Long Beer Lines

A forum to discuss the various ways of getting beer into your glass.
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Binkie Huckaback
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Long Beer Lines

Post by Binkie Huckaback » Sun Jan 17, 2021 8:36 pm

Does anyone have experience of running long beer lines from a home-built kegerator? I have room in my shed for a kegerator, but not in the house, though I do have room for taps in the kitchen.

How feasible is it to run beer line 6 - 8 metres? I'd need to run it down to floor level, then under a patio (through a pipe and insulation), then back up a metre or so inside the house.

Possible problems I can foresee are:

Loss of temperature
Problems balancing lines
Beer going stale while in the line if not used every day (possibly)

Any thoughts greatly appreciated

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Jocky
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Re: Long Beer Lines

Post by Jocky » Sun Jan 17, 2021 9:11 pm

With good quality beer line (Micromatic/Valpar) beer will take quite a while to stale in the lines.
I can also think of at least one bar that serves beer over that distance, so that won’t be a problem.

The only difficulty is that the beer isn’t going to stay at kegerator temperature - it’s likely to warm as it goes and when it hits your tap you’ll be pouring a lot of foam. It’ll probably be cold enough in winter, but who knows in summer.
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Binkie Huckaback
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Re: Long Beer Lines

Post by Binkie Huckaback » Sun Jan 17, 2021 9:44 pm

Thanks Jocky. I guess the temperatue issue is insurmountable.

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themadhippy
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Re: Long Beer Lines

Post by themadhippy » Sun Jan 17, 2021 11:54 pm

I guess the temperatue issue is insurmountable.
Do as the pubs do and install a python,you'll need to add a pump and chiller but you'll have cool beer lines
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LeeH
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Re: Long Beer Lines

Post by LeeH » Mon Jan 18, 2021 7:10 am

You can also use mixed gas so you can deliver at higher pressure over long distances without over carbonating. Although a finger in the air calc says 3/8 line will probably be OK.


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Binkie Huckaback
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Re: Long Beer Lines

Post by Binkie Huckaback » Mon Jan 18, 2021 10:03 am

Thanks for your help everyone

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Jocky
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Re: Long Beer Lines

Post by Jocky » Mon Jan 18, 2021 12:24 pm

themadhippy wrote:
Sun Jan 17, 2021 11:54 pm
I guess the temperatue issue is insurmountable.
Do as the pubs do and install a python,you'll need to add a pump and chiller but you'll have cool beer lines
Yep, python would do it, as long we you're not picking up excessive heat from the patio stones over the summer, and you're happy with the chiller/pump running indoors most of the time.
Ingredients: Water, Barley, Hops, Yeast, Seaweed, Blood, Sweat, The swim bladder of a sturgeon, My enemies tears, Scenes of mild peril, An otter's handbag and Riboflavin.

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Re: Long Beer Lines

Post by Binkie Huckaback » Tue Jan 19, 2021 12:28 am

Thanks, but I think a Python's not practical.

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Jocky
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Re: Long Beer Lines

Post by Jocky » Tue Jan 19, 2021 8:12 am

There’s other options so you can have some beer indoors, although I suspect that they may not be practical either. For example, you can hook up a mini keg (2/4.5/5 litres), or even a PET bottle (1 or 2 litres) in-line between main keg and tap, so that the mini vessel is always full. Then when you don’t want to have to go to the shed you just grab your mini vessel and take it away. You’ll need some extra dispense kit, but that can be very simple - a party tap, and an extra PET bottle that has some CO2 in it.

Although personally I’d love to have a shed with beer taps in I could bugger off to 😁
Ingredients: Water, Barley, Hops, Yeast, Seaweed, Blood, Sweat, The swim bladder of a sturgeon, My enemies tears, Scenes of mild peril, An otter's handbag and Riboflavin.

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