CO2/Nitrogen (beergas) Line length formula

[dunleav1]

I want to replace the line I have on my stout faucet that I have hooked up to CO2/Nitrogen (beergas).
The current line is 5' of 3/16" I.D. Vinyl and I get a little more foaming than I like regardless of regulator setting.
The new line is 5/16" I.D. Vinyl.

I'd like to calculate the length from a formula. Can someone help me out?

Thanks,
JD

[Dirk McLargeHuge]

I want to replace the line I have on my stout faucet that I have hooked up to CO2/Nitrogen (beergas).
The current line is 5' of 3/16" I.D. Vinyl and I get a little more foaming than I like regardless of regulator setting.
The new line is 5/16" I.D. Vinyl.

I'd like to calculate the length from a formula. Can someone help me out?

Thanks,
JD

I attended Ray Daniels' session on kegging at NHC, and he recommended this link:
http://www.draughtquality.org/f/DBQM_Full.pdf
There's a chapter on CO2 and Nitrogen systems.

[Quin]

Ask the place where you bought the line what is the amount of resistance per foot. For instance, the Morebeer 5/16" beer line

http://morebeer.com/view_product/16371/ ... y_the_Foot

is 0.40 psi per foot of length. If your regulator is set to 12 psi, you would need approximately 12 psi/0.4 psi/ft = 30 ft. You may need to a little more or less depending on your exact situation, so buy a couple feet extra.

[dunleav1]

I thought that resistance is for CO2, not CO2/Nitrogen (beergas). The beergas is only 25% C02 and 75% Nitrogen.
I've seen the resistance of 5/16 as .5 not .4.; McMaster Carr doesn't list a resistance.

30ft seems way too long to me, in that I have a 5' line of 3/16' that is working pretty good.
I'd like to see a reference with a formula.

[Quin]

The beer line doesn't care what type of gas you are using to push the liquid though. For a given diameter and flow rate, it will take a fixed amount of pressure to overcome the friction between the liquid and side walls of the tubing.

The difference between straight CO2 and beer gas is that your beer will contain 1/4 the amount of CO2 in solution when using the mixture. The beer will seem softer and less acidic. There isn't a difference in line length.

5' of 3/16" line works because the resistance is 2.2 psi/ft.

2.2psi/ft x 5 ft = 11 psi

[dunleav1]

Thanks for the responses.

But I have the regulator set to 20 psi not 11 psi on the beergas for the 3/16" line.
My 5' of 3/16 line is from Micromatic and the resistance is listed at 3 psi not 2.2 per foot.

With the slight foaming I was getting I thought a longer line would work better to cut down on the foam,
without dropping the psi (carbonation level).

I'm fine with buying 3/16 line but Micromatic states not to use 3/16 line over 5'.

[Dirk McLargeHuge]

Thanks for the responses.

But I have the regulator set to 20 psi not 11 psi on the beergas for the 3/16" line.
My 5' of 3/16 line is from Micromatic and the resistance is listed at 3 psi not 2.2 per foot.

With the slight foaming I was getting I thought a longer line would work better to cut down on the foam,
without dropping the psi (carbonation level).

I'm fine with buying 3/16 line but Micromatic states not to use 3/16 line over 5'.

With that high a pressure, you will need a longer line. The psi on the gauge has nothing to do with the carbonation level of the beer. The goal is to have the beer dispense into the glass at the correct volume of CO2. The PSI your regulator is set to is supposed to push the beer through the line of a certain length to achieve that goal.

[dunleav1]

The pressure on the regulator (if it's accurate) and the temperature of the keg determines the carbonation level of the beer.
If I put a flat keg on the 20# beergas (25% CO2) at 40 degrees the keg will be carbonated to 1.83 PSI once it
fully carbonates.
I'm not having a carbonation level issue. I'm getting a little more foam on my beergas line than I want.
I have multiple regulators on my plain co2 lines which are workign perfectly.

I'm looking for a documented formula I can reference to calculate my beergas line length.

Thanks,
JD