Oh noes, I'm stymied by hose!

[EvilTOJ]

My keezer build is now imminent, and I've been researching what kind of equipment I'm still going to need to buy. I obviously still need a freezer and temp controller, a few more disconnects, and also tubing.

I'm still a bit hazy on the whole line balancing thing, but I'm confused about some things. I bought four Perlicks, and also got some 1/4" dia x 4" shanks. According to the line balancing charts I've been reading I think I'm going to need 18' of line per faucet? Is that right? The 3/16" shanks say I'd need about 5' of line per faucet. It just seems weird and wrong to me that I'd need three and a half times the amount of line just for 1/16" more diameter.

I really don't want to use 72 feet of line, along with the gas lines for the CO2 in the keezer. It just sounds crowded and unwieldy. Can I just monkeyF it and use 3/16" line anyways? Should I return these shanks and get ones that are 3/16" diameter?

 

[BargainFittings]

3/16 line will fit on the 1/4" shanks but you might have to use a heat source on the ends to soften the plastic. Boiling water or a heat gun / hair dryer will get them warm enough that they will slide right on the barbs.

Btw I have 3/16" 6 foot lines on my perlicks and they work great. I generally set my regulator at 10-11 psi and get a nice pour.

Another idea is do it yourself flo-gates.

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

DIY FLO GATE
The guts out of an epoxy mixer inserted into a beer line creates flow friction and allows less beer line and prevent foaming at higher psi.

 

[EvilTOJ]

Wait, what? What's all this about barbs? Oh yea, come to think of it, there really isn't any way to attach the hose straight to the shanks, is there? Looks like one more thing to the list.

Cool, thanks for the links. I can't see em at work, so I'll have to check em out later.

 

[david_42]

OGM! Not the Green Board! My eyes are bleeding!

The epoxy mixer sounds like a neat idea for party taps.

 

[McKBrew]

I find the balancing charts to be more of a PITA than anything. I recommend just going with 10' lines.