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This component of the program is designed to make the most technical aspect of installing a beer system quick and easy On Tap will assist you with the process of determining the lift, drop, and run of your system and then balance it for you. You need not know any more than this, but we will explain anyway.
"System balancing" entails selecting the correct combination of beer line sizes and lengths so that your system will be balanced. In a balanced system the keg's applied pressure equals the systems resistance to beer flow. The applied pressure is used to maintain the correct carbonation level in the beer and the beer line restriction is used to maintain correct flow rate.
The applied pressure usually comes in the form of compressed CO2 (carbon dioxide) or N2 (nitrogen) or a mixture of both. (These are discussed in more depth in the Notes component of On Tap) A regulator is attached to the compressed gas tank, and adjusted to the correct applied pressure. On Tap will calculate the applied pressure for you based on the cooler temperature you enter and the brand of keg you are installing. On Tap will also calculate the proper ratios if a gas blender is used and recommend beer pumps when necessary.
Next, On Tap will calculate the specifications for all of your beer lines to introduce the correct amount of "frictional resistance." The frictional resistance (resistance beer encounters while flowing through the lines) added to the static resistance (positive or negative resistance caused by the beer flow working with or against gravity that On Tap calculates based on the lift or drop you enter) will equal the applied pressure. The beer's pressure will equal the applied pressure at the tap and will gradually reduce to zero at the faucet.
Often each keg's beer line will need to be made from one or two lengths of different sized beer line spliced together. Lines are spliced together using "hose unions." The larger of these lines must always be connected to the keg tap, and the smaller line connected to the faucet. These lines must then be kept cold with a cooling system.
When beer lines are not properly balanced, they either have too much resistance or not enough resistance. Over-restricted lines cause beer to pour slowly and unevenly often causing excessive foam and slow service. Under restricted lines cause the beer to pour wildly because they allow CO2 to escape into them.
No system will ever require more than two line sizes. With glycol systems, because of the way the beer lines are bundled with the glycol lines and enclosed in an insulated trunk, it is not practical to use more than one size of line. In this case simply choose Glycol / Freon / H2O trunkline and we will choose the best single line size for your system and calculate the additional choker or extra length needed to perfect the balancing. This slack may be taken up in a cooler.
It is necessary to keep the beer a consistent temperature from the keg to the faucet. Temperature fluctuations can cause excessive foam and if the temperature is allowed to increase on its way to the faucet, the beer may become too warm for customer preference. Therefore a cooling system must be implemented to cool the beer lines for the entire run. After selecting the options listed on this screen, On Tap will calculate the necessary diameter for ducting for your system and we will calculate the minimum required blower size in cubic feet per minute. (cfm) If you have selected a glycol cooling system, On Tap will tell you the recommended pump size.
After you have designed your system, On Tap will generate a list of parts that are required to build the system. This parts list is modifiable and can help you put together an accurate bid within minutes.
