shutoff valves on the output. So, only one pressure setting available for both outputs.]

So I recommend getting a dual primary regulator with shut off valves sporting integrated check valves, and a 3 way manifold also with shut offs and checks. Both regulator and manifold should have 1/4" MFL connections rather than fixed barbs, which will allow use of either conventional swivel nut/barb connectors or John Guest and Duotight PTC fittings.

fwiw, while I also use Chudnow and Micromatic regulators my favorites are my Taprites.

While I'm here, a couple of tips:

- Start with our favorite carbonation table, decide what temperature you want for your beer and find that value on the y-axis, then scan across that row to the carbonation level you desire - expressed in "volumes of CO2" where 2.4 is roughly the average for the typical ale - then run up that column to find the CO2 pressure needed to reach equilibrium at that carbonation level.

- Once you've determined the CO2 pressure from the above, refer to the only beer line length calculator worth using, plug in your particulars, and it will provide the recommended beer line length for that pressure. Or, if using 3/16" ID beer line like nearly everyone, just use one foot of line per CO2 psi.

Do this and you'll be way ahead of the typical kegging novitiate...

Cheers!

 

[Ralphie0523]

Appreciate the comments. I definitely mean a dual body regulator.

Any reason for a manifold over the tee connectors? My guess is that less number of connections means less chance for a leak, and after doing three lines worth of duotight connectors it is probably a wash to just get a solid manifold.

 

[philm63]

If I may add a couple cents (my own, of course); also look at the available liquid lines and choose carefully. I pulled the trigger a while back on all new lines for my new Kegerator (replacement for my old one that blew up) and went with what was available on Amazon - no idea why I didn't think more into this part but regretted it as soon as hooked the new lines up and carbonated a keg of water to test the new system - tasted like plastic. Yuk! Scrapped the lines and went with Accuflex BevSeal and John Guest fittings. There are other similar lines available but I gotta say; I've had no taste issues with these lines. The resistance is different than conventional PVC liquid lines, so I added a few feet more than I normally would and it pours great.

 

[LittleRiver]

...Any reason for a manifold over the tee connectors? ....

A manifold is a very compact and elegant way of getting the distribution, shutoff valves, and check valves that you need. They're also very easy to mount.

 

[day_trippr]

^That^, exactly.
Tees have no way to shut off a leg in case of issues that need debugging, and I've never been comfortable relying on a QD to keep a gas leg closed tight.

It doesn't take more than a couple of unexpected cylinder refills to amortize a robust system.

In any case, dunk test everything you can. This pic is of a distribution system for one of my fridges and there were four different types of leaks found, including a reversed flare gasket, a missing QD cap o-ring, a poorly sealed end plug and an insufficiently tightened worm clamp...

Cheers!

 

[Ralphie0523]

If I may add a couple cents (my own, of course); also look at the available liquid lines and choose carefully. I pulled the trigger a while back on all new lines for my new Kegerator (replacement for my old one that blew up) and went with what was available on Amazon - no idea why I didn't think more into this part but regretted it as soon as hooked the new lines up and carbonated a keg of water to test the new system - tasted like plastic. Yuk! Scrapped the lines and went with Accuflex BevSeal and John Guest fittings. There are other similar lines available but I gotta say; I've had no taste issues with these lines. The resistance is different than conventional PVC liquid lines, so I added a few feet more than I normally would and it pours great.

Good to know. I was pretty much convinced through my research of the value of good line on the liquid side. The Accuflex seems to be the line of choice and nobody has any real complaints.

A manifold is a very compact and elegant way of getting the distribution, shutoff valves, and check valves that you need. They're also very easy to mount.

I am sometimes skeptical of the idea that one piece of equipment fits all the needs or requirements and like the idea of dedicated equipment. Sounds like this is not one of those cases. Appreciate the perspective.

^That^, exactly.
Tees have no way to shut off a leg in case of issues that need debugging, and I've never been comfortable relying on a QD to keep a gas leg closed tight.

It doesn't take more than a couple of unexpected cylinder refills to amortize a robust system.

In any case, dunk test everything you can. This pic is of a distribution system for one of my fridges and there were four different types of leaks found, including a reversed flare gasket, a missing QD cap o-ring, a poorly sealed end plug and an insufficiently tightened worm clamp...

View attachment 649346

Cheers!

I love simple solutions like this. Noted for when actual build and leak test comes.


Thanks again to everyone. I appreciate the time donated.

 

[Bobby_M]

I am fully on board using the accuflex or EVAbarrier for gas. I'm convinced the clear pvc is just too oxygen permeable.

 

[day_trippr]

I'm nearly there.

Once my keezer overhaul is complete I'll write up my EVAbarrier application - I'm doing both beer and gas end to end - but so far I've done
the tougher gas runs (inside the lid) using the 5mm ID and I'm already loving this stuff. Bend radius at room temperature is crazy tight - 2" or so - it doesn't take much warming to slip over 1/4" barbs if necessary, and it's clear enough you can examine it to make sure you didn't dig up the liner. I even reefed down a worm clamp to the nearly stripping point then cut the tubing off and examined the inside under a 'scope to see if the barb had dug through the liner but it looked just fine.

And the various JG 5/16" tubing fittings from QDs through flow meters to faucet shanks work great. I'm a big fan - it literally takes just seconds to plumb a run.

Just waiting on a ball lock beer post, adapter and another 1/4" MFL bulkhead before I can wrap this effort up...

Cheers!