conrney keg issue

[Hopinator]

Glad I have this forum for all my beer related issues.

I have kegged my first beer (bottling is tedious) I built a bar and have a beer tower with flow adjustable taps,
my fridge is very cold and I have cold water running into my tower to keep the lines cold. I have 2 meters of beer line 3/8 diameter.

I belive I may have overcarbed 40psi and shook the keg then dropped to serving psi of 10.

but there is aload of foam and flat beer, is the issue my set up or over carbing?

it was racked and carbed on friday,

 

[-Bezza-]

I built a bar

Pictures or it didn't happen.

 

[Hopinator]

Fair point here she is

 

[BeerCat]

I had this problem when i first kegged. cant remember exactly what the problem was but i think there was too much pressure so i vented and i reduced the length of the serving line to 2m (3/16"). I keep mine beetwen 15 and 20psi.

 

[reddibaggie]

Time is a healer again. I’m a fridge set at 7 degrees. 30psi for 4 days drop it to 10 for serving. I have two taps one 3/8 and the other one 5/16 both with 5 foot of pipe. Perfect every time.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi!
I opted for 3/16 beer line as I would need an impractical length of 3/8 line for my set-up, whereas about 2 metres of 3/16 does the job well.
Have you tried using an online beer line length calculator?
3/8 line has a resistance of 0.11psi/ft
3/16 line has a resistance of 2.7psi/ft (both figures from Brewer's Friend).
Using a simplified formula for calculating beer line length, assuming serving pressure is 10psi:
3/8: (10-1)/0.11= 82ft of line
3/16: (10-1)/2.7 = 3.3ft of beer line

 

[Hopinator]

Hi Thanks for all your help. I've disconnected the keg from the gas for the time and pulled a pint with just the keg pressure, a bit better but still foamy,

I though prob wrong that having flow adjustable taps meant that I didn't need a huge amount of beer line, if this isn't the case should i add a length of 3/16 pipe

 

[Bigcol49]

I though prob wrong that having flow adjustable taps meant that I didn't need a huge amount of beer line, if this isn't the case should i add a length of 3/16 pipe

Hi!
I missed that part of your original post.
I have no experience of flow control taps - have you got them adjusted to the minimum flow possible?

 

[Graz]

Funny that this has come up as it was a question I was going to ask: If you have flow control taps does this alleviate the need for long lengths of 3/16 beer line?

Deciding what to buy for my kegerator and like the look of these https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/product/intertap-forward-sealing-stainless-steel-tap-flow-control/ but didn't know if having taps with flow control is worth the extra money and that if you have them do you just run how ever much 3/8 line you need to connect them to the keg? That said I'm guessing you could just run some 3/16 anyway to drop most of the pressure and then just use the adjuster on the tap for fine control?

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi!
I've just done some research online, and the general opinion is that flow control taps work best on a properly balanced system, i.e. they shouldn't be used as an alternative to balancing.
3/16 line does give a slow(ish) pour - I don't know whether flow control taps will improve that.

 

[Hopinator]

Hi Big col, I'm always learning, it looks like I might be best getting 2 meters of 3/16 beer line then to help balance the system, I can slow the pour right down but its still foamy. the pipe in the tower is 3/16.

Ill get it ordered as its cheap enough and report back.

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi Big col, I'm always learning, it looks like I might be best getting 2 meters of 3/16 beer line then to help balance the system, I can slow the pour right down but its still foamy. the pipe in the tower is 3/16.
Ill get it ordered as its cheap enough and report back.

Hi!
My keg has 3/8 JG push-fits, so I had to buy a JG reducer to use 3/16 line.
One technique for getting the right line length is to fit the line and pull some beer. If the flow is very weak, trim about 10cm from the line and try again. Keep doing this until you get your perfect pour.
According to one US forum you should be aiming at 12 seconds to pull a pint of beer - this is slower than you'd get in pubs.

 

[Hopinator]

I've already got some 3/16 reducers as the pipe going into my tower is stainless steel 3/16 pipe, Id prob want to drop some length off the 3/8 as I don't think 1m or 2m of 3/8 will make much difference. I think looking at prob the same info online as you that the flow control is there to perfect the flow from having different style of beers.

with my flow control fully open it is a fast pour so some smaller diameter line should help.

 

[foxbat]

Hi!
I opted for 3/16 beer line as I would need an impractical length of 3/8 line for my set-up, whereas about 2 metres of 3/16 does the job well.
Have you tried using an online beer line length calculator?
3/8 line has a resistance of 0.11psi/ft
3/16 line has a resistance of 2.7psi/ft (both figures from Brewer's Friend).
Using a simplified formula for calculating beer line length, assuming serving pressure is 10psi:
3/8: (10-1)/0.11= 82ft of line
3/16: (10-1)/2.7 = 3.3ft of beer line

Did you buy 3/16 OD or ID? The brewer's friend value of 2.7 is for 3/16 ID but everything I've seen on ebay is 3/16 OD.

 

[Graz]

Hi!
I've just done some research online, and the general opinion is that flow control taps work best on a properly balanced system, i.e. they shouldn't be used as an alternative to balancing.
3/16 line does give a slow(ish) pour - I don't know whether flow control taps will improve that.

Thanks, good to know, so now wondering if it's really worth the extra spend on flow control taps, on the on hand they might be useful, and we all like extra gizmos to meddle with, but they're £15 more (and that's £45 on a three tap setup), and more seals and other stuff to go wrong. It's going to be a progressive build for me anyway so maybe I'll buy one to start off with but if I find I always leave the flow control fully open then I'll stick with normal ones for the other taps.

 

[bigbud78]

I use flow control taps and the length of the pipe doesnt really matter, other than the fact it slows your pour down if its really foamy.

OP how long did you leave it at 40psi ? it doesnt sound like the beer is yet carbonated. There are a few ways to do it, but I personally turn up the pressure to 35psi for 24 hours then drop to 12psi. Its then drinkable but it really comes good after a week or two.

I do not like the rocking method as its difficult to gauge how much co2 is in your beer, I have over carbonated by accident before and it ruined it all. Ensure you only have the kegs you want to fast carb connected or you will over carb the other too.

 

[Bigcol49]

Did you buy 3/16 OD or ID? The brewer's friend value of 2.7 is for 3/16 ID but everything I've seen on ebay is 3/16 OD.

Hi!
Well spotted @foxbat
You must have eyes like a sh*thouse spider! (as they say round here)
My line is 3/16 OD, 3mm ID (labelled as 0.117").
I tried the new ID in a US beer line calculator and it suggested 1.26 feet!
Back to the drawing board!
[EDIT] I've tried online to find out the resistance of my 3/16 OD line without success.
I plotted the values from Brewer's Friend to get a curve which, if extended, gets an interpolated figure of about 5.4psi per foot. This is pure guessology, however.

 

[Hopinator]

It was only left at 40psi while i rocked it (my next beer ill do as you've suggested) ive vented it a few times as i thought it my be over carbed.

its my first attempt and really wanted to pull a pint out of it as soon as possible, Ive had a few pints out of it and its glorious.

Hopefully the advice here 2m of 3/16 and 35psi for 24hrs and 12psi after will sort the 2nd keg out that should be ready in 2 weeks.

 

[Bigcol49]

Hopefully the advice here 2m of 3/16 and 35psi for 24hrs and 12psi after will sort the 2nd keg out that should be ready in 2 weeks

Hi!
For my last beer, I used a carbonation chart to determine the temperature and pressure settings, then used the set and forget method - put the keg in the fridge, set the pressure and left it for a week - some recommend two weeks, but mine was just right after 1 week.

 

[Hopinator]

Hi!
For my last beer, I used a carbonation chart to determine the temperature and pressure settings, then used the set and forget method - put the keg in the fridge, set the pressure and left it for a week - some recommend two weeks, but mine was just right after 1 week.

I think that's the best option to reduce issues, if this keg last at least ill have a crossover