Beerline length for corni keg setup

[Clubroot]

Here are some thoughts when it comes to finding the length of beerline that works for you if you are considering building your own system using a fridge or freezer.

The amount of head and the temperature that beer is enjoyed is a personal choice and should be a guiding factor in deciding how you setup your system. That was the hardest lesson at the end of a very steep and painful learning curve.

Having experimented with different lengths of 3/16 line, ranging from around 8inches to 10 feet, at 10psi and 4C, I found that the biggest factor in getting a pint that I liked was the tap! My new Intertaps just would not produce an acceptable head without reducing the line length to under a foot! When I switched back to my old cheaper faucets, I had no problem with a longer line. I contacted the supplier who said that the Intertaps were best suited to a pull draw system and not my type of setup and that deciding on the correct line length was a "dark art"!

Science or dark art it may be, but very few if any websites that I have seen that are waxing lyrical about beerline calculators talk about the effect of different taps on the quality of the pour.

For now I have decided on 2 feet of 3/16 line, at 10psi and 6C with an English Pale at 1.007 FG, using the Intertaps, holding the glass back from the tap at mid-pour to get a good head, finishing close to the tap to fill the glass.

Good luck, at least you'll get p***ed as you cut back the line and test each length!

[Kev888]

The rules of thumb generally assume that the tap is a pretty simple one, essentially a hole that opens when required. In that case the beer needs to be relatively low pressure (long enough lines) by the time it's flow reaches the tap as there isn't a lot of back-pressure to prevent excess.

I haven't used intertaps specifically, but yes - certainly those with restriction or variable flow control require higher pressure (shorter lines). And it is a little different, but of course conversely beer engines require fairly low or no pressure, since they provide their own suction and can even be over-run if the pressure is sufficient. There are many different possibilities in a system.

Though even with a basic freeflow setup, there are so many things that can differ that IMO its best to start with a somewhat longer line then reduce it through real-world testing. Though there are limits - if you use 3/8" line then unless its several meters long you'll be relying mostly on the tap and flow control to control the pressure, rather than balancing the line. Or if the tap is too high or distant from the keg the line cannot be as short as needed, in fact the keg pressure itself may be insufficient, so a booster pump may be required.

[IPA]

Science or dark art it may be, but very few if any websites that I have seen that are waxing lyrical about beerline calculators talk about the effect of different taps on the quality of the pour.

For now I have decided on 2 feet of 3/16 line, at 10psi and 6C with an English Pale at 1.007 FG, using the Intertaps, holding the glass back from the tap at mid-pour to get a good head, finishing close to the tap to fill the glass

Same for me. 75 cms of 7mm line 1007 FG 2.5 grms a litre sugar priming. Float take off in the cornie served at 12° C with 10psi of pressure