3 Corny's 1 regulator family party help!

[brewiz]

Hi folk,

I have a few questions regarding running 3 kegs at a family event I’m holding. All kegs will be carbed at the same pressure.

I currently have:

3 corny kegs (1 with loose lid)
Maxi 310 2 product cooler
1 x Faucet tap
2 X Quick disconnects
CO2 tank with single regulator and gas line / john guest fittings

What I am wanting to know is, what else do I need to set up the three kegs (running off 1 regulator)? All three kegs will have the same beer in them, so I’m happy to use one until it runs out, then tap the next keg.

Another thing to note is – the party is a one hour drive from my house, will the kegs need to settle for a few hours before pouring and is it safe to drive with them carbonated and being shaken up?

I’m also wondering do I need to have a certain length of beer line?

I’m currently thinking to set up as follows:

T gas line twice (so that there are three lines coming from regulator)
Force carb all kegs to same pressure.
Run beer line from keg, through the Maxi 310 to my tap (I don’t want the beer too cold (~8 degrees C ideal).
Pour from Tap.
When first keg runs out, take first keg out and attach beer line to second keg, and third when it runs out?

Please let me know if this makes sense!

Cheers,
Brewiz

[bobsbeer]

If you are only serving one keg at a time, there is little point have the gas connected to the reserve kegs. You can have the kegs carbonated and then just connect up the gas and beer lines as needed. How much beer line you need will depend on the temp of your kegs. If you are serving it at a fairly rapid rate, then about 2m should be fine. You could also connect in some 5/16ths to reduce it further depending on how it goes when you get set. As for travel. No issues being pressurised. If you have not naturally carbonated the beer you should have little or no sediment so you are good to go on arrival.

[Mattpc]

Bob " If you have not naturally carbonated the beer you should have little or no sediment so you are good to go on arrival." Is this true? I've never primed my beer when using corny kegs buts I've had to adjust the output tubes on all my kegs because I found that the beer was coming out cloudy for the first few pints (and this was despite the kegs not really moving at all). That said, at the time I was also not really using finings as I had run out.. Now I'm fining, I've adjusted the tubes so they sit a little way off the bottom of the keg and I'm also jumping the beer after it's been fined to another keg. This regime may sound a little extreme but I need to move beer about 100 miles in the car, sit it for 4 days and then move it 20ft or so in to final position and then serve the day after. The beer needs to be clear so I'm getting serious and trying to nail the technique now. I am sorry this a bit of a thread hijack but my point did start off being on topic...

Back to topic... If you want to use a single reg to gas three cornys then just buy a john guest three way splitter. They are inexpensive and the gas line is connected with a simple pushfit. As said though, it's not required for the dispensing that you talk about unless you want to serve all the kegs at once.

[bobsbeer]

I'm guessing you answered your own question Matpc. Yes the beer needs to have cleared before you rack and carbonate or it will settle and then you will pick up sediment. As for the gas I can see no logical reason to run gas to three kegs when only one is being served at a time. It only takes a second or two to swap the gas and beer lines over to the fresh keg. You only need gas to serve the beer. At that point you aren't or shouldn't be trying to carbonate it.

[Mattpc]

Yes I suppose I did Bob but I like to sound out my own logic with other brewers. Until recently I was using plastic kegs so racking having the facility to rack off the sediment once in the keg is quite new to me. I'm totally with you on the gas though. Utter waste of time having all three kegs on gas in the situation the OP describes.

[brewiz]

Thanks for the reply guys, that is great - will save me a lot of hassle

Probably going to run the beer through a maxi 310 prior to serving as it is a bit more portable than my fridge. Any recommendations for controlling beer temp through the maxi?

[Mattpc]

Don't know anything about using a Maxi I'm afraid. I have to say it doesn't appeal to me as I don't like the idea of suddenly subjecting the beer to a massive temp change. I guess however, if you could set it to ale temps then the difference in temps might not be too huge.