Draft Soda Line Question

[bhfd64]

Hello HBT,

I've read about a dozen threads on this forum regarding line length and co2 psi for soda. I've seen many people talking about 35 psi and 30ft of line. I'm finding an average resistance of 2.2psi/ft for 3/16 line. So to get from 35psi in the keg to 1psi at the tap at 2.2psi loss/ft you'd only need 15.5 ft of line. So what gives with everyone needing twice that?

Thanks for any insight.
Stephen

 

[jimmer]

Call me a heretic, but I carbonate my sodas at 23#, then reduce pressure after the CO2 sets to 13#for storage. I use a 3/16" line that's anywhere from 1' to 5' long. I keep my sodas in a refrigerator at around 40°.

I like mild carbonation, to me it's more drinkable. Frankly, I don't know what all the fuss is about— perhaps I'm an uncultured boor but it's not rocket science.

 

[homebrewer_99]

Call me a heretic, but I carbonate my sodas at 23#, then reduce pressure after the CO2 sets to 13#for storage. I use a 3/16" line that's anywhere from 1' to 5' long. I keep my sodas in a refrigerator at around 40°.

I like mild carbonation, to me it's more drinkable. Frankly, I don't know what all the fuss is about— perhaps I'm an uncultured boor but it's not rocket science.

I hear you. My line is not even 3' long.

 

[Atalanta]

I was wondering that myself. I'm going to add a corny of water to the kegerator and was wondering about these huge amounts of line people were saying. I was just going to use the same length I use for beer and see what happens. I made my own soda siphon with a 2 liter bottle, some tubing and a ball lock adapter (it works with both gas in and liquid out taps). To dispense, I have a party tap on the liquid out tap and that line is maybe 3 feet long.

 

[bleme]

I make my sodas at 30 psi. The line on my picnic tap is only 10 feet long. I used to lose quite a bit of carbonation filling at waist level but then I saw a thread around here about how height matters. If I hold the glass and tap over my head to fill, it pours so much better!