Best way to Keg??

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by larstheberserk, Mar 28, 2013.

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  1. epk

    epk Pundit (813) Jun 10, 2008 New Jersey

    Perhaps they see the picnic tap as a temporary measure in which case you could probably turn the PSI way down just to have the beer flowing? No idea really, I have a picnic tap going for when I have more than one beer in the kegerator (as I have not took the plunge to upgrade the tower just yet) but even that is maybe 2.5-3 ft. Suppose the beer is a little more foamy, but it gets the job done.
     
  2. jlordi12

    jlordi12 Pooh-Bah (1,844) Jun 8, 2011 Massachusetts
    Pooh-Bah Society

    This method has worked for me too , but with 48 hours at 30.
     
  3. epk

    epk Pundit (813) Jun 10, 2008 New Jersey

    So apprarently I'm bad at estimating lengths...

    My picnic tap line is 5 ft. and my kegerator line is around 6 ft. Yes, I broke out the tape measure.
     
    kneary13 likes this.
  4. mikehartigan

    mikehartigan Maven (1,397) Apr 9, 2007 Illinois

    And there you have it! :wink: The length of the gas line is irrelevant. The beer line is not. 5-6 feet is in the ballpark of where you need to be. There are a few good links above that will help you with that. If you don't like reading, math, and stuff, then just set it to 38F, 11psi, and 6' x 3/16" beer line. That's close enough.

    I'm kind of a hybrid guy (though I drive a Hummer :slight_smile:). I do 'set it and forget it', but I seal the keg with about 60psi and put it away for a week or so. When I'm ready for it (when a keg kicks and frees up a spot in the kegerator), I chill it, hook it up, and serve. The carbonation level will take a day or two to correct itself, but it's usually close enough at that point to drink.
     
  5. jmich24

    jmich24 Initiate (0) Jan 28, 2010 Michigan

    My process: Cold crash beer after fermentation, purge the keg with CO2 before racking to keg. Set pressure to 30 PSI for 24 hours, drop to 20 PSI for 24 hours, then to serving pressure 10-12 for a few days. I do not ever purge (wouldn't want to waste the hop aromatics I work so hard to achieve) or shake the keg. Works well.
     
  6. axeman9182

    axeman9182 Initiate (0) Aug 5, 2009 New Jersey

    I may or may not cold crash the beer depending on style first. After racking the beer into the keg I set to 30 psi for 24 hours or so, and then drop it down to serving temperature. Usually I'm pouring beer four days after kegging.
     
  7. larstheberserk

    larstheberserk Initiate (0) Sep 4, 2010 California

    Tried the longer length hose (6 ft) last night and didn't really change anything... still lots o foam and pressure! Although I had to stick with 1/4" inch hose because 3/16" would not fit the faucet I have... do you think that 3/16" is definitely key?
     
  8. larstheberserk

    larstheberserk Initiate (0) Sep 4, 2010 California

    ... and serving pressure is still set to 8 psi for those who were about to ask...
     
  9. Hands22

    Hands22 Initiate (0) Oct 14, 2011 Florida

    What type of shank and faucet are you using (manufacturer)? How high above the keg is it mounted?
     
  10. larstheberserk

    larstheberserk Initiate (0) Sep 4, 2010 California

    It's just the basic black plastic ball-lock shank and faucet... not mounted to anything...
     
  11. larstheberserk

    larstheberserk Initiate (0) Sep 4, 2010 California

  12. larstheberserk

    larstheberserk Initiate (0) Sep 4, 2010 California

    With this 24 hr 30psi method, do you just let it sit? or when you 1st hook up the co2 do you do the rolling method for ~10 mins until gurgling stops?
     
  13. BumpkinBrewer

    BumpkinBrewer Pundit (993) Jan 6, 2010 Massachusetts

    No need to roll it. Set to 30psi and, the keg will come up to pressure, and then leave it alone for 24hrs. This is also a good time to check for leaks and what not.
     
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  14. Hands22

    Hands22 Initiate (0) Oct 14, 2011 Florida

    The cobra tap has a lot less resistance than a standard shank/faucet, and running the numbers shows your line is long enough (even with 3/16" tubing). Is the beer in the line foamy when you're pouring, or does it not foam until it comes out of the tap? The only two things I can think of are dirty/clogged cobra tap (or possibly ball lock fitting) or over-carbonation.
     
  15. larstheberserk

    larstheberserk Initiate (0) Sep 4, 2010 California

    it doesn't foam until it comes out of the faucet... you think just lower serving pressure? right now it's 8psi... how low do you suggest?
     
  16. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,043) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society

    The difference in resistance between 3/16 and 1/4, and thus the line length needed to balance, is significant. There are charts that will show that.
     
  17. Hands22

    Hands22 Initiate (0) Oct 14, 2011 Florida

    Have you cleaned the cobra tap recently? Beer stone can agitate the flow and knock co2 out of solution (cause foam). I wouldn't go lower than 8 psi for general serving with your set up or the beer will lose carbonation as the keg empties. Try carbonating your next keg as people have stated above and see if that helps.
     
  18. JebediahScooter

    JebediahScooter Initiate (0) Sep 5, 2010 Vermont

    If I intend to kick the keg in one shot over a few hours (like at a big party), can I serve at a lower pressure to save gas and be able to use a shorter/more portable cobra tap setup? The equalization of co2 in the keg that you're talking about (effectively lowering the beer's level of carbonization) would take several days, correct?
     
  19. larstheberserk

    larstheberserk Initiate (0) Sep 4, 2010 California

    The cobra tap is only a couple months old and I clean it between every batch, so that shouldnt be an issue... I will try the kegging method that you and others suggested (cold crashing + 30psi for 24 hrs) next time and see what happens! :slight_smile:
     
  20. larstheberserk

    larstheberserk Initiate (0) Sep 4, 2010 California

    Just made some calculations based on formula from this page: http://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/0...our-kegged-beer-co2-line-length-and-pressure/

    Length = {Pressure - (Height x .5) - 1} / Resistance

    Resistance values:
    3/8" ID plastic line = .11
    1/4" ID plastic line = .7
    3/16" ID plastic line = 2.7

    For my keg set up, given a serving pressure of 8 psi and height of 1 ft (middle of keg to cobra faucet), hose length should be as follows:

    3/8" = 59 ft
    1/4" = 9 ft
    3/16" = 2.5 ft

    Crazy what a resistance difference there is! I'm going to double check the hose diameter I just installed... thought it was 1/4" just by looking at it but could very well be 3/8"... in which case I should have put on almost 60ft of line! lol
     
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