DavidBoike
New Member
While I'm waiting for my first batch of beer, I tried making root beer with Sprechers syrup. I'm having a devil of a time getting the system balanced for that, however.
Now, I did my research. I looked specifically at this thread:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f95/root-beer-how-force-carb-77789/
So I know that sodas need to be carbed at 3.5-4.0 atmospheres, and with my keezer at 38 degrees that's about 25psi, and I know you need a LOT of 3/16" ID tubing to balance that out, and that the published estimates of resistance for 3/16 tubing of 3psi/foot are generally wrong.
To get a ~1psi pour, I first figured 24psi resistance to balance, divided by published 3psi/ft = 8ft, double that because estimates are wrong, and then add 2 ft because why not, to get 18 feet, and I was getting all foam and flat root beer, plus the cobra tap wasn't containing the pressure so I was getting excessive dripping.
So next I decided to take @Yooper's advice and appended an additional 14ft of tubing (with a double-barb joiner) to get 32 total feet root beer line. Yooper said 25-30ft but he was also talking about 35psi so I figured I would be more than fine, but I'm STILL shooting off a foam geyser!
How far do I go, or should I consider that something else might be wrong? Do I start to doubt that my regulator is accurate? Or just slap on another 30 feet and keep up this guess and check game?
Now, I did my research. I looked specifically at this thread:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f95/root-beer-how-force-carb-77789/
So I know that sodas need to be carbed at 3.5-4.0 atmospheres, and with my keezer at 38 degrees that's about 25psi, and I know you need a LOT of 3/16" ID tubing to balance that out, and that the published estimates of resistance for 3/16 tubing of 3psi/foot are generally wrong.
To get a ~1psi pour, I first figured 24psi resistance to balance, divided by published 3psi/ft = 8ft, double that because estimates are wrong, and then add 2 ft because why not, to get 18 feet, and I was getting all foam and flat root beer, plus the cobra tap wasn't containing the pressure so I was getting excessive dripping.
So next I decided to take @Yooper's advice and appended an additional 14ft of tubing (with a double-barb joiner) to get 32 total feet root beer line. Yooper said 25-30ft but he was also talking about 35psi so I figured I would be more than fine, but I'm STILL shooting off a foam geyser!
How far do I go, or should I consider that something else might be wrong? Do I start to doubt that my regulator is accurate? Or just slap on another 30 feet and keep up this guess and check game?
