Help me understand line length

[Maylar]

I have a Cannonball mini keg kit from Northern Brewer that came with a 3/16" x 5 ft liquid line. My cider is carbonated at 13 psi @ 38F which I think is typical and I get foam and not much bubbles in the cider.

From what I've read we need about 10 ft of line. So why do they only provide 5 ft in the kits?

And if I back the regulator off to 10 psi would the problem go away?

 

[MEPNew2Brew]

I believe that if you lower the serving pressure sufficiently you will eventually get your keg system properly balanced. But that will require that the cider in the keg become less carbonated, which it should eventually do under a lower serving pressure. But, then the cider will not be carbonated to where you like it.

My recommendation - by 12 feet of 3/16 line and start with that. If if pours too slowly at your desired serving pressure, then cut off six inches at a time until the pour is what you want.

 

[Maylar]

It just seems odd that all the premade liquid lines - ball lock to picnic tap - are 5 ft long.

 

[day_trippr]

Many, many beers ago, some ******* misinterpreted a tubing performance spec.
The rest is a sorry history of many, many dumbasses jamming that error into "line length calculators".

Fortunately, one wise soul did not buy into that mass stupidity...

http://www.mikesoltys.com/2012/09/17/determining-proper-hose-length-for-your-kegerator/

Cheers!