New Kegger questions

[BobOki]

I just picked up a fully functional Perlick DS2KR, which I need to clean like a beast on the inside, but everything is working. So I have never had a keg system before but I am looking to do it right. I will have 4 taps on a 20# co2 and space for 2 more kegs on a 5# co2 to carb stuff.

I have already purchased my 4 taps (might replace later but for now will do) at: http://rapidswholesale.com/beer-sup...rican-beverage-4-faucet-beer-tower-16180.html which is 3/8" tubing

I plan to get this regulator: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MFZ1KPC/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 which is 5/16" hose barbs

So my question is, given what I have pasted, assuming I have no lines at all, what else in what sizes do I need? I hear a lot of talk about line sizes and length but frankly find it a split group, and confusing. I know I want the 4 way controllable regulator as I want to serve multiple styles and want to set different pressures etc (again do it right the first time :rockin: )

And in advance, thanks guys, love this forum!

 

[BobOki]

I think it is the connects off the beer faucet hoses I am not sure about. Everything else 5/16, but those ends on the beer faucet stuff is a swivel nutt 1/4".

So might have figured this out, do I just need to buy one of these for each line?
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002SAO7XQ/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[RedlegEd]

BobOki, Here's a really good primer on setting up your lines for kegging. See if it doesn't answer most of your questions. BTW, don't cheap out and get brass. Stick with stainless fittings. Here's a good site to visit for parts.

 

[BobOki]

That link made it WAY more complicated and I am left even further from knowing what the hell. I put in the values as best as I could and it suggests something crazy like 90ft of hose!
The charts below it present serious math including elevation, pressures, temps, viscosity and more. If this was supposed to help me, it failed very very miserably.

I found a stainless steel adapter, though it's a tad pricey...
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NEFX8XY/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

The site you gave me has one too, so I will probably pick it up from there as it's quite a bit cheaper, but hose length wise I am still left scratching my head.

 

[emcfarden]

The link is a bit confusing but the calculations seem to be correct. Try reading this article:

http://beersmith.com/blog/2011/07/14/keg-line-length-balancing-the-science-of-draft-beer/

It explains the reasoning for beer line lengths and diameter pretty well. If you plan on having your serving pressures dialed in for each beer then you'll have to have a reasonable understanding of how the beer lines (friction), elevation, etc. will be affecting them. If you don't really care that much about it then you can just go with a C02 manifold and an average length of beer line for each one and call it good, but it sounds like you want them dialed in pretty accurately.

 

[Minky]

What hose diameter did you plug in to the calculator? It appears that the faucets come with 3/16" hose stubs, and you will most likely want to continue that size on to your regulator, depending on the distance to your kegs. Figuring in your existing stubs, you shouldn't need more than another 10 feet or so for each faucet.

This quote from the Rapids Wholesale page may have thrown you off. I don't know why you would want to use 3/8" tubing, unless that is common in commercial applications.

"Comes complete with keg faucets, shanks, and 3/16 inch beer hose that are capable of connecting to 3/8 inch poly tubing".

 

[BobOki]

So you are suggesting 3/16 all the way to keg, then the 5/16th before the regulator?

 

[doug293cz]

Gas line length and inside diameter don't mater as far a pour quality is concerned. With 5/16" diameter hose barbs on the gas side, you can use either 5/16" or 1/4" ID gas line. Dip the end of the gas line in (near) boiling water for ~ 1 minute to soften before forcing onto the hose barb.

Beer line length and ID are critical to getting good pours. For a home kegerator/keezer you MUST use only 3/16" ID line (unless you have another way to restrict flow.) The rule of thumb is one foot of 3/16" ID line for each psi of serving pressure, with an adjustment for tap height above the center of the keg. The adjustment is -0.5 ft of line for each ft of elevation. With your tower you will have about 2 ft of elevation, so you can subtract 1 ft from the line length determined by psi. So for 10 psi, you would need 9 ft of line. 3/16" ID line can be forced onto a 1/4" barb using the hot water softening trick.

The gas regulators you have chosen are secondary regulators, meaning you will need a primary regulator between the CO2 tank and that regulator string. Set the primary regulator at least 5 psi higher than the highest secondary regulator setting.

Brew on

 

[BobOki]

Awesome, that greatly simplifies things! I will need to measure where I am putting the kegs in relation to the tap. I planned on a single regulator off the 20# co2 into the secondary, then a dual off the 5# directly into the kegs to carb the beer.

So, it looks like I have to buy a ton hose for the 4 kegs, but not nearly as much add that calculator stated!

 

[doug293cz]

Awesome, that greatly simplifies things! I will need to measure where I am putting the kegs in relation to the tap. I planned on a single regulator off the 20# co2 into the secondary, then a dual off the 5# directly into the kegs to carb the beer.

So, it looks like I have to buy a ton hose for the 4 kegs, but not nearly as much add that calculator stated!

What tubing diameter did you put into the calculator? If it was more than 3/16", you would get very long line requirements.

Brew on

 

[Minky]

When you go to the site with the calculator, it's already set at 3/16" (0.1875") and 14lbs. PSI. It shows a hose length of 11.89' with the faucet 1.5' above the keg. I usually run my pressure a little lower than that (according to my regulator dial), but you may have different requirements.

It's a good idea, once you come up with your final calculation, to cut your hoses a little longer. You can always fine tune from there by cutting some off.