Keg Lines

[psujeeperman02]

Hi All,

Background: I have a typical Danby kegerator with digital thermostat and included 5' of beer line. I keep that between 37-39*F.

I bought a dual tap tower and it came with two 10' beer lines at 3/16" ID, which now server both of my homebrews.

I keep the gas pressure around 12psi for both of the IPAs.

Problem: The first pour of each beer is always less carbonated and doesnt taste as good as the 2nd pour. I am assuming this is because the 1st pour has the "stale" beer in it.
Does anyone else have this same problem? After the first pour, carbonation in the beer is perfect.

Do I need to use 10' of beer line?
Even if I tap a beer now, and come back tomorrow for another one, I will still have the stale, low carbonated beer.
After the 1st pour, all consecutive pours taste great, unless it sits for a few hours.

I am thinking it is because the length of beer line, but maybe it is something else.

Any suggestions?

 

[jddevinn]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=60380

 

[hedgie57]

Here's a great Lin calculator. http://www.mikesoltys.com/2012/09/17/determining-proper-hose-length-for-your-kegerator/

 

[WBCo]

Are you doing anything to keep the beverage lines inside of the tower cold?

 

[psujeeperman02]

I have a small fan inside of the kegerator pointing towards the tower. Not sure it's really helping or not

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

If your first beer is foamy and flat but others pour fine a warm tower is the issue. Par for the course. Just deal with it. Co2 breaks out of the beer at warmer temps in the tower.The stale taste is strange. Have you taken the taps apart and cleaned them. Are you sure the off taste isn't just warmer flat beer that "seems" to taste different

I've tried fans and running beer lines in copper tubing and nothing ever helped much.Two lines in an insulated 3" tower doesn't allow much air flow.

 

[psujeeperman02]

The lines are brand new. Not so much a plastic taste, just stale.
It pours perfectly meaning no extra head or anything along those lines.
I may just chalk it up to be that the beer leftover in the 10' beer line is getting warm and losing its carbonation.
Just sucks to waste 2-3oz of beer after not tapping for awhile

 

[skraeling]

Since it's going uphill essentially you may need less than 10ft lines. 1ft of vertical rise = x resistance.

Check the mikesoltys calc and see how your vertical height is affecting things.

You might need to up the psi a tick or two.

 

[day_trippr]

10' solid PVC lines (eg: Bevlex 200) in a typical small kegerator like the Danby is just about perfect for 12psi, I definitely would not go any shorter or up the pressure.

Three recommendations: coil the line atop the keg; use a small fan running 24/7 to keep the air in the kegerator from stratifying; add an actual tower cooler - typically a 40mm 12vdc fan blowing through a 1" hose that you stuff up the tower - mostly to keep the faucets chilled to minimize CO2 breakout on that first pour...

Cheers!

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

The lines are brand new. Not so much a plastic taste, just stale.
It pours perfectly meaning no extra head or anything along those lines.
I may just chalk it up to be that the beer leftover in the 10' beer line is getting warm and losing its carbonation.
Just sucks to waste 2-3oz of beer after not tapping for awhile

If the issue is only 2/3 oz that's hardly enough to cause concern. I find it hard to believe 2 oz mixed into a 16 oz pint would be noticeable as far as flat goes.The off taste is a different story. Flat beer tends to have a stale (old)taste.
The Fizz affects the Flavor