Proper length of the 3/16 beer line

[golferguy]

I have seen many posts regarding foam issues and one fix is always make sure you have 5ft of beer line. Just curious why 5 is the magic number? I have also seen others with 6ft lines. I have 5ft on mine and still have some foam issues. I am curious if going to 6ft would help.

My kegarator is down now while waiting for my new thermostat to arrive. I am pondering this and would like anyone's opinion.

thanks, Bob

[Stefan]

I think it has to do with the tempurature and the CO2 pressure. Longer beer line equals less resistance. So for beers that require higher C02 pressure, you need less resistance to compensate. I am learning about that now since I am having issues with my Franziskaner Hefe. But my explanation is not grounded in any kind of scientific fact. Just based on my experience.

Stefan

[GeoffH]

In my experience longer lines create more resistance. I found this out by plumbing a tap into my bathroom sink. Coiling also offers more resistance. As the line length increases so does the pressure needed for it to flow. The trick is to keep the gas dissolved in the beer but not to excess. If you drink fast enough you dont have to worry about over-carbonation

[yddraig]

If I recall correctly 3/16" beer line is about 2 lbs of resistance per foot, if you are dispensing at 10 psi you need 5 feet to create the proper back pressure for a foam free pour.

Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and good with Tabasco and home brew

[Scott Zuhse]

Always set your pressure to the keg based on the carbonation level in volumes, temperature and elevation. Then you can worry about beer line. Different values of 3/16" are used by folks in the industry. If you determine that you have a 2.5 vol. beer at 38 F at sea level, you should set pressure at 14 PSIG. A strong recommendation would be to install five or even six feet of 3/16" ID tubing and cut back in four to five inch increments until you are with flow rate.

Techs will leave the line unclamped at the fitting at the top of the coupler. Once you are , clamp.

Scott Zuhse, Instructor Micro Matic Dispense Institute