Thinking of replacing vinyl with some High Pressure silicone tubing instead. Anyone have experience with this? Does length need to change (I'm running 9' or so). I cant seem to find any resistance numbers online. See McMaster catalog number link below (5157k42) for what I'm thinking about. It's a bit expensive, might not have to buy any more. 3/16" is rated at 160 psi @ 72F. I've always detected a hint of 'plastic' taste from the vinyl. Will this impart any off flavors compared to vinyl (its peroxide cured vs platinum cured) https://www.mcmaster.com/#catalog/123/129/=16cprv4 Thanks!
I really like the Tygon 2475 Smooth-Flow tubing from McMaster Carr. It's high end stuff meant for medical gas tubing. Does not affect flavor one bit and seems pretty resistant to staining or beer stone. I'm not sure how it compares in price but I will say that I won't use anything else.
It's an expensive solution to what should be a non-existent problem. Are you using proper beverage-grade tubing or are did you buy your line at your local Home Depot clone? (there's a pretty huge difference, taste being one of the more annoying aspects of the hardware store stuff)
Local Homebrew Store. I've heard the same thing as you mention about buying tubing from the big box stores. Big no-no for beer line The owner was able to faintly detect it from a sample I poured into a Howler. Very faint. She's also curious if it's the batch of tubing I bought a while back that she had on hand. I might simply buy some more from her (maybe different 'lot' or better good grade supplier) It's also easier to detect I tell people to keep an 'eye' out for it. I just dont want to have to worry about it by going to Silicone, since i've heard great things, that is if you get it rated at the correct pressure.
Very faint is HUGE, IMO. If it's a thick wall, then it's probably beverage tubing, in which case, it sounds like maybe a bad batch, which would be more than a little disturbing. The problem with silicone, as you know, is the cost. And, since beer line tends to get replaced from time to time, that would be a recurring cost, assuming it's replaced with silicone. Since I'm not getting any discernible taste from vinyl, I'm not inclined to switch.
Are you planning on serving Supersonic Beer? I can see no need for high pressure anything in a keezer. I use silicone (standard) for beer gun/auto siphon for it's thinner sidewall . . . vinyl everywhere else. No noticeable difference in taste or performance. My experience is different vinyl lines end up with different resistance levels . . . probably the result of mfg process . . . so a little trail and error is in order for either vinyl or silicone. Amazon has silicone tubing (standard again) for prices similar to vinyl.
I've read horror stories on using thin wall silicone with low pressure ratings for pressurized beer lines during research. I don't know if it's a matter of silicone creepage or simply overshooting its yield strength at serving pressures.
Agree. The only way I'd switch is knowing that I could use the same silicone lines for a LOOOONG time compared to vinyl by a factor of 10 or more. Might be a good experiment nonetheless for the 'greater good', if you will. My wallet, on the other hand, fully disagrees with this route.
Silicon tubing is not used in draft beer systems for beverage dispense, not anywhere by anyone who knows. There is no benefit but there are some reasons not to use silicon tubing. Silicon tubing is used for high temperature uses, so it does have a place in beverage dispensing. It is also sometimes used for gas if it is braided. Silicon can be used if you really want, it's not an issue of flavor, it is flavor neutral. But why do you need to use anything other than quality beverage grade Vinyl choker? It's not intended for use in a kegerators, and you are really being too clever for here. Draft beer tubing comes in a few varieties. For direct draw systems (kegerators) you use 3/16" ID beverage vinyl exclusively. The line resistance is important, most often referenced as 3.0 psi/ft. It is really more like 2.2 psi/ft. these days. If you want to use a different tubing you will find it very difficult to get the system balanced, and you will just be creating headaches for no good reason. Long draw systems use barrier tubing, which is a PVC free variety and designed to provide very low resistance. The barrier refers to the oxygen permeability properties. Barrier tubing is also semi rigid. The low resistance helps to prevent the build-up of organic and non-organic materials. Traditional 3/16" ID PVC choker is still used at the end of the barrier tubing though, because I provides the required. resistance. Finally, we are getting 100' rolls of 3/16" wholesale for $40. Now you can't get wholesale but that is cheap. Compare that to silicon at $500 per 100' roll. No brainer here. Retail is no different. Save your money. Cheers.
@billandsuz You've convinced me. I'm going to assume I bought a bad batch of tubing which sent me into this tizzy. Thanks!
Then use thick wall . . . Amazon carries thin, med, thick (all diameters). For a beer gun at 3 psi thin is preferred. Sidewalls on my 1/2" lines used for hot wort transfer are massively thick . . . at least as thick as my girlfriends' dildo.
I suggest this a lot, but only because I have had not a single issue... Go with flow control faucets, guest fittings and bev seal tubing. I run lines from 1-2' on average , no foaming issues. Why people deal with 5-10ft long lines, balancing, etc... Is beyond me when we have flow control available! They are amazing. Just my ramble! Haha
If you like flow controls, great. But they are not a substitute for a balanced system. Note they are virtually absent from commercial settings. And when they are employed it is for growler fills or because the bar owner is too proud to hire a professional. If you need controls to fix what's broken, you should just get it right the first time and make your system work properly. And they are quite a bit more expensive than any other faucet design. Same for silicone. Very expensive solution looking for a problem. That is why people are dealing with 7' of choker. It's not really a big deal to do it right. Cheers.
Abscent from commercial settings? Fat Heads has them here along with a few other Cleveland breweries. I see them all the time when at breweries. Not a replacement for a balanced system? How is it not? I don't get your logic here. It works and works well, not requiring proper line lengths to balance for the carbonation of the beer. Anyway, was just my suggestion for eliminating flavors and line balancing hassles. For me, with beers from 2.0 to 3.0 volumes, I can slightly adjust the flow control and all is perfect... no line swaps required and my beer line length is only as long as required to reach from the keg to the faucet... Minimal amount of beer sits in the lines and my keezer is loaded up with line everywhere.
Nope. I have installed hundreds of faucets. Bid on thousands. I'm just telling you, and really, be honest with yourself. If you know of 1 place with flow controls you have seen 100 more without them. Without getting into a long discussion, flow control faucets do a mediocre job of reducing the turbulence in the glass. We discussed this a bit here... https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/beer-line-length-for-balancing-kegerator.468402/ If you like them that is great, but anyone with a draft system should know the basics of line balancing. It is very easy. Flow control faucets are expensive, they have more parts to clean. They are not very popular at all and for good reason. They are popular with homeowners, who have money but not the time to understand basic system design. I mean, you like them, great. They have a purpose. But they are not a magic bullet and no way are they a substitute for balancing a system with the proper temp/pressure/resistance. A balanced system is beautiful. Even with the flow controls you don't know what you are missing. Fix the system and then the controls will really work better, giving you 2 minute pints with no velocity. Or foam. Cheers.
