3/8 beer line problems

[krockett]

Lads,

I've read that 3/8 beer line isnt ideal - you need a much longer line because of the reduced resistance. The guy I bought my keg setup fittings from told me that most of his customers are using 3/8 - that you just need to reduce the pressure. Someone on another forum told me he's using 3/8 no problem.

This isnt working for  me so far.I'm either getting 50% foam, or a trickle. Is anyone using 3/8 line successfully?


Thanks!

[Will_D]

Every pub in the country!

There is a relation ship between line length & diameter and keg pressure. There is even a calculator somewhere.

You aim for about 8 psi at the tap, a line length of say 15 m may need a keg pressure of 36 psi!

I know this sounds daft in that the pressure should be the same at both ends (which it is with no flow) but when the flow starts you get a pressure drop in the lines.

Why the beer is foaming is another matter! After all henino at 40 psi does not foam at the tap!

[DarraghKS]

I use 3/8 with about 4 metres to the tap and find about 5psi is more than sufficient for me to get an ideal beer. Although I do sometimes use nitro for Stout and the reg for that is at 40psi and it also gives a perfect pour using the same size and length of tubing.
So I'm not too sure what your problem could be.

[krockett]

My lines are 10 foot - about 75% the distance of yours. Sounds like they should be ok..Thanks Darragh.

I've been running about 8-10 psi. Will try dialling it down.

[maGROOTS]

I had this problem too, and when I did manage to get a nice pour on one beer the next keg may have been foam because of the different carb levels. What i did was get a couple of john guest reducers... so... my 3/8 line out of the disconnect is only an inch or two long and then reduces to a 3/16 line, which I only need about 1.2 m, then another john guest fitting back up to 3/8 line (again an inch or two of  3/8) then into my tap. ... much easier to clean 1 m of line as apposed to 15 m, and keg fridge has less clutter. Hope this helps

[krockett]

Thanks Magroots - this is what I was thinking of doing..

[krockett]

Mrmeindl - thats close enough to 3/16!

Does anyone know where you can get 3/16 beer line? HBC are sold out and no one else seems to stock it.

[krockett]

Wow - great price if this ok. Any idea if this is food safe?

Doesn't look like it..

[maGROOTS]

Does anyone know where you can get 3/16 beer line? HBC are sold out and no one else seems to stock it.
[/quote]

I got mine at the time from the UK as there was none in Ireland at the time. The good thing about having a balanced system (i.e. correct line length for the diam.) is that you can just leave you reg at carbing pressure all the time. Reducing the pressure to serve is messy, if you forget to reset it to carbing pressure your beer will go flat, or at least flatter depending on how much beer is left in the keg (and I have forgotten many a thing after beer was had!). Apparently, pubs use 3/8 line because their keg rooms can be far from the taps, and often in the basement below, so they need long lines, hence the less resistance lines (I think, I could be wrong). I aim for 1 psi at the tap. My carbing pressure is about 13 psi for a pale ale. 3/16 diam. line has a resistance of 3 psi per foot, so about 4 foot of 3/16 line gets me to 1 psi. (about  1.2 m). 

[Leann ull]

Mrmeindl - thats close enough to 3/16!

Not to 3/8'' though

http://www.wholesaleweldingsupplies.ie/index.php?route=product/product&filter_name=hose&product_id=3280 Any good?

There are very specific criteria in selection of plastic for contact with foodstuffs, those options becomes even narrower when you involve alcohol up to 8%.

Currently there are 9 phthalates or plasticisers (the ingredient that makes PVC flexible) sold globally, only 1 has medical and food approval, this isn't one of those.

Where possible try and get food grade line, its normally printed on the side of the tube or use proper commercial beer line. 

Club together as a group to buy a reel and consider these guys
http://www.mlh.ie/accessories/beer-gas-line/

p.s. the beer will kill you first!

[krockett]

Great advice Ciderhead. I've sent a mail there asking about minimum quantity and pricing.

[Tom]

my 3/8 line out of the disconnect is only an inch or two long and then reduces to a 3/16 line, which I only need about 1.2 m, then another john guest fitting back up to 3/8 line (again an inch or two of  3/8) then into my tap.

I was under the impression that enlarging the bore caused foaming issues as the beer pressure in the line drops, causing CO2 to come out of solution?

[maGROOTS]

Doesn't seem to be, for me at least. At this point the pressure is at 1 psi, so I think that's why it doesn't cause a problem. The reason I did it this way was because I already had 3/8 fittings for my taps.