Pushing Star San with CO2 is my preferred method of purging. Unless you are doing a completely closed transfer of beer under CO2 pressure, you are always going to get a little air into the keg. As long as you are not splashing your beer into the keg when kegging, you really have little to worry about with oxidation.

Wayne
Bugeater Brewing Company

Will having two check valves work extra good or not at all?

I'm almost done completing my set up, and I just need a regulator and a full tank of Co2. I was thinking of getting this (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 3DWatching) and two of the Ball Check Valves from Northern Brewer (K125) to use the 1/4" MFL connections instead of barbs.

Whattaya guys think about that?

Thanks, I'm another brand-newbie-un of kegging.

To pressure check, I like to just spray all connections with StarSan, it bubbles like crazy if you have a leak. I also replaced ALL rubber with new parts and break down/reassemble every-time I kick a keg. It's too easy to do to cut the corner. Been kegging less than 1-year if you have FNG questions...I am still living them.

Found a catalog online that is pretty comprehensive in draft parts and pieces to give you ideas on potential kegging setups.

http://www.foxxequipment.com/cart/pic/beerbook.pdf

Just got my first kegging system last night and will be playing with it later this week. The videos that were linked to where VERY helpfull!

I have a question about the food grade lubricant. How important/needed is it? The LHBS didn't mention it and I'm wondering if it's something that is useful if you find a leak, or if you guys recommend it every time you break down and clean it.

Well, KY and Astroglide aren't necessarily food grade, but that has never stopped any chicks from my past. Lube is very important...

Oh, you are talking about kegging... yes, keg lube is also very important there. I lube up the gas in, beer out, and lid o-ring whenever I fill up a keg. A little goes a long way.


Mylo

Hey thanks for those links. They were great. From the first link, I took the two major calculations and threw them in excel and made an easy to use spreadsheet that you just type in the keg temp, desired volumes, select your ID line diameter, and type in the distance from your keg to the faucet. It regurgitates your needed beer line length and your PSI reading needed. Nothing too fancy, but convenient nonetheless.
Email me at gfleehart@merkleinc.com if you want it and I'll send it to you.
Cheers!

From using these equations, if you are storing your beer at 40*F and want to get a roughly balanced system, get a 10' 3/16" tube for 4 volumes, a 6' for 3 volumes, a 1.5'-2' for 2 volumes, and a 6 incher or less for those "cask" styles (you would have to use a cobra tap for this one). This is assuming 0-2 feet from keg to faucet.
So if you got a 10', 6', 2', and 6", you would be able to have a semi-balanced system for anything from Belgian Triples to Southern English Browns. Just select the line that is best for your volume and you would be good to go.
Cheers!