Balancing Lines & CO2 Pressure
Series 4 User Guide | Balancing Lines & CO2 Pressure
Last updated
Series 4 User Guide | Balancing Lines & CO2 Pressure
Last updated
To ensure you get a consistent pour with the correct amount of head it is important to ensure the length of beer is correlated with the internal diameter of the EVABarrier hose. The suggested length of beer line for each internal diameter is outlined below.
To get a great pour with good head the length of the beer line needs to be adjusted according to the internal diameter of the line and to the carbonation level of the liquid being dispensed. Broadly speaking, the smaller the internal diameter of the beer line the less line is required to get a good flow. For that reason, the standard line used for beer line in all KegLand Font Kits is KL06224
Please refer to this chart for a guide to appropriate beer line length for different diameter line:
4mm
1.5 metres – 2 metres
5mm
2 metres – 3 metres
6.35mm
3 metres – 4 metres
KegLand Font Kits come with pre-cut lengths of beer and gas line. These are typically sized to allow at least 1.5m per length and thus do not need to be cut down in size.
If cutting your own lengths of beer line it is best to start at the upper end of the suggested range and cut the beer line down in size until the desired pour speed is achieved. The faster the pour, the more likely you will get too much head/foam in the glass and also a fast pour can 'knock' carbonation out of solution resulting in a beer with too much head but no carbonation!
Thus, for example, if starting with 4mm ID line start with a 2m length and cut down in 100mm lengths until the desired pour is achieved.
4mm ID line is often the best choice in a short draw (kegerator) setup as it means less overall length of beer line is required which means the kegerator will be less cluttered. It also reduces the amount of beer sitting in the lines between pours.
To see how much beer is in the line (approximately) please refer to this table:
4mm
1.5m
12.5ml
19ml
5mm
2m
20ml
40ml
6mm
3m
28ml
84ml
The downside of 4mm ID beer line is that it is quite hard to fit over barbs. We highly recommend using duotight fittings instead as they are very easy to use and install. They can also be readily swapped out if required - for example, if you decide to change the number of taps and kegs in your setup. All KegLand kegerator kits come with duotight fittings as standard.
If you are not sure about temperature, carbonation levels and CO2 pressure for serving, setting the kegerator to 2°C and the regulator to 12psi is appropriate for most situations.
To produce the perfect pour, a number of variables need to be balanced. These include the beer line length, carbonation level of the beer and storage temperature of the keg.
The temperature of the beer in the keg correlates directly to the carbonation level. Thus, a beer at 4°C will have less carbonation than a beer at 2°C at the same CO2 pressure.
For most styles of beer, you should be aiming for a carbonation level of between 2.2-2.8 volumes of carbonation. 2.6 volumes of carbonation can be considered a good average level for most beers. If you are unsure of the carbonation level of the beer IE If it is a commercial keg then assume it is at 2.6 volumes of carbonation.
The pressure at which you dispense the beer should be slightly higher than the carbonation pressure (~10% higher).
For example, to carbonate to 2.6 volumes at 2°C you would carbonate the beer at approximately 11psi and then serve the beer at approximately 12psi.
The pressure at which you serve the beer should be determined as above - thus the carbonation level determines the serving level. Do not try to fix a fast or slow pour by adjusting the pressure. Too low a pressure will result in flat beer, and too high a pressure will cause over-carbonation.
If you think that you have over carbonated your beer you may need to release the Pressure in the keg and then set it to your desired pressure according to the carbonation chart above. Do not release pressure in the keg by pulling the PRV on the regulator as this can result in liquid being pulled into the regulator and potentially causing damage to the regulator.
This chart is an easy way to determine the required CO2 pressure to achieve the desired carbonation level. As a general rule, setting the kegerator to 2°C and the reguator to 12psi will suit almost all beer styles
To achieve a specific carbonation level refer to this and match the temperature of the kegerator to the desired carbonation level. Typically kegerators would be set to maintain a temperature between 0-3°C. Typically, 2°C is the perfect temperature for most beer styles.
If you wish to have beers of different carbonation levels in the kegerator then you can use a KL10870 to have two different serving pressures. Alternatively a KL15035 can be installed on the gas lines which allows individual control of each line.
