Moving co2 outside of keezer - question about hose requirements

[heyjaffy]

I currently have a 3 regulator setup from kegconnection.com like this

3 body, chudnow secondary regulator, high pressure

connected directly to my co2 tank, sitting inside my keezer. I'm interested in moving the bottle outside of the keezer, running the gas line(s) through the collar. I've seen some folks in the "show us your kegerator/keezer" thread make this connection with a standard 5/16 gas line, keeping the regulator inside the kegerator/keezer. I've also seen a few with a high pressure line. I'm not sure if the guys running 5/16 gas line from the bottle to regulators have a primary regulator at the bottle side or not. I'm trying to figure out the best way to do this with the parts I have now. Do I:

1. get a high pressure hose, keep the regulators in the keezer, hose connect direct from bottle, through collar, to regulators

2. keep the regulators attached to bottle, run 3 separate gas lines into keezer through collar

3. get a primary regulator to attach to bottle, run 5/16 gas line through collar to connect to regulators inside keezer

4. don't worry about high pressure hose, run standard 5/16 gas line from bottle through collar to regulators inside keezer

 

[rosier9]

I would use the second option... Do you actually utilize 3 different pressures? I would add some gas manifolds inside the kegerator to get more kegs gas.

 

[heyjaffy]

I do use 3 different pressures. I like to carb to style and I like to have a wheat (20-ish psi), ESB or mild (8-ish psi), and IPA or APA (12-ish psi) on tap. My keezer currently fits 3 kegs + co2 and I'm looking to cram a 4th keg in there. I probably won't have a separate regulator for the last keg, it'll have to share with one of the other kegs via a T or manifold.

 

[RensBerserker]

Do I:

1. get a high pressure hose, keep the regulators in the keezer, hose connect direct from bottle, through collar, to regulators

2. keep the regulators attached to bottle, run 3 separate gas lines into keezer through collar

3. get a primary regulator to attach to bottle, run 5/16 gas line through collar to connect to regulators inside keezer

4. don't worry about high pressure hose, run standard 5/16 gas line from bottle through collar to regulators inside keezer

Options 1-3 are all valid, and come down to your personal preference. Option 4 will blow up in your face, literally. The unregulated cylinder pressure is just about an order of magnitude higher than the red 5/16" gas hose is rated for.

I'm handling the same problem on my rig with option two. Except, I have a dual (not triple) reg, and will mount 2 manifolds in the keezer to distribute my pressures. Each manifold has a gauge mounted on the end instead of a plug, so I don't have to play 'follow the gas line' to figure out what each manifold is distributing pressure-wise.

You could also consider a fifth option: keep one reg attached to the bottle, run a single red hose inside, and connect said hose - either directly or as one output of a manifold - to your two other regs, which can then step it down to two more distinct pressures. You would have to make sure that the line that goes from outside-in is set higher than the other two, but that isn't so hard.

 

[SankePankey]

You could also consider a fifth option: keep one reg attached to the bottle, run a single red hose inside, and connect said hose - either directly or as one output of a manifold - to your two other regs, which can then step it down to two more distinct pressures. You would have to make sure that the line that goes from outside-in is set higher than the other two, but that isn't so hard.

This is how I'm setting mine up but haven't gotten the parts yet. I have a primary on the tank set at 30 PSI. That way I don't have to mess around with high pressure hose. It's split 3 ways- 1 to the keezer, and 2 to the ferm chambers. Ferm chambers will have 1 regulator for force carbing and transferring and the keezer (5 tap) will have a gang of 3 regulators with a check valve barb on the end, in stead of a plug as usual. So, I'll have 4 different pressures inside the keezer- the fourth being the 30 PSI being pushed to the seltzer tank out the back end of the regulators.

 

[Gunfighter04]

I've done option 2 with a dual regulator. Not had any problems to date. I've got one of the lines split inside the keezer so that I run 2 kegs on one pressure and have the flexibility to run the third keg separately.

Right now trying to find someone that sells N2/Co2 mix to add a stout tap.