Which regulator?

[Robert McCoy]

just getting started with the whole kegerator thing. I bought a used Haier kegerator. It has a single gauge regulator on it. Do I need to upgrade to a dual gauge. Pardon my ignorance.
Who makes a good dependable regulator? I looked a little on Amazon. With the mix of reviews it's hard to make a choice.

 

[OG-wan Kenobi]

Who makes a good dependable regulator? Taprite

Do I need to upgrade to a dual gauge - No

Pardon my ignorance. - we all start at square 1

 

[Rev2010]

Yep, Taprite.

 

[wepeeler]

Taprite, like the guys posted above.

Just picked up a dual myself, on sale: https://beveragelements.com/product-category/gas-cylinders-regulators/gas-regulators/

Although morebeer has free shipping, so they'd be cheaper: https://www.morebeer.com/search?search=regulator

 

[Robert McCoy]

When you intend to keg the beer instead of bottling it, does it go immediately into the keg after brewing? Or do you put it in a carboy as with bottling?

 

[BrewingAroundtheRrealm]

I have a preference for Micro Matic regulators.

 

[Smellyglove]

..and I wouldn't swap out my HIWI's..

 

[Rev2010]

When you intend to keg the beer instead of bottling it, does it go immediately into the keg after brewing? Or do you put it in a carboy as with bottling?

You keg it same time as when you would bottle it. It just all goes into one keg instead of dozens of bottles.


Rev.

 

[ApolloSimcoe]

Getting into a keezer soon. What is the benefit of a dual regulator at the tank as opposed to a secondary regulator where you can control each keg individually? Is it all just dependent on the number of kegs you want?
thanks!

 

[Smellyglove]

Getting into a keezer soon. What is the benefit of a dual regulator at the tank as opposed to a secondary regulator where you can control each keg individually? Is it all just dependent on the number of kegs you want?
thanks!

Just to make clear, just in case.. dual regulator is two regulators, there's also regulators which has dual outputs, but just one regulator..

If you have a dual regulator on your flask, and it's sitting outside the kegerator, you'd need to run two lines of gas into the kegerator. If have a single regulator on the outside, and want different pressure to kegs inside, you can do some secondaries inside the kegerator so you run just one gas line into the kegerator, and distribute from the secondaries inside the kegerator.

I have one single main regulator, and a line of 4x secondaries mounted on the outside of the kegerator door, and run the lines from the secondaries inside through the door.

 

[ApolloSimcoe]

Hopefully this isnt hijacking the thread but will give Robert additional info.

I was thinking this:

https://www.morebeer.com/products/co2-regulator-taprite-dual-gauge.html

with this to regulate my three kegs individually

https://www.morebeer.com/products/secondary-regulator-3.html

 

[grampamark]

Getting into a keezer soon. What is the benefit of a dual regulator at the tank as opposed to a secondary regulator where you can control each keg individually? Is it all just dependent on the number of kegs you want?
thanks!

The "dual" regulator is actually a single regulator with a second gauge which shows the pressure in the Co2 bottle. As the liquid is vaporized and distributed through the system the pressure (and thus, the volume of liquid) in the bottle goes down. The second gauge gives you an indication of how much gas you have remaining.

If you want to individually regulate pressure to multiple kegs you add additional regulators downstream.

 

[Smellyglove]

The "dual" regulator is actually a single regulator with a second gauge which shows the pressure in the Co2 bottle. As the liquid is vaporized and distributed through the system the pressure (and thus, the volume of liquid) in the bottle goes down. The second gauge gives you an indication of how much gas you have remaining.

If you want to individually regulate pressure to multiple kegs you add additional regulators downstream.

I think you're mixing here... Most "regular/single" regulators have both low pressure side and high pressure side manometers/gauges / "dual gauge". It's still just one regulator. Dual Regulator= two regulators, like this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0060NOX40/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Dual Regulator = Like link just above
Dual Output Regulator / Regulator with two outputs = One regulator, but two outputs with the same pressure (the output is splitted)
Dual Gauge = One regulator, two gauges, one for HP side, and one for LP side.

 

[grampamark]

I think you're mixing here... Most "regular/single" regulators have both low pressure side and high pressure side manometers/gauges / "dual gauge". It's still just one regulator. Dual Regulator= two regulators, like this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0060NOX40/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Single gauge (output pressure only) aren't uncommon. I've heard many people refer to dual gauge (tank and output pressure) regulators as "dual" simply because there are two gauges.

I was trying to clarify the difference but, perhaps, only created more confusion.

 

[ApolloSimcoe]

The "dual" regulator is actually a single regulator with a second gauge which shows the pressure in the Co2 bottle. As the liquid is vaporized and distributed through the system the pressure (and thus, the volume of liquid) in the bottle goes down. The second gauge gives you an indication of how much gas you have remaining.

We are miscommunicating here. I understand the single vs the double and what the regulator does. I understand that one gauge is for the remaining pressure in the tank. I already own a single regulator.

The links I provided were merely to show how I was thinking of setting up my system when I do. The question is is it best case scenario or is there a better way of doing it?

 

[Smellyglove]

We are miscommunicating here. I understand the single vs the double and what the regulator does. I understand that one gauge is for the remaining pressure in the tank. I already own a single regulator.

The links I provided were merely to show how I was thinking of setting up my system when I do. The question is is it best case scenario or is there a better way of doing it?

That's the right way.

 

[ApolloSimcoe]

So would the pressure at the tank regulator be set at the highest dispensing keg pressure that you choose and the others dialed down from there? Hope that makes sense

 

[Smellyglove]

So would the pressure at the tank regulator be set at the highest dispensing keg pressure that you choose and the others dialed down from there? Hope that makes sense

I have it that way, but I don't know if you need to. I only have it that way because I have a split at my primary so I can burst carb kegs and also use it for my counter pressure filler. You should also do some research if the regulators are of a good enough quality to dispense the set pressure with a low incoming pressure correctly. I know that some type of regulators are not up to the task 100% because of quality.

Edit: Ah I misread. I meant that I have the primary set to a random high pressure. But yes, you need to have a higher or equal pressure on the primary, as the highest you'll be running the secondaries at.

 

[ApolloSimcoe]

The secondary 4-way is what I meant to post as I may go with the beer gun in the future and want to have that as an option should I ever need it. Is that do-able or should I buy a dual regulator as a primary for beer gun purposes? I don't mind buying a primary dual regulator if I have too. Just looking to save $$ where i can.

 

[Smellyglove]

The secondary 4-way is what I meant to post as I may go with the beer gun in the future and want to have that as an option should I ever need it. Is that do-able or should I buy a dual regulator as a primary for beer gun purposes? I don't mind buying a primary dual regulator if I have too. Just looking to save $$ where i can.

You can do it cheaper. This is how I've built my setup, they key is 2-way manifold..

Flask outside of kegerator, meaning saving space and some hassle..
Primary regulator goes into a 2-way manifold with on/off on both outputs. One output is for burst carbing/counter pressure filling, so I don't have to deal with running gas to my counter pressure filler from inside the kegerator, it gets its gas from the outside, straight from the flask.

Second line of the 2-way manifold is run to the 4x secondaries.

You'll save the difference between a manifold and a 4th secondary regulator, even though it's not that much, but the setup is handy, to have a "high pressure" gas source on the outside of the kegerator.

On this line I've connected just a short hose, with QD. Then I have different hoses with QD's I can connect to this line. For example jjust one long hose (extender), and one short hose with a white ball-lock, and one stand alone cheapo-regulator with hose with QD in/out I use to push starsan between kegs.

So I can connect a ball lock to this line, and I can connect a regulator + ball lock to this line, and i also have QD on my gasline for my counter pressure filler and this connects to this line as well, as everhthing is with QD's. Extremely versatile, without having to go inside the kegerator to get gas.

 

[ApolloSimcoe]

would you mind posting pics of that or is there already a thread with your set up...you lost me a bit. Working here and not 100% focused on either thing

 

[Smellyglove]

would you mind posting pics of that or is there already a thread with your set up...you lost me a bit. Working here and not 100% focused on either thing

After reading my own post I figured you'd ask

****** pics but you get the idea. And before anyone asks, the kegerator is empty, so the secondaries are just at random strange pressures atm.

 

[Smellyglove]

Second pic of the stuff:

 

[Smellyglove]

Another try..

 

[Smellyglove]

Arrgh.. file size to big.

 

[ApolloSimcoe]

I like it because i already have the two way manifold.

Extremely versatile, without having to go inside the kegerator to get gas.

But don't you still have to go inside your kegerator to get to the beer? Are you using the beer gun to fill bottles to travel and/or fill bottles to empty an existing keg to make way for a fresh keg? Or are you just using it to bottle beer from a keg that never makes it into the kergerator?

 

[Rev2010]

The links I provided were merely to show how I was thinking of setting up my system when I do. The question is is it best case scenario or is there a better way of doing it?

Yes, that is exactly how you do it. That is what I used to have. You set the main regulator to about 5psi above the max PSI you will use. Since I burst carb at 30psi I set the main regulator to 35psi and leave it there. The main out flows gas into the secondary 3-product regulator. From there you set the PSI for each keg individually.


Rev.