A better keg hose?

[Beer-lord]

I plan on trying these in the next month or so as I keep seeing this pop up in many places so I'm thinking it must be at least, possible.
http://www.birdmanbrewing.com/accuflex- ... -shipping/
If you buy 50 or 100 feet, it's on sale and includes free shipping. 50 feel works out to .58/foot and 100 feet works out to .40/foot.

This tubing is a favorite among the homebrewing and kegging crowds for its ability to inhibit taste and odor permeation.

From the manufacturer: Unsurpassed oxygen and flavor protection combined with flushability in a co-extruded tube.

Flushable Glas-Flex™ liner - allows changeovers from even the most pungent flavors with simple flushing procedures.
NSF-Certified products - certified under standard NSF-51 for food equipment and NSF-61 for drinking water systems.
Dual-Barrier construction - flushable Glas-Flex™ inner liner surrounded by a seamless extruded barrier layer in a coextruded polyolefin tube.

This is a semi-rigid tubing. The easiest way to install this tubing on the end of a beer shank is by using Birdman Brewing part ACCU-SHANK. To install on an MFL threaded keg disconnect, use Birdman Brewing part ACCU-MFL.

To install on barbed fittings, we recommend soaking this semi-rigid tubing in boiling water for approximately 30 seconds to soften prior to pressing firmly on a 3/16" hose barb. (A 1/4" barb can also work by widening the tubing opening a little more.) Alternatively, a heat gun works well to make the tubing soft. We've also found that a small needle nose pliers can be effective at expanding the opening. We recommend securing the tubing with a hose clamp to ensure it is leak proof.

I really think that after 2 years, even with regular cleaning, mine are starting to affect the taste since it takes about a month after I keg for my beer to taste really good while the bottles are fine right away. I think that the beer that sits in the line for so long can definitely affect the taste and seeing how I want to change mine now anyway, I might as well grab 50 feet of this and have a go at it when I can find some time.

[Kealia]

I'll one up you and reference the lines MoreBeer is promoting now:

Ultra Barrier Silver™ Antimicrobial and PVC Free Beer Tubing

The unique silver lining used in Ultra Barrier Silver has been proven to be 100% effective against the top 4 beverage spoiling bacteria for up to 2,000 liters of flow. The tubing is also PVC and BPA free, standards observed in Europe for years for beer tubing that are just recently being followed in the USA.

The tubing was lab tested by the famed Weihenstephan University in Germany and then prior to release was tested for years at The New Belgium Brewery.

Antimicrobial - 100% effective against top 4 beverage spoiling bacteria
PVC Free and BPA Free - Contains no DEHP, phthalates or other plasticizers
Environmentally friendly production = does not emit dioxins
Extremely low extractable / extremely low leachables
High flexibility
Remains flexible at lower temperatures
Ultra-low permeability
Barrier properties
Temperature range of -40 to 125° F

Sold by the foot. 3/16" is the best size for most beer lines under 9' in length. Ideally, 6' provides the correct restriction for serving beer in the 8-14 psi range.

Technical Specifications: 3/16" line provides 2.2 lbs of restriction per foot. Ideally pounds of resistance should equal pounds of applied pressure. 3/16" line holds 1/6 of an ounce per foot. PVC Free. 7/16" OD

Only $1.23/foot if buy 100 feet. Otherwise it's $1.69/foot

[Kealia]

I really think that after 2 years, even with regular cleaning, mine are starting to affect the taste since it takes about a month after I keg for my beer to taste really good while the bottles are fine right away. I think that the beer that sits in the line for so long can definitely affect the taste and seeing how I want to change mine now anyway, I might as well grab 50 feet of this and have a go at it when I can find some time.

I think you'll be surprised at how dingy they look once you take them off. I just did mine after about a year and they were nowhere near clear anymore when compared to the new lines - even though they looked clear/clean when I ran PBW and StarSan through them after each batch. It just builds up "stuff".

I don't know if my beer tastes better but I *think* it does and therefore it does. So there.

[Beer-lord]

I don't know if my beer tastes better but I *think* it does and therefore it does. So there.

That only works for you because you are a mental giant!

I use BLC (beer line cleaner-get it?) with warm water then 2 rinses with cold water.My lines look reasonably good but I've noticed that there is a flavor that is pretty much the same in all my beers from the keg. I have some picnic taps and this weekend I'm going to do some tests by using new/seldom used picnic taps vs. the keg taps and see what and others notice. (see what i did there, found a valid reason to drink beer. Now who's the mental giant?)

[Kealia]

I bow in deference to your mental skills. You're like that Sicilian in The Princess Bride!

<waves hand> These aren't the beers you are looking for....</waves hand>

[Beer-lord]

Does a new line make my beer taste better than my over 2 year old tap hoses even if they are cleaned regularly? Why yes, it does make a difference.
I grabbed my session beer in 2 identical glasses, same size pour....1 from the tap and the other from a brand new picnic tap. The picnic tap definitely has a better nose and a noticeable cleaner taste. My kegged beer has been giving me a somewhat yeasty taste or maybe stale is a better word. But, as it warmed up AND, the longer the beer is in the keg, it tastes better. I assume the new beer saturates the hose after it's been kegged for a while and maybe that's why it's better than when fresh???????
I've tried to keep all my dark beers on 1 tap and the other 2 taps for lighter beers but it has not been 100%.

Sadly, I need to do more testing. I'll opine letter if I can remember that I started this thread.

[FrozenInTime]

Yea, I suppose it's time to change the hoses. How often do y'all change the line from the regulator to keg?

[Beer-lord]

I've never in the 26 months I've had the kegerator. And for me, the tri tap is going to be a pain in the arse but I figure it's worth it.
From the tons of reading I've done, many say it's just to cheap not to change them every year so based on that, I'm long overdue.

[Inkleg]

How often do y'all change the line from the regulator to keg?

Are you talking about the gas hose?

[Beer-lord]

I missed that too. I don't think the gas hose needs changing much at all if there are no leaks.

[Kealia]

I've never changed my gas hose, and that's been a while now since I was using picnic taps before going to the kegerator.

For whatever reason, I don't feel like they need to be changed either.

[Beer-lord]

I finally had some time so I took the tri tap apart, and used the new Accuflex Bev hose. I had 5 feet of 'regular' hose and I was told to use 15 ft of this hose. Man, is my tiny kegerator a spider web of a mess. You do need to add a bit more pressure with this hose.
Taking apart the tri tap with hardly any room to work was a chore. I had to buy a special wrench to be able to reach the nuts since they are so close together. $19.......then, getting this rigid hose on the 1/4" barbs of the taps was another pain. Had to buy a heat gun because hot water wouldn't soften it up enough. $25.....then I had to put it all back together and working with 3 very rigid hoses in a tiny tower with each of them being 15 feet was a PITA. This was surely the hardest thing I've ever done in my brewing span.
I'm glad it's over. My wife laughed at me because I was talking to myself, cursing and dancing around in pain! Supposedly I'll never have to change these again.

And, I decided to replace the taps with updated Perlicks and these are sweet. No drip, smooth and sexy.

[Kealia]

Do you have a standard tower? I know working with just my two is a PITA so I can only imagine how tight 3 is.

Which Perlicks did you get? I have the 525s and love them. I heard they were discontinuing them, though.

[Beer-lord]

I had the 525's but updated to the 630. So smooth you think you are at a fancy bar!
Just grabbed some from the tap. So far, PERFECT!
This is the one I have updated with the 630's. http://www.birdmanbrewing.com/premium-d ... le-faucet/
Brian, the owner, even answers emails at night an weekends. You can't expect that kind of service anywhere!

I still have a right hand full of cuts but the PBW today seemed to close them up.

[Inkleg]

I still just have picnic taps.

But I have 6 of them.