Kegging Pressure w/ 4-way Manifold Question(s)

[awoitte]

In a scenario where I have my CO2 tank connected to a 4-way manifold that would lead to my 4 kegs:

1. For each additional keg I use, do I up the PSI that much for total? Ex. If I have 2 kegs connected, and want each to be @ 10 PSI, do I crank it up to 20?
2. Is it possible to put regulators on the other side of the manifold (between manifold & keg) in order to be specific with CO2 PSI per each keg?
3. What would be the easiest way to have multiple kegs running at different pressures? Mainly looking here for the best way to force carbonate while still have some kegs @ serving pressure.

 

[day_trippr]

1 - No, you definitely don't want to do that.
All ports on a manifold will show the same pressure as the input, so if you want 4x 10 psi, set the reg for 10 psi...

2 - you can - but practically speaking you need to use "secondary" regulators down-stream from a primary regulator.

3 - depends - for more than two kegs a single primary feeding "n" secondary regulators is the normal practice...

Cheers!

 

[bleme]

1. No
2. Yes
3. That would really depend. Do you only have one available line, and it goes to the manifold? In that case, you would have to get 3 secondary regulators. If you have a WYE, you would only need 1 secondary regulator. Some people would say that the easiest fix is to just buy a dual body regulator.

 

[awoitte]

So to confirm,

If I wanted to allow multiple beers be poured while force carbonating I would:

• Have a line from my CO2 tank going into a dual regulator
• Set one to force carb pressure and one to serving pressure. I would keep serving/carbonating pressures the same as I would for just one keg, regardless of how many kegs were hooked up downstream because with a manifold w/ multiple connections, each line coming off will put out the pressure that is set by the gauge?

 

[mongoose33]

Here are two pics; one is when I was using a manifold (a 4-way manifold as it happens), and then when I upgraded to secondary regulators so I could have different pressures for different kegs:

Let me add this since your last post:

If you look closely at the secondary regulators, four have lines coming off them, and one more line on the end with no secondary. I set my tank regulator--which you don't see because it's outside the keezer--at 30psi, and I can use that 5th line to force carb a keg. The other four can feed the remaining kegs with whatever pressure I want.

I've added one more pic--you can see the tank outside the keezer, and I use a bulkhead shank to pass the CO2 from outside to inside the keezer.

 

[awoitte]

Here are two pics; one is when I was using a manifold (a 4-way manifold as it happens), and then when I upgraded to secondary regulators so I could have different pressures for different kegs:

View attachment 569301 View attachment 569302

Can I get a link to those downstream/secondary regulators? =)

 

[mongoose33]

Can I get a link to those downstream/secondary regulators? =)

http://www.beveragefactory.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=TF+T1694STC-01

Beverage factory is currently having a 20 percent off sale, so now would be the time if you bought these.

You can get cheaper ones. Here's one example:

https://www.kegconnection.com/4-body-secondary-regulator-choose-taprite-or-chudnow/

 

[Cheesy_Goodness]

Just throwing this in for OP's consideration

I have a keezer that can hold 8 kegs so I went with a 3 way secondary regulator feeding into several manifolds so I could have 3 different pressures. My thought was the similar to yours, having one secondary regulator dedicated to force carbing, one for serving, and one for soda water. After having it for about a year and a half, I rarely have the three of them set at different PSI; I'll usually force carb at serving pressure for about a week and then hook a beer line up to it and be done with it. Soda water tastes just fine at normal beer serving pressure, which for my line length ended up being between 10-12 PSI.

Overall I like the option of different PSIs even though it's rarely used, but if you're main reason for doing it is just to carb beer you can get away with just a manifold with some patience.

 

[mirthfuldragon]

Just throwing this in for OP's consideration [...] After having it for about a year and a half, I rarely have the three of them set at different PSI; [...]Overall I like the option of different PSIs even though it's rarely used, but if you're main reason for doing it is just to carb beer you can get away with just a manifold with some patience.

I would echo those comments but not the sentiments. After going to a dual-body primary regulator, yes, both regulators are at serving pressure 90% of the time. However, for those instances when they are not, it is just so much easier to be able to set them independently. Right now I have an NEIPA and a Belgian wit on tap, and the Belgian is at ~4 volumes CO2 , where the NEIPA is ~2.5, and getting there is just so much easier than having to juggle connections and pressures. If/when I upgrade to a full keezer, the plan is to have a four body secondary in the keezer.

 

[awoitte]

Thanks for all the great info everyone, I think I'll be getting a new regulator when the opportunity strikes that has at least dual functionality!