National Homebrew Club Ireland

Brewing Discussions => Equipment & Chemicals => Topic started by: newToBrew on April 16, 2013, 02:46:34 PM

Title: Beer And Gas Line
Post by: newToBrew on April 16, 2013, 02:46:34 PM

hey Folks  - I need to replace my beer lines and gas lines
Beer tubing is too  wide and Gas tubing is a little narrow !!

so Gas is 5/16 can't remember if that is ID or OD

beer line is bloody really wide - went onto JG fittings without any heating or trouble !!

anyway .......
Regular Barbs on the Group Buy taps - so I'm sure most of you use these ?
regular JG Barbs on the "push fittings  and I think the regulator has the same size barb

3/8 inner  (http://www.thehomebrewcompany.ie/polythene-tubing-clear-38-id-per-metre-p-74.html)

3/8 outer (http://www.thehomebrewcompany.ie/beergas-line-38-od-per-metre-hard-p-71.html)

the 3/8 outer is hard - so I think not suitable for the beer ?

Also I am presuming 3/8 inner is larger than 3/8 outer

I'm leaning towards the 3/8 inner - any thoughts folks ? what do you guys use ?
i have a buddy dropping into the Shop on Saturday

thanks !
Title: Re: Beer And Gas Line
Post by: Snuff on April 19, 2013, 09:47:16 PM
I use the 3/8 hardline for gas and beer, no problems.
Most of my connections are JG but I have a couple of barbs in the mix as well.
Was thinking about moving to softline for beer but still not decided.
Title: Re: Beer And Gas Line
Post by: newToBrew on April 19, 2013, 10:07:22 PM
thanks snuff - not too pushed on the hard line as such - more the ID and the OD really - buddys drop tomoro was cancelled so I'll prob order some during the week
when you say hard - am I right in presuning than that yours is 3/8 OD then ?

( no puns !!)  ;D
Title: Re: Beer And Gas Line
Post by: Snuff on April 19, 2013, 10:19:33 PM
Yeah, all mine is 3/8 OD hardline. Just be carefull when ordering softline if you intend to use JG, it is usually 3/8 ID and too big.
If you are barbing then no issue.
Title: Re: Beer And Gas Line
Post by: newToBrew on April 19, 2013, 10:25:59 PM
have you had hard line trouble ? why the change ? - I'll go with ID  soft - hard - whatever - had a keg pouring from the fridge - still had loads of foaming despite the low temps - force carbed at @ 2 bar for a few days - served at @ .5  - trying to eliminate the issues -
either

1 too wide tubing to thetap
2 over carbed

3 the bit of wheat I flung in for head retention !!

I can work on 1 and 2 imediatly as I am force carbing another at the moment
for 3 I'll omit my (now customery) handful or 2 of wheat  on my next brew
Title: Re: Beer And Gas Line
Post by: Snuff on April 19, 2013, 10:56:25 PM
New forum? You are joking. I just typed out a good sized response and the forum "timed me out" and I lost it all. Not happy.

Anyway, I was saying :
Keep the wheat, I always stick some into brews.

Only problem with hardline was it bending and kinking when handling kegs.

On the keg carbonation :
Stop force carbing.
What I do is keg and gas to about 30psi, then stick in the shed for a few weeks to condition.
When I wanna drink, put in kegerator, gas back to 30psi.
Drink a few flat pints and eventually settle on 10psi as standard level.
Drink until finished.
That give a nice low carbonation for stout and ale.
Anything that needs high carb, well I just bottle them.
Title: Re: Beer And Gas Line
Post by: newToBrew on April 19, 2013, 11:04:07 PM
thanks snuff - interseting response - yeah i have been missing out on the conditioning - new toys and all that been considering natural priiming in a keg  - may just do that off my next brew
guess it wil take time to come to terms with this new system - been enamoured by the whole kegging but now I am seeing some benfits to the bottling that I took for granted previous;y