Applied Pressure

The push required to propel the beer from a keg through a beer dispensing system. The Applied Pressure may be the same as the Ideal Gauge Pressure as in a kegerator beer system or it may be a much higher pressure needed to push the beer through a long draw glycol system. An Applied Pressure higher than the Ideal Gauge Pressure may over pressurize and require properly blended gas in order to avoid changing the flavor and quality of the beer in the keg.

CO2 Volume

A term used by Brewers to measure the amount of CO 2 (Carbon Dioxide) dissolved into each beer. In a Brewer’s recipe, there is a specification for the CO2 volumes. The CO2 volume in a beer determines the amount of CO2 that needs to be applied to the keg in order to maintain the characteristics of the beer.

Draft Beer

Beer in a keg, and dispensed through a faucet rather than in a bottle or can. The beer can be pasteurized or non-pasteurized, but should always be stored at and served at a Brewer’s recommended temperature to ensure maximum drinking pleasure.

Flow Rate

The rate at which the beer pours through the opened faucet of a beer dispensing system. The ideal flow rate for most beers is 2 ounces per second, 120 ounces per minute, nearly one gallon of beer per minute. The flow rate is influenced by the pressure applied to the keg, and by the amount of restriction built into the beer lines and hardware used in the beer dispensing system.

Gas Blender

A device used to mix gases together to push the beer from the keg without over or under pressurizing the beer in the keg. Beer industry standards specify blending CO2 and Nitrogen together. Recommended blenders are preset at the factory and require no adjustments. Gas Blenders are recommended for high volume accounts, as well as, accounts where temperature fluctuations are common, and there is a need for a high amount of pressure to push the beer from the keg to the faucet.

Ideal Gauge Pressure

The Ideal Gauge Pressure for any beer is the applied gas pressure matching the amount of CO2 in the beer. Some of the variables affecting the Ideal Gauge Pressure are elevation (atmospheric pressure), temperature, CO2 volume and the system operating pressure.

Restriction

The resistance beer encounters as it flows from a keg, through the tap, beer line and other hardware designed into a beer dispensing system. A beer system is considered to be in balance when Applied Pressure equals the Restriction and results in a Flow Rate of approximately one gallon of beer per minute. Restriction in a beer system comes from the type of beer line used and the size and length of that line, the gravity (lift or drop) in the system, the altitude at which the beer is dispensed, and the components used in the beer system.

Secondary Regulator

A regulator not connected directly to the gas source and normally located in the cooler. Typically, the Secondary Regulator is installed between the Primary Regulator and a keg coupler to enable the Ideal Gauge Pressure to be set for individual beer kegs.

Source: McDantim Gas Technologies