Top Ten Most
Frequently Asked Questions
- #10 - Must I always use Brewery Approved Beer Line? Answer
- #9 - Economics of Draft Beer? Answer.
- #8 - What up with Gas Cylinders? Answer
- #7 - What about beer kegs? Answer
- #6 - How long will a keg of beer last? Answer.
- #5 - Do I have to clean my beer system? Answer.
- #4 - What pressure should I set the CO2 (or beer gas) regulator? Answer
This pressure is set to maintain the beer's equilibrium. System line resistance must
be tailored to meet the require flow rance of 100 to 140 ounces per minute by
trimming the system's line resistance.
- #3 - What is my total draft system line pressure drop? Answer
The knowledge of the total system resistance is very useful in complex systems to
determine where a problem lies. This pressure must be trimmed to set a proper flow
rate between 100 and 140 ounces per minute at the required applied pressure to
maintain beer's CO2 Equilibrium.
- #2 - HOw do I balance a draft beer system knowing the flow rate, pressure drop and equilibrium presure? Answer
- #1 - What beer keg couplers are there and which one should I use? Answer
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Types of
Beer Keg Couplers, Connectors & Taps
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There are many types of beer connectors used in the draft beer keg world. Some kegs used outside the Americas may have different ones then these.
- The System "D" Standard American Sankey coupler is the most common in The Americas. It comes in lever handle or wing handle styles but we do not sell the cheaper wing version usually provided by department stores catering to the homeowner and not the commercial industry where quality counts.
- The System "S" European keg coupler is a close relative of the The System "D" coupler but has a longer probe.
- The System "G" or Grundy keg coupler used on Bass, Watneys and some Irish brews is totally different than the System "D" and System "S" coupler.
- The System "U" or U/E.C. coupler for Guinness and Harps single valve kegs is also a unique coupler for very specific kegs
- The System "A" or Flat Top German keg coupler is also a unique coupler for very specific kegs such as Spaten & Paulaner.
- The twin-probe (2-probe or dual probe) is used by small breweries, microbreweries, brew pubs and winemakers.
- The Golden Gate used for most antique kegs used by some homebrewers and very small breweries who have not yet converted to single valve kegs. If you have this type of keg it will cost you $200 for the pair of antique taps so buy a new keg.
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All About CO2 Cylinders
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 Physical Size of Aluminum CO2 Cylinders, Bottles & Tanks
All dimensions rounded to next higher integer |
liquid CO2
Capacity
(US Pounds) | Diameter
(inches) | Height
(inches) | Empty Weight
(pounds) |
| 2.5 | 5 | 13 | 5 |
| 5 | 6 | 19 | 8 |
| 10 | 7 | 21 | 16 |
| 20 | 8 | 28 | 21 |
50
Not shown | 8 | 53 | 54
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How Many kegs can I get from a CO2 cylinder last? A good rule of thumb is you should count on at least 1 ½ Keg per pound of CO2 assuming no leaks, blow offs or over carbonation due to excessive pressure settings.
Because CO2 is a liquid in your cylinder the pressure reading on your high pressure gauge will tell you nothing but the air temperature until the liquid in the tank runs out. When the liquid is gone the high pressure reading will start to indicate less pressure as the little remaining CO2 gas in the cylinder is used. In most cases this is too late to order a new cylinder. If beer flow is important be sure to have a second cylinder with an automatic changeover valve to insure no loss of flow.
The only way to tell how much CO2 remains in a cylinder is by weighing it. Any number of pounds over the TW (empty weight) stamped on the next of the bottle indicates the amount of CO2 remaining. e.g. An empty 50 pound aluminum cylinder has a TW of 53 stamped on its neck so if it weighs 72 pounds it contains 72-53 or 19 pounds of CO2 remain in the cylinder.
The most convenient place to get a cylinder refilled is at a local welding supply or an industrial gas supplier. There are only two grades of CO2: Medical and Everything Else. Beverages use the Everything Else kind. In fact you cannot get a Medical cylinder or a refill of a Medical cylinder without a doctors prescription.
A normal cylinder must be re certified every 5 years in order to be filled legally. Your gas supplier will do this for you automatically. |
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- All keg measurements are in US inches.
For metric measurements multiply by 2.54 to obtain cm.
- Diameters measurements include ¼" keg to wall clearance.
- All liquids are in US Gallons.
- All can numbers are for standard 12 US Fluid Ounce cans
These are rounded off to closest whole can.
- We do not sell kegs.
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| Various Types of Kegs used in the Americas |
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| Keg Description and Type | Diameter
| Height
w/o coupler | Height
w/coupler | Height
w/8012 LowBoy |
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| ½ US Sankey - 15.5 US Gallons | 16½ | 23¼ | 29 | 23½ |
| ¼ US Sankey - 7.75 US Gallons | 16½ | 13¾ | 19 | 14 |
| Slim ¼ US Sankey - 7.75 US Gallons | 11¾ | 23¼ | 29 | 23½ |
| 1/6 Pony US Sankey - 5 US Gallons | 9¾ | 23¼ | 29 | 23½ |
| Beer Sphere - 5 US Gallons | 15 | 15 | 18 | N/A |
| 5 liter Party Keg - 1.3 US Gallons | 7 | 10 | 15 | N/A |
| Pepsi Ball lock 5 US Gallons | 9 | 25 | 28 | N/A |
| Coke Pin Lock 5 US Gallons | 9 | 23 | 27 | N/A |
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BREWERY APPROVED BEER LINE |
brewery approved beer line comes in two types: Vinyl Tubing and Polyethylene Barrier Tubing. Do not be fooled into using the cheap tubing found in home brew ships and department stores. They are not intended for beer and will cause foam and possible leach chemicals and off flavors into your beer.
Always use brewery approved beer line if you want to have foam free, fresh tasting beer. Many a great beer was spoiled by serving it through a plastic tube from the hardware or discount store. If you use the plain vinyl tubing in your beer tap system you will wind up with a foamy, off-tasting beer. |
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Number of Glasses of Beer in a keg
All quantities are for ¼ kegs - numbers in ( ) are for ½ kegs.
Actual number of glasses will vary with the shape of the glasses. |
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Glass
size | No
head | ½ inch
head | ¾ inch
head | 1 inch
head |
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| 8 Oz. | 124 (248) | 143 (286) | 158 (317) | 168 (355) |
| 10 Oz. | 99 (198) | 114 (228) | 123 (246) | 132 (264) |
| 12 Oz. | 83 (165) | 102 (204) | 95 (190) | 110 (220) |
| 16 Oz. | 62 (124) | 71 (143) | 76 (153) | 82 (164) |
| 19 Oz. Mug | 52 (104) | 57 (115) | 62 (125) | 68 (136) |
60 Oz.
Pitcher | 17 (33) | 18 (36) | 20 (39) | 21 (43) |
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BREWERY APPROVED BEER LINE |
brewery approved beer line comes in two types: Vinyl Tubing and Polyethylene Barrier Tubing. Do not be fooled into using the cheap tubing found in home brew ships and department stores. They are not intended for beer and will cause foam and possible leach chemicals and off flavors into your beer.
Always use brewery approved beer line if you want to have foam free, fresh tasting beer. Many a great beer was spoiled by serving it through a plastic tube from the hardware or discount store. If you use the plain vinyl tubing in your beer tap system you will wind up with a foamy, off-tasting beer. |
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Economics of owning a Draft Beer System |
For the Commercial Bar and Pub Owner |
If you are interested in the cost benefits of a draft beer system just look at the home owners example below and substitute your costs into it but the real value is in offering your customers cold, great tasting fresh beer from attractive dispensers.
Draught beer not only will make you money but think of the other advantages:
- Real customer appeal
- No unsanitary empty bottles to deal with
- No wasted storage space
- Automatic methods for inventory control are available
- More ways to sell in various sizes of glasses and pitchers
- Less work for your bartenders
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For the Home Owner |
Lets look at the math:
- If your household consumes 2 cases of beer a week.
- The average price of a case of beer is $18.95 while the average price of a ½ keg of the same beer is $55.00.
- Your case price if you buy kegs will be less than $8.00 a case.
- Your Savings: $21.90 a week.
- At that saving you will pay for a KegMan Deluxe Refrigerator Conversion Kit at 166.61 in less than EIGHT (8) weeks. This number does not include the CO2 cylinder you get at a local supplier.
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Draft Beer Shelf Life |
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Real draft beer is not pasteurized and must be kept refrigerated between 35°F. and 40°F. at all times.
Above 43°F. a beer will become wild, turn sour & cloudy in a few days. Below 43°F. a keg of draft beer should last 20-30 days before it loses its fresh brewery taste and aroma.
Craft beers (micro brews) tend to have a shorter shelf life and you should contact the brewery for their recommendations.
Note: Kegs kept in walk in food fridges should be protected from the constant walk in traffic in busy kitchens. Constant traffic can change the temperatures of the kegs and mess up the balance causing foam and lost profits.
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System Cleaning
Draft Beer System Cleaning Schedule |
Why Clean Your Lines?
Bar managers know that a draft beer system should be cleaned at least once a week to maintain a clean fresh taste and keep customers happy.
More important did you know that mandatory cleaning is the law in most states?
For example:
- The Connecticut Liquor Control Board and most other states and provinces. Law S 30-6-A23: Draft beer system lines must be cleaned every 7 days.
- Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission. Law 2.05 CMR: Draft beer system lines must be cleaned twice each week.
Homeowners should also keep their systems clean to prevent off tastes and foam. Did you know that a few missed cleanings can cause your faucet and coupler to lock up and break.
Cleaning should be done with the chemicals developed for the brewing industry. Sanitizer do not clean and detergents & soaps kill a beers head.
Look at Cleaning Equipment and Direct Draw Cleaning, Professional Single Line Cleaning or Professional Gang Cleaning Instructions for all the information on cleaning your draft beer tap system regularly. Most states require beer line cleaning once a week. Some states require it twice a week. Dirty lines and faucets are breading grounds for molds, bacteria, and beer stones which make for off-tasting, smelly, foamy draft beer.
The KegMan recommends you clean your system with B*L*C* at least once a month for the home units and every week for the bar and tavern. The KegMan recommends you use B*L*C* instead of the other stronger cleaners. B*L*C* "Green Top" for home and direct draw cleaning, "Black Top" for long and cold line cleaning and Penetrate for ball parks, stadiums and other facilities where lines have been unused for extended periods of time.
When cleaning the faucet it is important to give special attention to the small hole on the underside of the spout. It is a great place for mold to grow in.
Commercial establishments should clean, or have their taps cleaned, every week to insure fresh clean beer for their customers and compliance with local and state regulations. Most states have laws governing the time allowed to go between cleaning. Home users can depend on taste to determine what their cleaning schedule should be but under no circumstances should they neglect their beer tap systems for more than a one month period. Bars pubs, restaurants & Taverns may contact us by using the contact link at the top of the page for all their tap repair service & beer tap cleaning equipmentrequirements. | | Back to Top of Page |
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Balancing a Draft Beer System |
Balance in a draught beer system is very important. Most faucet are designed to flow best at around 120 ounces per minute and will produce a fine glass of beer at this rate. Rates from 100 to 140 is a good bracket to maintain. The higher the flow the less time to fill
a pitcher but foam may require a lower rate to avoid waste.
In order to achieve this flow rate two things must be considered. First, the applied pressure to maintain the beers CO2 Equilibrium at the place where the brewer has designed it. Second, the line must be the proper resistance to achieve the proper 120 oz/min flow.
e.g. If the applied pressure of the keg is required to be 8.7 psi for equilibrium but the flow proves to be too slow at that pressure the line resistance must be reduced to allow the proper flow. This usually requires trimming the choke line to increase the flow (shortening the choke.)
e.g. If the applied pressure of the keg is to be 19 psi but that caused the flow to be 160 ounces per minute and that is too fast the line resistance must be increased to allow the proper flow. This usually requires adding to the length of the choke line to decrease the flow.
Balancing is really very simple when upi know the Beer Line is correct, the Pressure is set properly and the beer is flowing at 120 oz per minute. (16 oz in 8 seconds).
Never set the regulator pressure to match the line resistance. Trim the line resistance to provide the proper flow for the required regulator setting. Trimming is always done by adjusting the choke line length just before the faucet shank and not at the keg end.
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