Slow tap

[EveryoneKnowsADave]

I've kegged my first brew! I flushed the sanitiser from one keg into another and then used the sanitiser in the second keg to flush beerlines. I noticed that the flow is really slow at 12psi. I mean it's dribbling out. I've adjusted the flow controls but both taps are the same. Am I missing something? Am I supposed to adjust the slot on the top of the liquid disconnect for example?

 

[Leon103]

How long are you beer lines? Are the ball locks connected correctly?

 

[EveryoneKnowsADave]

Beer lines are 1.5m ball locks appear to be connected properly. There are no leaks and I can't hear any sucking or hissing. Beer lines are the thin versions.

 

[Dads_Ale]

Should pour ok with 12psi. Worth a check that the beer lines haven’t frozen especially where they touch the sides.
Does it make any difference in you up the pressure?

 

[EveryoneKnowsADave]

Should pour ok with 12psi. Worth a check that the beer lines haven’t frozen especially where they touch the sides.
Does it make any difference in you up the pressure?

I upped the pressure to 20psi and it did pour better, not forceful by any means but it filled the nozzle if that makes sense.

 

[JFB]

Beer lines are 1.5m ball locks appear to be connected properly. There are no leaks and I can't hear any sucking or hissing. Beer lines are the thin versions.

How's the head on the beer?
If it's not crazy you can trim down the lines.
I cut mine down to a meter and it speeded things up. Still not pub fast. Could never see me needing the flow control without adding nitro into the mix!
I'm new to keging so could be wrong though.

 

[EveryoneKnowsADave]

How's the head on the beer?
If it's not crazy you can trim down the lines.
I cut mine down to a meter and it speeded things up. Still not pub fast. Could never see me needing the flow control without adding nitro into the mix!
I'm new to keging so could be wrong though.

I've only tested it with sanitiser at the moment so cant do a head test. I do have beer in another keg but it's still carbonating.

I guess I expected the fluid to flow rather than what I'm getting which is between a dribble and a flow

 

[JFB]

I've only tested it with sanitiser at the moment so cant do a head test. I do have beer in another keg but it's still carbonating.

I guess I expected the fluid to flow rather than what I'm getting which is between a dribble and a flow

To be fair your system sounds about right compared to mine.
Not sure if anyone gets pub flow with co2?

 

[chillipickle]

How did you transfer to the corny? Could you have possibly picked up some hops or junk while transfering to the keg, 12 psi should get you a nice constant flow.

not a great pic, but 13psi

 

[EveryoneKnowsADave]

I think I may have been panicking over nothing. My 12psi doesn’t look too far off yours @chillipickle although not quite that. Transfer to the corny was from a tap on a bucket with floating dip tube following cold crash. The tube failed halfway through and I had to pull it. Buckeg was fed co2 through the lid.

I'll try to take a photo and share

 

[chillipickle]

You certainly won’t get a pour like the pub, but very close.
It is nothing like a ”dribble” but a nice steady pour.

 

[chillipickle]

Good chart for carbonation to temp.
https://www.kegerators.com/carbonation-table/

 

[EveryoneKnowsADave]

Good chart for carbonation to temp.
https://www.kegerators.com/carbonation-table/

So is that saying that an IPA at 41°f should be set at 2.25 - 2.60 psi? That seems really low?

 

[Kiwigaz]

Those numbers are the volumes of CO2 your aiming for. Psi is across the top with temp running down the side

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

I get pub flow using 3/8 beer line but you can only use this size with low carbonated beers or you’ll get nothing but high pressure foam.

Pubs have far longer runs from the keg to the tap and the resistance of the pipe bleeds away pressure. They also use mixed gas with something like 75% nitrogen (which beer doesn’t absorb) so the beer is less highly carbonated for a given pressure - their 40psi would be more like the equivalent of 10psi using pure CO2.

 

[Toxicdonkey]

Mines always poured slowly to deliver a nice pint, no idea what psi, I do it by eye.. My beer is nice an lively and gets a great head, but probably takes 30 seconds to pull a pint.

 

[EveryoneKnowsADave]

Got it! Cheers

So 12 psi at 4.5°c +/- 0.5°c should be okay.

 

[Edison]

If it helps I use 1m of 3/16” line for 12psi @ 9c for an AIPA style and it pours a pint in about 20-30s. I use 1/2m at 7psi for cask bitter style and 1 1/2m at up to 20psi for wheat beer/Belgian style.

If you have flow control taps you might want to check these are all the way open if you’re balancing with line length.

 

[EveryoneKnowsADave]

Cheers @Ediso. That's useful. I think I'll need to experiment a bit with the beer line lengths.