Multiple Regulators or a CO2 Manifold

[abjones116]

Hi All,

We are looking at doing a keg/draft setup with four kegs underneath the counter. I am a noob to keg going but have been learning as I go in addition to adding equipment.

Right now I have a 10lb aluminum CO2 tank that will be used for this setup. I recently went to a local homebrew store where I was introduced to a CO2 Manifold with the valve cut offs for the gas to a specific keg. My question - is this an ideal setup having the CO2 tank hooked to a regulator then into the manifold to the kegs or would I be better off (for functionality) to have multiple dual regulators hooked up? Or do I need both?

Sorry for the beginner questions....

 

[day_trippr]

Tank to regulator to manifold to multiple kegs is the more cost effective way to go unless you want to maintain different carbonation levels across your kegs. If that's the case you'll need another regulator for each keg you want to be "differently carbed" from the rest, with the obvious worst case/most expensive solution being a regulator per keg...

Cheers!

 

[abjones116]

Tank to regulator to manifold to multiple kegs is the more cost effective way to go unless you want to maintain different carbonation levels across your kegs. If that's the case you'll need another regulator for each keg you want to be "differently carbed" from the rest, with the obvious worst case/most expensive solution being a regulator per keg...

Cheers!

So if I want everything on different PSI or the possibility of such I need four different regulators, correct? And what about force carbing. At this point I have some time so price isn't too much of an issue more than the convenience and flexibility.

What is required to hook the regulators together? And one CO2 tank shall suffice?

 

[day_trippr]

For the ultimate in flexibility, yes, you'd need a regulator for each keg. There are a few ways to do that: a single primary regulator feeding a bank of four secondary regulators each feeding a keg (that'd be how I'd go); or four primary regulators ganged together and coupled to the tank with a high pressure CO2 hose (I would not recommend trying to hang a gang-of-four directly from a tank); or a dual body primary regulator on the tank (eminently doable) with each primary feeding a pair of secondary regulators to drive the kegs.

For "force carbing" you don't actually need anything extra, you just set the regulator to the appropriate pressure and let the keg sit for a couple of weeks. Otoh, if you want to do "burst carbing", you need a higher pressure for a short duration (say 30psi for 24-48 hours or something like that). You could set one of your many regulators to do that, unless you want to burst carb a fifth keg while maintaining the other four, in which case you'd need to have an extra regulator in the mix.

In any of these configurations, a single CO2 tank will suffice...

Cheers!

 

[paperairplane]

To be cost effective, I think 2 regulators and a manifold is a nice flexible setup - then you can run 1 regulator for burst carbing at 1 pressure and use the other regulator to the manifold for serving.

If money is no object, get a lot of regulators.

 

[ScottG58]

To be cost effective, I think 2 regulators and a manifold is a nice flexible setup - then you can run 1 regulator for burst carbing at 1 pressure and use the other regulator to the manifold for serving.

If money is no object, get a lot of regulators.

This is what I did with mine.

 

[abjones116]

For the ultimate in flexibility, yes, you'd need a regulator for each keg. There are a few ways to do that: a single primary regulator feeding a bank of four secondary regulators each feeding a keg (that'd be how I'd go); or four primary regulators ganged together and coupled to the tank with a high pressure CO2 hose (I would not recommend trying to hang a gang-of-four directly from a tank); or a dual body primary regulator on the tank (eminently doable) with each primary feeding a pair of secondary regulators to drive the kegs.

For "force carbing" you don't actually need anything extra, you just set the regulator to the appropriate pressure and let the keg sit for a couple of weeks. Otoh, if you want to do "burst carbing", you need a higher pressure for a short duration (say 30psi for 24-48 hours or something like that). You could set one of your many regulators to do that, unless you want to burst carb a fifth keg while maintaining the other four, in which case you'd need to have an extra regulator in the mix.

In any of these configurations, a single CO2 tank will suffice...

Cheers!

Ok - so to understand, I can "burst carb" one keg while still maintaining pressure to the other kegs using multiple regulators?

 

[abjones116]

Thank you everybody for your answers - they were extremely helpful.

My last question - what would I use to connect multiple regulators together?

 

[Rockn_M]

You need something like this http://www.amazon.com/Regulator-Three-Gauge-Taprite-Brand/dp/B00CQ9DC5I/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1389369841&sr=8-2&keywords=dual+gauge+regulator+co2. It will allow you to have two kegs 1 co2 tank and have both kegs at different pressure.

 

[TheZymurgist]

I would think the configuration would be this: Tank w/ main regulator --> four-way manifold --> one secondary regulator per line --> keg. So you're looking at the main regulator on the tank, plus four secondary regulators with a manifold in between.

 

[abjones116]

You need something like this http://www.amazon.com/Regulator-Three-Gauge-Taprite-Brand/dp/B00CQ9DC5I/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1389369841&sr=8-2&keywords=dual+gauge+regulator+co2. It will allow you to have two kegs 1 co2 tank and have both kegs at different pressure.

And last question - to add two more kegs to the same setup? Two more of the Taprite regulator?

I was looking at this one already:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0060NOX40/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Thinking of buying two but then I realized that they would be backwards, would I need to look for a regulator that is configured the opposite or can that one be changed?

 

[day_trippr]

I would think the configuration would be this: Tank w/ main regulator --> four-way manifold --> one secondary regulator per line --> keg. So you're looking at the main regulator on the tank, plus four secondary regulators with a manifold in between.

You can buy secondary regulators already ganged so no manifold is required. Just hook a hose from primary reg to the gang input...

Cheers!