How to set up multiple kegs

[ThomEHof]

Hope this question makes sense. I am about to pull the trigger on kegging and convert an old upright freeze. I will probabl;y start with two kegs and want to expand to three. My question is how to set these up. Do you have to buy a manifold, or can a keg remain disconnected in the Keezer while you use the CO2 for the other.

Confused in Cleveland

 

[mrbubbly]

it can definitely be left disconnected, the reason for a manifold is to be able to dispense multiple beers at once, i will be using a picnic tap and swapping manually myself..

 

[AnOldUR]

the reason for a manifold is to be able to dispense multiple beers at once

. . . or to carb more than one keg at a time using "set and forget."

At the minimum, get a splitter. They're cheap and you can serve from one keg while the other is carbing.

 

[ThomEHof]

So what is the difference between a splitter and a manifold then?

 

[kpr121]

I believe manifolds generally have shut off valves at each outlet, allowing you to only leave on the lines you want.

I bought a 4-way manifold and my CO2 was dead in 5 days. For the life of me I could not find the leak. So I went back to my old splitters.

 

[Changeduser123]

Manifolds offers some advantages to a simple splitter:

* You could get a 3 way (or more) manifold now, but have only 2 gas lines now, and leave the 3rd outlet closed until you decide to expand.
* If you have a leaking Quick Disconnect, or need to change a CO2 line, you can close the corresponding manifold, without having to shut down the whole system.
* Manifolds (at least the one I have from kegconnection) do have check valves on each outlet. It means that beer will not go up in your CO2 line and damage your regulator. This could happen if you fill your keg too much, and if the keg pressure is higher than the line pressure. Purging the keg before connecting the CO2 line will avoid this too.

 

[TheBroonery]

I've seen a regulator with male tank valve threads on the left side where the tank pressure gauge would be, so that you can attach this regulator to your tank and piggyback your existing regulator off it, giving you a dual regulator setup. Does anyone know who sells these? They're available from Micromatic, but for whatever reason they cost more than a dual gauge regulator.

If the extra cost is due to demand, they could make an adapter that fits into the gauge socket on a regular dual gauge regulator body and not have to cast a separate body. I would expect the cost to be closer to a single-gauge primary, not significantly more than a dual-gauge. (from MicroMatic, at least)

 

[rustbucket]

i built a manifold out of some black pipe nipples, tee's, and 1/4" barbs... works really well, in all i think i spent less than 10 dollars on it.

and doing that you can always expand if you need too.

 

[lumpher]

get simple plastic tee's that plug into the hoses

 

[NickN72]

The plastic tee's are what i did. I have 3 kegs in my keezer. I just put 2 tee's in my main co2 line and hooked up a couple more hoses with disconnects. You can unhook the keg and the disconnect will shut off the co2 flow anyway. This could be a problem if you have a leaking disconnect, other than that it works great.