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Beer pumps required for 80' trunk line? Or Beer gas?

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  • Beer pumps required for 80' trunk line? Or Beer gas?

    A customer of mine is rehabbing a restaurant that closed a few years ago. They we're trying out the glycol system for the 5 line trunk line, the glycol leaked out all over the floor by the taps, only problem, the trunk line is in the wall. No possible way to get to the line, so there is no way to find out where the leak is occurring. Further inspection of the old trunk line, the insulation is severely brittle, the lines do look like they were cleaned by the former owner, but I'm recommending to install a new trunk line.

    The keg fridge is plenty big enough, pretty standard setup. They want to put 3 or 4 sixtels on, 1 or 2 half bbls on tap. No fobs, so I'm suggesting they put those on obviously.

    The question I have, is to go with a beer pump or not. There is an air compressor to run the beer pumps. The lines go about 10' up into a spacious attic, then travel about 60' vertically to the bar area, then drops down about 10' to the taps (this will be with the new line, not in the walls, gonna run most of it in their attic space...it will be glycol chilled). The other option I was considering is using beer gas to push the beer (as opposed to beer pumps), run at a higher pressure. My experience with beer gas in my brewery was the beer went flatter in my 10 bbl serving tanks...so I'm not in the beer gas fan club. But if I'm just pushing a sixtel, I'm thinking beer gas may be a viable option to consider.

    So basically, for a 90' draw system, beer gas or beer pump?

    My vote is pump, but want the collective groups input.

    Thanks!

    Kurt Borchardt
    Artisanal Brew Works

  • #2
    I don't see where there is any question here. We run 2 45' lines from 12 kegs to two service stations using beer pumps. Nothing else would work as well nor be as simple. We get the best pours in the area.

    Beer pumps. I'd go with beer pumps for anything longer than a simple shadow-box situation.
    Timm Turrentine

    Brewerywright,
    Terminal Gravity Brewing,
    Enterprise. Oregon.

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    • #3
      I use beer pumps for a much shorter a run than yours. Beers pour perfect. Don't have much direct experience for anything that long though but I will say that everything I read and researched prior to (and subsequent to) installation suggest that for anything that long, pumps are the only option, or the best option anyway.
      Dave Cowie
      Three Forks Bakery & Brewing Company
      Nevada City, CA

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      • #4
        I would third beer pumps. In my experience beer gas is pretty finiky and for a lot of runs needs a custom blend to keep carbonation levels just right.
        Pumps are just easier to work with and much easier to dial in than beer gas.

        Cheers
        Manuel

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        • #5
          Another point to consider re: mixed gas: Nitrogen, unlike CO2, is not a condensing gas. This means that you get a lot less gas in a cylinder, hence more frequent cylinder changes and more to store, or you go with a nitrogen generator--another expensive piece of equipment to purchase, locate, and maintain.

          Beer pumps are looking, cheaper, eh?
          Timm Turrentine

          Brewerywright,
          Terminal Gravity Brewing,
          Enterprise. Oregon.

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          • #6
            Beer gas

            We're using a 60N/40CO2 cylinder beer gas on a 90ft line(8taps). Pushing at 18-20psi from our single wall brite tanks. Cold room is 39F and line chiller is at 34F I believe. No problems at the tap.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by Humulus16 View Post
              We're using a 60N/40CO2 cylinder beer gas on a 90ft line(8taps). Pushing at 18-20psi from our single wall brite tanks. Cold room is 39F and line chiller is at 34F I believe. No problems at the tap.
              What pressure are you dispensing at? This is the only variable missing from the equation.

              Sent from my SPH-L720T using Tapatalk

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              • #8
                Sorry, what diameter are the lines and what length choker are you using. At a beer fest, excuse my incorrect first guess.

                Sent from my SPH-L720T using Tapatalk

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