Balanced beer lines

[craiclad]

17 foot works with the 8mm * 5.4 mm line. job done.

Which line is that specifically? 5/16"?

[krockett]

very close to it (sold as 5/16 OD in Ireland) - 8 mm OD, 5.4 mm ID.

[Beermonger]

It seems like I've managed to get things balanced too. At least everything's OK with the new beer I put on. Here's the details, in case they help someone.

I'm using about 1 metre of what the HBC sells as 5/16" OD hard line. I guess it's about 3/16" ID. I'm using 3/8"–5/16" JG adaptors at each end and then a short length of 3/8" OD hard line to go to the picnic tap and the QD. Currently have a keg at 8 psi and it's serving fine. It also worked well at 10 psi, so I think I might up the fridge temp a bit when I can (need it cold for lagering now) and see if it handles the higher psi. I also tried the trick of putting a length of the HBC's 3/16" OD hard tubing into the serving dip tube. It adds some resistance, and might be worth while in some cases, but I don't need it right now.

Result: nice pour with little foam, despite the picnic tap and the fact that the tube widens before the tap. There's very little beer in the line (not like the 300 ml I had in the 9 metres of 3/8" ID!) and it's mostly all liquid - no gas bubbles.

Thanks for all the help!

[banjobrew]

Quick question beermonger... Does the JG 3/8-5/16 reducer work both ways (reduce and increase)? as that's how it looks on your photo and after reading the entire internet I've got the same idea as you.

[Beermonger]

Sorry, haven't been on the forum much recently...

Yes, that's right. The qd has a thread on it, so it's attached to at threaded JG with 3/8" push fitting. There's a short length of 3/8" OD tubing, then a JG adapter with a 3/8" push fitting on one end and a 5/16" push fitting on the other, into which the coiled length of 5/16" tubing is inserted. The tubing then going into the second 5/16"–3/8" JG, then a bit of 3/8" tubing, then the tab (which wouldn't fir the 5/16" tubing directly).

So following the liquid, narrows down from 3/8" to 5/16" and then widens out again at the end of 3/8" (which doesn't seem to cause any foaming).

[banjobrew]

Sorry, haven't been on the forum much recently...

Yes, that's right. The qd has a thread on it, so it's attached to at threaded JG with 3/8" push fitting. There's a short length of 3/8" OD tubing, then a JG adapter with a 3/8" push fitting on one end and a 5/16" push fitting on the other, into which the coiled length of 5/16" tubing is inserted. The tubing then going into the second 5/16"–3/8" JG, then a bit of 3/8" tubing, then the tab (which wouldn't fir the 5/16" tubing directly).

So following the liquid, narrows down from 3/8" to 5/16" and then widens out again at the end of 3/8" (which doesn't seem to cause any foaming).

Brilliant thanks! I'm thinking of using 3/16 instead of 5/16 but the same setup.