• Please visit and share your knowledge at our sister communities:
  • If you have not, please join our official Homebrewing Facebook Group!

    Homebrewing Facebook Group

What should my serveing PSI be

Homebrew Talk

Help Support Homebrew Talk:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

SteakGrisel

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2011
Messages
155
Reaction score
3
Location
San Antonio
I currently have my keg setting at 18 PSI, but when I go to serve my beer it sprays out to fast, foaming up my beer and making it flat. Should I be serving at a different PSI when not carbinating. This is my first attempt at kegging and I don't want to give up on the investment.
 
the correct pressure is a function of your beer line legnth, keg temperature, and the desired carbonation level. what are the numbers you have for each one of those things?
 
Keeping the psi and temp constant, you need to add resistance to the line to prevent the dreading foaming firehose. You can either get smaller ID beer line, longer beer line, add those paint stick things (name escapes me), etc.
 
I have a 5 foot beer line, keg is at 50 degrees, and i want it at 2.54 volume.

you are going to need 18 PSI to reach that carbonation level at that temperature (like you have). you will then need 9-10 feet of 3/16" hose to match it (assuming the faucet and keg are at about the same height).

if you didnt want to change your hose legnth, you would need to dial down the pressure to 10psi, and turn the temperature down to 35 degrees to maintain the proper carbonation level.
 
Thank you all so much, all of these suggestion are really helpful. Seeing as I dont have 10 feet of hose I will lower the temp and lower the PSI to achive the desired volume. I will repost on this if results are not achieved.
 
The correct pressure is a result of your desired carbonation level's, in volumes of CO2. This is dependent on the temperature of the beer. Let's say you want 2.5 vols. of CO2 in your beer, and it was at 39-40F, you would need about 12psi of CO2 applied head-pressure the entire time, until keg is consumed to maintain the 2.5 vols. of carbonation. As far as your line's go, you need to balance them to the example above, not turning the CO2 pressure up & down to maintain carbonation level, as so many do. This is a result of a un-balanced system, either too much or too little resistance, but usually too little. If I were you, I would use 8-10 ft. 3/16" vinyl line and use the set and forget carbing method at 10-15psi for most beers @ 38-42F to achieve and maintain the right carbonation level. If your impaitent, you could use the quick force carb 30 psi method for a day or two, but it can be very inconsistent, and result in over-carbed beer that's hard to get back to equillibrium with the 10-15 psi needed, thats built into the system. Once it's over-carbed, we start playing the up & down,vent the pressure game, trying to get it too pour right, without foaming allover, thats the excess dissolved CO2 coming out of solution, and coming to equillibrium with the only,10-15 psi of head pressure now being applied. This is why I prefer the set-and-forget method better, albeit, it takes 1-2 weeks to get a good carbonation level, in my opinion though. Hope that help's!! Cheers!!!
 
Setting this stuff up for different styles of beer gets to be a pita. I understand why most bars only change a few times a year.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top