Noobie Keezer Build

Welcome.

Answer: Depends. You have the cart before the horse though.


System Balance, 101. Should be a friggin FAQ. But here goes.

You need three things to balance your system.
1 Temperature
2 Desired vols of CO2
3 System resistance (or restriction if you prefer)
All are variable to a certain degree.

Balance is when the gas pressure is applied at the rate needed to maintain the dissolved CO2 concentration in the keg of beer while also having enough extra "push" to overcome system resistance. System resistance is the summary of hardware- tubing, shank, coupler, faucet - that contribute resistance.

Temperature is important because more gas dissolves in cold liquid than warm liquid, all things being equal.

After you determine the applied pressure for the set temperature, based on the amount of dissolved CO2 you want to maintain in your beer (known as vols and available from the brewery/distributor) you install the proper amount of line to bring the rate of pour under control.

Line length is used to increase or decrease the velocity of the pour. Nothing else. The length is determined after you have selected your CO2 pressure based on the temperature. You will be using 3/16" ID beverage line, which applies approximately 2.8 lb/ft of resistance.

BUT don't sweat it. 4 to 5 feet of 3/16" beverage line, 10 to 12 psi. 38 degrees. You want slower pours? Go to 8 or 9 feet. Less than 3 feet is a bad idea. 38 is ideal. 42, ok. much more and you are asking for headaches and foam.
Go with that. It will work fine.

Cheers.

 

not stupid questions at all. like most things technical, got to learn at some point. it isn't intuitive at all.

cut the line in half. in a few weeks when you need to clean (you know about line cleaning, right?) you will have a back up.

in fact, get yourself 50 feet and just toss the old line every few weeks if you like. hand clean the hardware.
Cheers.

 

In addition to @billandsuz good advice I will recommend you stock up on some extras before you have a keg of beer hooked up:

1. Beer Line: Get extra, you may get by with 5 feet, but get 20+' and if(when) you change styles you're not running back to the store. There is nothing wrong with having a 5, 8, and 10 footer laying around. I keep extra CO2 line just in case.
2. Washers/gaskets: All those fittings have o-rings, nylon gaskets, etc, that will gradually wear out . . . keep 'em in stock.
3. BLC: You will be cleaning your beer line regularly, go ahead and get a big 'un.
4. Faucet Wrench: I was sure I could get by without, aggravation not worth the savings so toss one in the cart
5. Line Cutter: Again, positive I could get by without, but see "aggravation" in #4
6. Stainless Steel: Upgrade your shanks/tailpiece, life is too short to live with chrome . . . with ss they'll still be pouring at your wake.
7. Coupler: Not familiar with commercial couplers, but don't go cheap here. It looks like the photo has a "barb" fitting, if a flare is available it will make line-changing easier (will defer to anyone with Sanke experience)
8. Burn your receipts as quick as you get them . . . keeps the mind at rest.

Search this forum for info on "balancing" and "leaks" before you have beer at risk. Here's a good starting point.

Welcome to the world of pressurizing beer.

 

Best advice, ever...

 

You've got wood.

 

Don't know how to tell you this . . . but while you were setting up the camera some thief took all but one of your faucets!

On a serious note . . . is that a water resistant type wood (can't tell from photo)? Pretty sure you know, but if not this will require some serious sealing before going into service. How many kegs will you be chillin'?

 

i thought the same thing. that is one lonely faucet. or one big keezer. either way she needs expansion.

so soon, yes.
so soon.
Cheers.

 

You aren't building a humidor but you will find the keezer environment is very humid to the point you will have water in the bottom of it. You will need to invest in some damp rid and occasionally wipe down with a bleach solution.

 

For when your thirsty friends drop by :