Newbie (and probably stupid) question... dispending pressure

[luckydevil]

I've seen this asked a few times, and I've seen different answers... so here it goes. I'm new to my kegging system, I've got two ales on that I'm keeping around 2 volumes...regulator is at 9psi and the fridge is at 45 degrees. The taps are picnic taps. The question is, do you carb at a pressure (9 psi) and then drop the pressure for dispensing? Or just leave it at your same pressure the whole time?

Thanks... sorry for the probably dumb question... but my delicious beer needs to be served well!

[jwatkins56550]

To answer this question and many others you may have about serving. You should check out the brewstrong show that covers this very issue.
http://thebrewingnetwork.com/shows/562

[Sent From My iPhone]

If your system is balanced the carbonation and dispensing pressures are the same. There are a ton of topics on the forum that cover this, just do a search. Here is all you need to know: http://draughtquality.org/

[Crackin]

Carb and dispense pressures should always be the same, unless you want to mess with the pressure every night / day. Carbonate to the desired volumes, with regard to temperature. Then, adjust your beer line lenght to get the proper pour. Longer line = slower pour = less foam. Some people start with a longer line, then trim the length until their pour speed and foaming action is at the level they want.

[thatguy314]

Carb and dispense pressures should always be the same, unless you want to mess with the pressure every night / day. Carbonate to the desired volumes, with regard to temperature. Then, adjust your beer line lenght to get the proper pour. Longer line = slower pour = less foam. Some people start with a longer line, then trim the length until their pour speed and foaming action is at the level they want.

I would have to disagree, as I am not going to change my lines for every beer. That said your pressure varies. CO2 is very soluble in cool wort. It will retain it's pressure pretty well over the course o fa keg once it's been disolved. If you take a while, you may lose a little bit of pressure over time, but it's not that hard to put more pressure back in.

[Bugeater]

I balance my system by using the "proper" length dispensing hose. You don't need to change the hose length for every beer. Most folks carb most of their beers at about the same level so you don't need to change the length of tubing once you get the right length figured out. Also, I say "proper" length in quotes because plus or minus 6-8" doesn't really make much difference. Because of this you can tweak the pressure a couple pounds or the temperature a couple degrees and not have to change your tubing.

While there are charts and formulas out there that will allow you to compute the correct length to a fraction of an inch, you don't need to get that anal about it. For most folks with the most common setups, go with about 6' of 3/16" tubing. If the pour is way too slow for you, shorten it about 4" at a time until you get a satisfactory pour. Be sure you do this after your beers are already at your desired serving temperature and the carbonation level is where you want it. Once you do this, you will probably never have to change it again.

Wayne