Force Carb Dispensing Questions

[TCC]

I am new to kegging.

Once I get to the correct level of CO2, should I set the regulator to 2 -5 psi for dispensing?

Do you leave it at 2 - 5 psi from this point on? Or do I need to turn up the psi to keep the level of CO2 and turn it back down to dispense?

[hotrod38]

Set it and forget it. Chill the beer down to 36-40F hook up your line and set the regulator to 10-12 psi. Check for leaks with a bottle of Star San solution.
You want to have a serving line that is between 5-6 feet. This will keep your system in balance. serve at the same psi as you carbonated with. In about a week you will have carbonated beer.

[Nyakavt]

Definately do not adjust the pressure for serving, you will end up changing the carbonation level in the beer. To dissipate the pressure prior to getting to the faucet, you use the resistance of the beer line (3/16" for most of us). There's a decent guide at the link below, both for regulator setting and line length.

http://hbd.org/clubs/franklin/public_ht ... lance.html

[TCC]

Thanks guys for the replies. After posting this I realized I left out some important info.

I am using a sankey keg with a picnic tap. The picnic tap only has about 1 foot of tubing. The LHBS guy said to set the psi to about 2 psi for dispensing.


Once carbed should I leave the psi set to 2-5 psi or at the carbing psi?

Nyakavt, thanks for the link. That has helped understand better.

[Nyakavt]

Oh I see. Well if you have a short hose like that you'll need to have a low pressure for serving. This will work fine if you are using it at a party, as the beer will be gone before it has time to lose carbonation. If this beer is going to stay around more than a day, however, you are going to get a reduction in carbonation in the keg. You could monkey with the pressure to pour a pint and then crank it back up, but that's more of a pain than it's worth.

The best thing to do is either get a longer serving line, 5-6 ft for 12 psi, or use a flow restrictor in your short line (see link) so that you don't need to mess with the regulator setting.

http://www.maltosefalcons.com/tech/resistivegate.php

[TCC]

Thanks for the info.

[Mylo]

To state it differently, you should "store" the beer at the required temp and pressure to maintain the carbonation level (ie. 40 degrees + 12 PSI = 2.5 vols). However your since you have a short hose (HA-HA), you will have trouble dispensing at that pressure. You can dial back your regulator, and bleed off the "extra pressure" on the keg before you start pouring for the night, and just crank it back up to the storage pressure at the end of the night. Not ideal, but it will work in the short term (until you get pissed off at all the CO2 you are wasting, and get a longer beer line).


Mylo

[tavish2]

(until you get pissed off at all the CO2 you are wasting, and get a longer beer line).
Mylo

HAHA, just ask Bob from enzyte. But the beer line cost you a dollar for the right size to pour at 12 psi. You will waste that much CO2 on your first few kegs by blowing off the excess to be able to pour (unless you are pouring 15-20 pints a night).