It's Kegging Time 2023

[Malter White]

1 hour ago, category 5 said:

Cheers - I have just paid for one small one for soda water, see how it goes.

You know what? It's probably ideal for soda because it won't leave odour and sediment, so you won't need too hot water to keep it clean.
I'm not familiar with "small ones". Mine are the 20l Keg King model from Beerco. They were $50 each. I'll do a google and check out smaller versions.

[Shamus O'Sean]

9 hours ago, category 5 said:

Anyone use PET kegs?

I struggled with the brown coloured 8L Kegland ones.  I lost a bottle of CO2 on one.  I could not stop leaks.  I do not use them any more.

I got two of the clear 10L Keg King Fermenter King Junior fermenters to use as small kegs.  I have used these a few times with beer, with great success.  You can also get them in a grey colour.

On your earlier beer line question, I reckon my 4mm ID lines are about 2.5m long.  I run them around 10-12psi.

[Back Brewing]

16 hours ago, category 5 said:

Nice one @Classic Brewing Co

 

 

Question for all - keg set up time again.
How much beer line????

Yep I agree with @Shamus O'Sean beer line inside ID 4mm it was a typo I use ID 5mm for gas line

[Malter White]

8 hours ago, Shamus O'Sean said:

I struggled with the brown coloured 8L Kegland ones.  I lost a bottle of CO2 on one.  I could not stop leaks.  I do not use them any more.

I also have about 10 x 8l Kegland kegs that never get used any more. They were dirt cheap if you bought 10. My problem with them being they are too small for my consumption levels. I was finding I was emptying one keg before the next one was fully carbonated. Rather than getting more gas lines/manifolds etc. I simply went to larger kegs. Everything's running fairly smoothly now.
I also lost a tank of CO2 but I can't remember if it was the plastic keg or if my connections weren't very good.
 

[Shamus O'Sean]

23 minutes ago, Malter White said:

my connections weren't very good

That could have been part of my issue.  I use push in fittings, that are less forgiving than crimped/clamped connections, if the line is not well aligned.

[Malter White]

21 minutes ago, Shamus O'Sean said:

  I use push in fittings, that are less forgiving than crimped/clamped connections, if the line is not well aligned.

Same.

[ben 10]

Thanks all, looking back at my purchase when I set it up I used 6mm ID for gas and 5mm ID for beer.

[Pale Man]

AG Hefeweizen. Kegging a bit later than hoped. Might put some extra gas on the keg to have a few tasters for New Years Eve.

 

[Pale Man]

I'm throwing all advice I've ever had now with my gassing and kegging out the window.

Ive got 5mm inside diameter beer line. Always been around 4 metres.

Ive always gassed at 12 psi over a week, and is always under carbed.

So........I'm cutting my beer line down to 3.5 metres.

And I'm going to gas at 20 psi for a week or so then serve at 12 psi.

What can go wrong?

[Pale Man]

On 12/27/2023 at 12:06 PM, Back Brewing said:

If your beer line is 5mm ID it's probably going to be between 3 and 2.5 mtrs that's assuming your serving pressure is 12psi

I'm taking this on board too. I thought that length would be too short with inside diameter of 5mm.

But maybe not

 

Edited December 28, 2023 by Pale Man

[iBooz2]

5 minutes ago, Pale Man said:

I'm throwing all advice I've ever had now with my gassing and kegging out the window.

Ive got 5mm inside diameter beer line. Always been around 4 metres.

Ive always gassed at 12 psi over a week, and is always under carbed.

So........I'm cutting my beer line down to 3.5 metres.

And I'm going to gas at 20 psi for a week or so then serve at 12 psi.

What can go wrong?

On the Keezer I run 4 mm ID beer lines to my Pluto guns and have a 1-way check valve in the main regulator gas line and then it goes to a 4-way distribution manifold (each tap in that also has a check valve) so I need to run my Keezer system at just under 20 PSI from my regulator to get a good pour and carbing up.  Gas lines are all 5 mm ID.

On my other fridge with two taps, it also has a 1-way check valve in main gas line but no manifold just a two-way splitter to feed two kegs with CO2.  Beer line is 4 mm ID and gas line is 5 mm ID.  I have two FC taps connected to this fridge and run it at about 15 PSI to get a good pour and carbing up.

 

[Classic Brewing Co]

1 hour ago, Pale Man said:

AG Hefeweizen. Kegging a bit later than hoped. Might put some extra gas on the keg to have a few tasters for New Years Eve.

 

Sounds like a good brew Paley, I might pop around for a taste. 

[Pale Man]

2 minutes ago, Classic Brewing Co said:

Sounds like a good brew Paley, I might pop around for a taste. 

Any bloody time my man.

[kmar92]

9 minutes ago, Pale Man said:

I'm throwing all advice I've ever had now with my gassing and kegging out the window.

Ive got 5mm inside diameter beer line. Always been around 4 metres.

Ive always gassed at 12 psi over a week, and is always under carbed.

So........I'm cutting my beer line down to 3.5 metres.

And I'm going to gas at 20 psi for a week or so then serve at 12 psi.

What can go wrong?

@Pale Man the length of your beer line (liquid line) will not have any effect on the carbonation of the beer, the length will only affect the pour of the beer. The shorter the liquid line the more of a frothy pour you will get.

So if your beer is under carbonated then either increase the gas pressure or the time it is under pressure, or a combination of both. 20 psi for a week will probably over carbonate, but it is all trial and error for your particular set up. I personally use the 40:20 rule, 40 psi for 20 hours and that usually results in a good level of carbonation.

[Pale Man]

5 minutes ago, iBooz2 said:

On the Keezer I run 4 mm ID beer lines to my Pluto guns and have a 1-way check valve in the main regulator gas line and then it goes to a 4-way distribution manifold (each tap in that also has a check valve) so I need to run my Keezer system at just under 20 PSI from my regulator to get a good pour and carbing up.  Gas lines are all 5 mm ID.

On my other fridge with two taps, it also has a 1-way check valve in main gas line but no manifold just a two-way splitter to feed two kegs with CO2.  Beer line is 4 mm ID and gas line is 5 mm ID.  I have two FC taps connected to this fridge and run it at about 15 PSI to get a good pour and carbing up.

 

My gas line is 5mm inside, and about 2 metres long. I didnt think it mattered, but now thinking about it, It could

[Pale Man]

1 minute ago, kmar92 said:

@Pale Man the length of your beer line (liquid line) will not have any effect on the carbonation of the beer, the length will only affect the pour of the beer. The shorter the liquid line the more of a frothy pour you will get.

I understand that @kmar92.............My beers using my method pour beautifully. Nice lacing head, buuuuut, they dont seem to have that bubble that a good pub pour delivers.

A nice fully carbed beer like Coopers Sparkling ( without a frothy head ) is what I'm chasing.

[kmar92]

7 minutes ago, Pale Man said:

I understand that @kmar92.............My beers using my method pour beautifully. Nice lacing head, buuuuut, they dont seem to have that bubble that a good pub pour delivers.

A nice fully carbed beer like Coopers Sparkling ( without a frothy head ) is what I'm chasing.

OK, but changing the gas line length of a 5mm line will have no effect, if there is 20psi at the start of the gas line there will be 20 psi at the end of the gas line regardless of the length. If your beers pour OK but then you are not happy with the bubbles then it is a carbonation problem, so as I said more gas pressure or more time under pressure or a combination of both.

[Pale Man]

9 minutes ago, Pale Man said:

I understand that @kmar92.............My beers using my method pour beautifully. Nice lacing head, buuuuut, they dont seem to have that bubble that a good pub pour delivers.

A nice fully carbed beer like Coopers Sparkling ( without a frothy head ) is what I'm chasing.

A few text messages from @Hoppy81 he seems to think because of the check valve in my manifold I'm only carbing at around 10psi.

So some minor adjustments I'll see how things go. I dont like change too much in my routine, but always open to advice.

[Pale Man]

2 minutes ago, kmar92 said:

OK, but changing the gas line length of a 5mm line will have no effect, if there is 20psi at the start of the gas line there will be 20 psi at the end of the gas line regardless of the length. If your beers pour OK but then you are not happy with the bubbles then it is a carbonation problem, so as I said more gas pressure or more time under pressure or a combination of both.

Pretty much exactly what Hoppy told me. Thanks my man. I'll put this advice to work.

[Classic Brewing Co]

2 minutes ago, Pale Man said:

A few text messages from @Hoppy81 he seems to think because of the check valve in my manifold I'm only carbing at around 10psi.

So some minor adjustments I'll see how things go. I dont like change too much in my routine, but always open to advice.

You would think Hoppy would know, good luck with it.

[kmar92]

2 minutes ago, Pale Man said:

A few text messages from @Hoppy81 he seems to think because of the check valve in my manifold I'm only carbing at around 10psi.

 

With my gas manifold, that has a check valve in it, there is about a 2psi drop in pressure across the manifold so yes good advice from @Hoppy81. If the regulator is showing 12psi there will only be 10psi after the manifold.

[Pale Man]

6 minutes ago, Classic Brewing Co said:

You would think Hoppy would know, good luck with it.

As you've said Phil, this forum is full of good people with amazing knowledge.

I'm lucky to have Hoppy on tap ( pardon the pun ) .......but @kmar92 @iBooz2 are a wealth of knowledge, and many others.

Off topic but @category 5 sent me a couple of private messages which meant the world to me. @Shamus O'Sean is the same, always willing to help.

I feel like I'm smashing out a wedding speech so I'll stop now

This place is more than a forum to post on. Its a real community.

[Classic Brewing Co]

5 minutes ago, Pale Man said:

As you've said Phil, this forum is full of good people with amazing knowledge.

I'm lucky to have Hoppy on tap ( pardon the pun ) .......but @kmar92 @iBooz2 are a wealth of knowledge, and many others.

Off topic but @category 5 sent me a couple of private messages which meant the world to me. @Shamus O'Sean is the same, always willing to help.

I feel like I'm smashing out a wedding speech so I'll stop now

This place is more than a forum to post on. Its a real community.

I totally agree mate.  

[Pale Man]

18 minutes ago, kmar92 said:

With my gas manifold, that has a check valve in it, there is about a 2psi drop in pressure across the manifold so yes good advice from @Hoppy81. If the regulator is showing 12psi there will only be 10psi after the manifold.

I didnt know that until Hoppy text me. I'm lucky to have him around.

[Shamus O'Sean]

1 hour ago, Pale Man said:

I'm throwing all advice I've ever had now with my gassing and kegging out the window.

Ive got 5mm inside diameter beer line. Always been around 4 metres.

Ive always gassed at 12 psi over a week, and is always under carbed.

So........I'm cutting my beer line down to 3.5 metres.

And I'm going to gas at 20 psi for a week or so then serve at 12 psi.

What can go wrong?

I would only change the carbonating pressure as step 1.  Then see how it goes before cutting beer line.

Otherwise I agree with everything that has been mentioned.

The one thing that does not seem to have been touched on is maintaining the carbonation you want.  If you gas at 20 psi for a week, then turn it down to serving at 12 psi, the pressure in the keg will drop and carbonation will be released as you pour beers.  It will eventually be carbonated like your beer normally is at 12 psi.  This assumes you do not make adjustments to allow for the non-return valves/manifold.

• Step 1 is probably adjusting the regulator pressure to allow for loss across non-return valves/manifold.  See what carbonation is like.
• If still too low, Step 2 is to increase your week-long carbonation pressure, but part of the trick here is that has to be the pressure you serve at as well, so the carbonation stays constant.
• Step 3 might be to shorten your beer lines, but I doubt that will be necessary.

55 minutes ago, Pale Man said:

My beers using my method pour beautifully. Nice lacing head, buuuuut, they dont seem to have that bubble that a good pub pour delivers

I understand what you mean about that statement.  My situation is similar.  Nucleated glasses bubble okay, but any plain glasses only have a few bubbles.  Carbonation when I drink the beer is to my satisfaction though.  I would need to lengthen all my beer line if I was to set my carbonation pressure a few psi higher.  I am too lazy to fit and too tight to buy new beer line.