[syncopadence]

Just had a couple questions. First, is it ok to leave the lines in my keg fridge when I'm not using them/dispensing? Do I need insulation for them if I do? Or should I just remove the lines whenever I'm not dispensing? Second, what do you do right after dispensing? Do you clear the lines out and clean them? Is it ok to leave the beer in the lines until you finish the keg? Thanks for any help in advance!

[kramerog]

It seems that you are thinking about a lot of different scenarios.  Anyway here are my answers with my scenarios.

I generally keep kegs in my fridge or in a cold part of the basement attached to picnic taps most of the time.  I may insulate the line when I can't cool the line directly, e.g., at a picnic. When transporting a keg by car, I usually disconnect the taps to avoid accidentally opening the tap and avoid open container laws.  I reconnect the tap after spraying starsan on the connections.  Once the keg kicks I'll clean the line and tap when it is convenient, which could be weeks.

The only "disaster" I've had was accidentally putting a sour tap on a non-sour keg.

I hope this helps.

[syncopadence]

It seems that you are thinking about a lot of different scenarios.  Anyway here are my answers with my scenarios.

I generally keep kegs in my fridge or in a cold part of the basement attached to picnic taps most of the time.  I may insulate the line when I can't cool the line directly, e.g., at a picnic. When transporting a keg by car, I usually disconnect the taps to avoid accidentally opening the tap and avoid open container laws.  I reconnect the tap after spraying starsan on the connections.  Once the keg kicks I'll clean the line and tap when it is convenient, which could be weeks.

The only "disaster" I've had was accidentally putting a sour tap on a non-sour keg.

I hope this helps.

So you should actually keep the beer and gas lines cold?

[kramerog]

So you should actually keep the beer and gas lines cold?

The beer line should be kept cold ideally.  The reason why I insulate the line at a picnic is to reduce the amount of foam.  It doesn't matter for the gas line.

[Stevie]

Gas line temp is inconsequential. Warm beer lines make foam. Lines should be kept at the same temp as the beer. If inside, there is no point insulating them. If you are running them a distance outside of the fridge, insulation will help.

There is no point in disconnecting unless you are paranoid about faucet failures. That said, I've seen as many poppet failures as I have faucet failures.

My lines are not removable. Originally I thought about using flares everywhere so I could swap lines for different pressures, but this is way too much effort.

If this is a portable system, you should disconnect and clean as soon as you are done. I've seen some nasty picnic taps over the years.

[syncopadence]

Thanks guys, these were the droids I was searching for. Er.. Answers...

[brewinhard]

I've seen some nasty picnic taps over the years.

No doubt.  I just unscrewed the tops of two and had to clean out this funky "mung" that had been growing in the actual tap part itself. Never seemed to affect the beer though, thankfully.

[HoosierBrew]

I've seen some nasty picnic taps over the years.

No doubt.  I just unscrewed the tops of two and had to clean out this funky "mung" that had been growing in the actual tap part itself. Never seemed to affect the beer though, thankfully.

Yeah, they definitely harbor some crap. And can't be trusted to be left connected for long, either.

[banjo-guy]

So you should actually keep the beer and gas lines cold?

The beer line should be kept cold ideally.  The reason why I insulate the line at a picnic is to reduce the amount of foam.  It doesn't matter for the gas line.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[santoch]

If you built your own kegerator, or need to change out your gas lines, you should test for leaks using a soap solution.  Take some liquid dish soap and make some "bubble juice" by putting a tablespoon or so in a cup of water.

Apply the bubble juice liberally at all joints along your gas lines, starting at the CO2 tank and working your way all the way to the kegs.  Brush on the bubble juice and if there are CO2 leaks, you will see them because it will cause bubbles to form.

Whenever you see bubbles, tighten or replace and test again.
Then, wait a day and test it again.
Repeat this regimen daily until you no longer get any leaks twice in a row.

It really sucks if you don't know you are leaking and you go to pull a pint and your new 20lb tank is empty.  Ask me how I know.