I'm to the point where I just want to ask everyone how they set up their keg system so that they get the perfect pour. Line length: 8' Line ID (inner diameter): 3/16" Pressure: 8PSI Temperature of beer: 36F Height difference from CO2 to taps: ~2" Time it takes to pour a 16 oz pint: ~18 seconds I think this is slightly under carbed for most styles and the pour is slow. If I go over 10PSI I lose the whole thing and I pour 12 oz of foam to 4 oz of beer. I also notice a small air gap before the tap, as though the beer recedes back into the keg a little or deflates in the line. Please post your stats on your setup below.
The height of the CO2 has absolutely nothing to do with it. The pressure needs to be set using the temperature (calibrated thermometer on the second pour) and v/v of the beer, it is not one size fits all and needs to change for each beer accordingly. If you have gaps in the line I'd generally say you are too low, knowing you are at 8 psi I'd definately say you are. Do you regularly clean your gear and take apart the faucet and brush it?
Lift equals .45 pounds per foot. Round to 0.5 But its not the co2 rather the liquid lift. Measure from the middle of the keg to the faucet. Lift is fom the beer surface which varies from full to empty. Also, figure about 1 pound for all the other system crapola, coupler and shank. That is the industry technical term. Cheers
18 seconds for a pint sounds really slow. I'm usually around 2oz per second so see the above posts and maybe check back here with the liquid lift measure billandsuz mentioned.
I appreciate the advice and all but I'm going to be a dick and say that nobody actually posted how they run their systems. That's kind of how I wanted to see this thread play out. Post up, then feel free to make your comments.
10' lines, 3/16", sub 10 seconds with forward closing faucets, beer temp at 38, pressure set to the v/v.
that's the abbreviation for volume/volume and usually spoken as "vols". it varies from beer to beer. v/v in beer terms is the equivalent space of liquid/co2 gas. so 2.5 v/v means the equivalent of 2.5 times the gas occupying the same volume as the liquid beer. vols. is really just a fancy way of telling you how much dissolved CO2 should be in the beer. it is what we try to maintain as a constant from the brewery through the final pint. the applied pressure, that is, the pressure you set your regulator at, should provide required gas pressure in the head space above the liquid in the keg to equal the dissolved gas within the liquid that would otherwise equilibrate. got it? gas in liquid wants to equilibrate with the surrounding environment. so a glass of beer on the bar, in ordinary atmosphere, will release CO2 until it reaches the same amount of CO2 in the surrounding air. flat beer. beer in a closed keg will dissolve gas into the closed kegs headspace until it is balanced, that is to say the pressure above is equal to the pressure below. if some beer is removed, gas must be introduced to keep the pressure constant. so... once you figure out the vols, you reference the pressure required at the storage temperature (this is crucial), then you add additional pressure to overcome system resistance and get the beer through the system and into your glass. system resistance is of course dependent on each system, but is typically a fixed value. it's all really easy to be honest. Cheers.
4 taps, 7 or 8 ft lines. 35* set temp, usually pushing around 8-11psi depending on the beer. Forward sealing faucets and it takes me 10-11 seconds to fill an imperial pint glass. No foam with the exception of a little at first, probably due to the lines getting warm on top of the kegs.
1 tap, 7' 3/16" lines, standard tap and pressure set to v/v when I can get it, otherwise i guess using style guidelines.
Okay, I'll play. Line length: Depends on the PSIs I need to produce and balance CO2 Volumes at 39.4F Line ID (inner diameter): 3/16" Pressure: Depends on the desired volumes of CO2 (I carbonate to style) Temperature of beer: 39.4F Height difference from CO2 to taps: No idea. My faucets are 1.6 ft above center of kegs. Time it takes to pour a 16 oz pint: Haven't timed it. But nowhere near 18 seconds.
you're nuts. do you have your regulator calibrated by NASA too? you should also check your altimeter frequently to make sure you have compensated for elevation differential. well, I suppose it is good to be a little nuts with this stuff. Cheers.
39.4 is the average temperature, so that's what I use in the calculations I use to dial in. I could have said 39, but that would have been dishonest and I would have felt dirty. I will admit that it's probably been a year since I last measured the temp though...
