"Splitting" gas lines - can I use a simple T-connector?

[kal]

Hi guys!

I've got 4 beers on tap but room for 7 kegs in the freezer so I'd like to get some picnic taps for serving less popular beers right out of the freezer without having to swap gas lines all the time.

I've a 2-body regulator feeding two dual manifolds to give me four Co2 lines at 2 different pressures:

These 4 lines then go to the freezer:

If I wanted to "split" one of these 4 lines, could I do this gas line splitting in the freezer or do I really need to replace a manifold?

I already have check valves on both the regulator and the manifolds so there's no danger of beer flowing back into the regulator. But what about inter-keg beer flow? I could see that happening if I turned OFF the regulator and had two kegs hooked up on the same Co2 line split only with a T-connector and one wasn't carbed yet: The high carb beer would want to flow into the flat beer no?

Is the only right way to get manifolds with more splits on them?

Kal

 

[Jester369]

I would say you should be fine just splitting the lines. If you were starting from scratch, I might say do it with a bigger manifold, but not if you already have an established setup. As for beer going keg to keg, as long as you haven't overfilled, the beer can't get into the gas-in post. You will certainly get gas moving back and forth, but no beer.

 

[rdwj]

Nice set-up. Splitting should work out fine

 

[Bobby_M]

The liklihood of a keg to keg transfer is really low because you don't fill your beer all the way up to the diptubes right?

I do the same thing actually. I have a 3-reg secondary that I each put a Tee on for a total of 6 gas lines. Each PAIR can have a different pressure.

 

[kal]

Thanks guys! Looks like All I need is a couple of these barbed T's and a few clamps:

And some gas line disconnects of course....

Cool!

The liklihood of a keg to keg transfer is really low because you don't fill your beer all the way up to the diptubes right?

Well.... up until last night no... (Had too much IPA and didn't want to waste it!)

Good point.

I do the same thing actually. I have a 3-reg secondary that I each put a Tee on for a total of 6 gas lines. Each PAIR can have a different pressure.

I really wonder now why I bothered with the manifolds at all. I could simplified the setup had I just put 2 gas lines from the regulator into the freezer and done the splitting there. My regular has checkvalves already.

So why exactly do people buy manifolds then?

Kal

 

[Bobby_M]

Well, you could have also put your manifolds inside the freezer so that you minimize the thru-wall penatrations to two. I think manifolds are generally a cleaner method if you're running a lot of lines off a single pressure basically limiting the hose lengths by putting the split closer to the kegs. You're right though, the Tee work fine and are cheaper. You can even use the nylon/plastic ones they sell at HD or Lowes for $1.50 each.

 

[kal]

Thanks Bobby!

Putting everything in the freezer is a bit of a pain. No good places to attach things with screws without worrying about hitting a freon line. (Not to mention that with 7 kegs the freezer's going to be very full).

Kal