What am I getting myself into

[Kchad917]

Hi guys, I'm new to the forum and have a few questions I hope you guys can answer because I'm highly overwhelmed. This weekend I was handed down a basically brand new igloo frb200? It was given to me by the father of a friend. I've been reading a lot of stuff before wanting to post, but I'm still left with questions.
I'm mostly going to have a keg of coors or summer shandy in the kegerator at any time

1. Am I going to need 2 different line sizes for these 2 different beers or should I just run 10 foot line all together?
2. I know I'm going to need about 13-14 psi at 38 degrees for the coors life to pour properly, how should I go about this? I've read that I have to wait 24 hours in between changes in psi.

3. When do I even determine that I need a longer line? After I have everything set where it needs to be and still get a big head on the beer?

The kegerator was given to me with a 3/4 full quarter keg of miller lite, the pressure was at 12 psi and the whole first, second, and third glass were all foam. I let it sit till today after I moved the pressure to about 13 and lowered the temp and now I'm getting 3-4 inches of foam on the second pour after the beer sits for a couple minutes. I know these arnt accurate tests being I don't have a thermometer yet. I hope you guys can answer my questions
Thanks
Kevin

[KillianBoy]

Kevin,
Welcome, don't want to seem like a heel but have you read anything or searched anything in forum? Just a quick search found that changing elbow on coupler might solve your problem. Honestly this might not be the cure-all you are searching for but it is a good start.
OK, you don't need 2 different lengths for different beers, 10 feet for each is a good start, asking about the length is a good question but realize that 2 different beers might have different v/v. MillerCoors is 2.6 and Summer Shady is 2.4 so each will have to have a different PSI settings and you would need a 2 product regulator (remember NOT a 2 gauge regulator).
Right now best to get a thermometer click on education TAB, FAQ's and learn how do get right temperature, search forum under IGLOO and NEWBIE, this should get you the basics on what and how to do things. By following everything others have done to solve their problems should solve your problems. If you still have problems after going through forum for answers, post mods made, temperature of beer, beer pouring and confirm you are pouring as EDUCATION suggests. Start with replacing elbow and beer line, run 1 KEG for 24 hours (@12 PSI) and see what you get, take temperature and adjust as needed, once you get 1 beer running then start on 2nd keg, Summer Shandy and Coors will have 2 different PSI settings.
KB

[djc]

I wouldn't go throwing parts at it until you've at least done the basics. Get the temperature down to 38 to start. Read on here how to properly take the temp with a calibrated thermometer. If you can't get the temp to 38 there is no point doing anything else. If you can get to 38, then properly clean everything using a product made for cleaning beer lines, then add the lines. Then adjust pressure based on V/V. If you are still getting foam then look deeper to things like the shank.

[Kchad917]

Awesome I will start at the 38 degrees this weekend, I have read how to properly take the temp a handful of times. I will report back with all my results, thank you for your responses

[Kchad917]

Kevin,
Welcome, don't want to seem like a heel but have you read anything or searched anything in forum? Just a quick search found that changing elbow on coupler might solve your problem. Honestly this might not be the cure-all you are searching for but it is a good start.
OK, you don't need 2 different lengths for different beers, 10 feet for each is a good start, asking about the length is a good question but realize that 2 different beers might have different v/v. MillerCoors is 2.6 and Summer Shady is 2.4 so each will have to have a different PSI settings and you would need a 2 product regulator (remember NOT a 2 gauge regulator).
Right now best to get a thermometer click on education TAB, FAQ's and learn how do get right temperature, search forum under IGLOO and NEWBIE, this should get you the basics on what and how to do things. By following everything others have done to solve their problems should solve your problems. If you still have problems after going through forum for answers, post mods made, temperature of beer, beer pouring and confirm you are pouring as EDUCATION suggests. Start with replacing elbow and beer line, run 1 KEG for 24 hours (@12 PSI) and see what you get, take temperature and adjust as needed, once you get 1 beer running then start on 2nd keg, Summer Shandy and Coors will have 2 different PSI settings.
KB

I noticed when I hit the shut off valve on my reg and set the psi to 12 and turn it back on it drops to say 8-9, I'm guess I have to wait 12-24 hours for pressure to build in the tank to 12 psi?

[djc]

If it is reading 9, that's all it is going to deliver unless you adjust it higher.

[KillianBoy]

djc,
With a MM regulator maybe but with the Igloo regulator I don't know: iglooreg.gif
I have a Haier regulator that when I turned the main tank valve off, next day the gauge would read 8 PSI, turn regulator valve off, back to 0, next day, same thing, I could never set PSI when valve was off (as others have done with MM regulators). I would set PSI to 12, 24 hours later I'd be 14 PSI, Chinese POS if you ask me.

Kevin,
Yes, set at 12 PSI at first, if it rises to 14 PSI in 24 hours, then that is what the pressure settled at. I don't think it was 12 PSI for 24 hours, then all of a sudden when checked the next day it rose to14 PSI, it probably creeped up slowly over a several minutes to hour. Right now main thing is you get the actual temperature, check carbornation table and set PSI to v/v of beer (this is balance). With 10 feet of line, clean gear and internal air circulation (all you need at first is a small slow fan), you should pour a good 2nd glass.
The only time you have problem with creep is if you find it continually creeps higher and higher, say if you set @12, the 2 days later it is 18 PSI, reset to 10, then 3 days later back to 18 PSI, that is when you get a new MM regulator.
KB

[djc]

Ok, that might be a new high water mark for confusing posts. With a properly working regulator you set it and it stays at that value. You don't set it and wait for creep. The value that matters is when the tank valve is open and pressure is being applied to the keg. You should be able to set 12 at that point and it will be 12 when you come back. If it isn't, the regulator needs to be rebuilt, or in the case of a crappy no name regulator, thrown away.

[Kchad917]

djc,
With a MM regulator maybe but with the Igloo regulator I don't know: [ATTACH=CONFIG]n137543[/ATTACH]
I have a Haier regulator that when I turned the main tank valve off, next day the gauge would read 8 PSI, turn regulator valve off, back to 0, next day, same thing, I could never set PSI when valve was off (as others have done with MM regulators). I would set PSI to 12, 24 hours later I'd be 14 PSI, Chinese POS if you ask me.

Kevin,
Yes, set at 12 PSI at first, if it rises to 14 PSI in 24 hours, then that is what the pressure settled at. I don't think it was 12 PSI for 24 hours, then all of a sudden when checked the next day it rose to14 PSI, it probably creeped up slowly over a several minutes to hour. Right now main thing is you get the actual temperature, check carbornation table and set PSI to v/v of beer (this is balance). With 10 feet of line, clean gear and internal air circulation (all you need at first is a small slow fan), you should pour a good 2nd glass.
The only time you have problem with creep is if you find it continually creeps higher and higher, say if you set @12, the 2 days later it is 18 PSI, reset to 10, then 3 days later back to 18 PSI, that is when you get a new MM regulator.
KB

Ok so I took your advice and now have a bigger problem I think, setting up the old keg that was in it. When I turned the pressure adjusted the needle moved smooth to 12 psi with no problem, beer flowed fast and everything was good. It's was just old miller lite which I don't like and was testing everything you told me, getting foam and what not.
On to a new keg and new co2 doing exactly what you told me to do. First thing I noticed after attaching new co2, the new didn't move when I turned the adjuster more less just bounce to a setting then creeped up. And now when I pour a beer I lose pressure, from 12 to about 8-9. I hope the reg didn't take a poop within 2 weeks of having this thing

[Kchad917]

Could it be because I just tapped the keg and didn't give it a chance to fully pressurize?

[djc]

The keg is pressurized when you get it, so there is no waiting time for it to come up. The regulator still sounds like an issue. All name brands have rebuild kits. If it is a no name, better to invest in a nice new one.

[Kchad917]

Ok so this is where I'm at right now, I think I'm going to purchase a regulator

Igloo frb200
Coors light 1/4 keg
Beer temp = 38*
Cooler temp= 32*
Pressure = 14 psi (per forced carb chart)
Line length = 5 feet

Beer temp was taken on second pour and got 38* had about 4 inches of foam, there is no foam in the lines at all, my location is 258 feet above sea level, every pour is about 4-5 inches of foam then the beer has to sit then I get about half a glass, beer also tastes very flat. Regulator is set to 14 drops to 12 when poured then has to be re adjusted back to 14. The reg is coming out no matter what.