Air In My Beer Line

[elmo]

hi all well i am buggered! my beer has been under pressure of around 200kpa in a reconditioned brewcraft soda keg for the last few days, when i poor it is at 10kpa and i just get a glass of head. the beer line has a stack of air in it also. i have tryed to poor between 5kpa, 10, 15 and 20 all with the same result. if any1 can help i will toast you with teh first schooner i poor everytime. :icon_cheers: thanks all

 

[np1962]

I suspect you may have overcarbed your beer.
Try reading This and This.
See if the answers are there.
Cheers
Nige

 

[haysie]

Elmo, what are you pouring with? ki.e pluto? red handle on it? all black? tap? more info!! Though I doubt overcarbonation in a keg would be your issue, moreso the pouring apparatus.

 

[buttersd70]

Overcarbed, line too long for top pressure used, or leak at the post/diptube. 98% likelihood of overcarbed.

If the beer is overcarbonated, the top pressure (when at the lower pouring pressure) isn't enough to keep all that carb in solution. The result is that the beer will desaturate in the line itself, causing bubbles to form (particularly just in front of the post, and behind the tap/gun).

treat as per the articles that Nige linked to.

 

[elmo]

Elmo, what are you pouring with? ki.e pluto? red handle on it? all black? tap? more info!! Though I doubt overcarbonation in a keg would be your issue, moreso the pouring apparatus.

pictures attached and cheers 4 the links will have a good read of them

 

[Screwtop]

Overcarbed!

 

[elmo]

that sux dirty rotten brewcraft u follow the destructions and you get foam :angry:

 

[muckey]

I agree with screwy. after you've read the articles linked by nige, go out and vnt the pressure out of your keg. If you've got it in a fridge at around 4 degrees, its going to be way over carbed.

I normally run my setup at approx 80 -90 kpa with 2 metres of beer line to give the carbonation and pour that I'm after.

Oh, if you want help to vent the keg just ask butters, he'll vent it 1 glass at a time h34r:

 

[buttersd70]

My tip for new keggers is this...eliminate one of the variables, namely the carbonation of the keg. Either slow carb at serving pressure for a week, or alternatively, do a slow force carb....

set the gas on at serving pressure, lay the (serving temp) keg on the floor, sit on a chair in front of it with a good book, and roll the bugger back and forth with your foot for 20 minutes. Then put it back in the fridge, give it a few minutes to settle down, attach the tap, and away you go. At this point, it will be slightly under carbed, but definately drinkable. Better under than over. 24 hours on the gas and the carb will be perfect. It's impossible to over carbonate this way....and you know what the carbonation level is after 24 hours on, without any guess work at all. If you have any further pouring problems after that, you know that carbonation level isn't one of the variables, and you can hunt down the problem (which is usually either line length, or warm tap).

If you carb this way, make sure you have a non return on the line.......(but this applies for any force carb method) h34r:

The serving pressure should be constant, too...don't fiddle with it. Line length should be adjusted to suit the serving pressure, not the other way. Pressure depends on the carb level required, and the serving temperature. See crozdogs chart in the link from earlier.

edit, OT...

Oh, if you want help to vent the keg just ask butters, he'll vent it 1 glass at a time ph34r.gif

I can do it in record time, too. ^_^

 

[glaab]

and get thyself a backflow preventer valve, such like this---> http://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/details.asp?PID=738

 

[rock]

Had the same problem mate several times,bubbles in the line is not good! Thats co2 breaking out of the beer into the line..Sounds like over carbed to me as well, (disconnect the gas in)just release the pressure ,via the keg relief valve..wait a couple of hours and re pressure keg to serving pressure

 

[tomtoro]

that sux dirty rotten brewcraft u follow the destructions and you get foam :angry:

Mate, in my humble experience overcarbed beer isn't that hard to fix. All you need to do is the reverse of force carbing it.

Disconnect the gas. Pull the pressure release valve to purge the gas in the headspace of the keg. Shake the keg for 10 seconds then pull the pressure release valve again. Repeat about 3 times and your problems will be gone.

Of course you should go to the trouble of properly balancing your system as the others above have mentioned so that you don't constantly get this problem, but as a general rule:
1 - if your beer has too little bubble, connect the gas and shake some gas in
2 - if your beer has too much bubble, disconnect the gas and shake some gas out
3 - disregard rules 1 & 2 if you have a properly balanced system: simply connect the gas at serving pressure then wait

 

[avaneyk]

that sux dirty rotten brewcraft u follow the destructions and you get foam :angry:

Yep - had the same problem - they're instruction sheet should be ignored. Go with the info from Nige - easy to understand and easy to do.

Good luck,
Andrew.

 

[kc_ksom]

I think that you have the same problems I sometimes get. It looks as though you use the John guest fittings (spelling?) I do too and I have noticed that if the line is not coming out straight from the disconect it can let air into the line which is causing the bubbles, you can check this by moving the liquid line at the disconnect, I would say it may be the problem. my opinion anyway. worth a look!!!

regards

Casey Hilton

 

[Offline]

Hey kc_ksom,

I think you will find it very unlikely that air is getting in to your beer line, much more likely to be a restriction/obstruction that is causing turbulent flow which in turn causes CO2 to come out of solution. but good point

 

[Frank]

A fridge that varies in temperature by a few degrees will allow the CO2 in the beer lines to drop out of solution, as this will warm quicker than the whole keg. For people not constantly pouring beers this will be visible when you open the fridge door (and let the cold air out). :icon_cheers:

 

[kc_ksom]

Good point, maybe thats what im seeing, the change in temp, Well I diddnt think of that, but it just seemed as though when I was playing with the line the bubbles came from the fitting, I'll go and have a look again.

casey

 

[Frank]

Good point, maybe thats what im seeing, the change in temp, Well I diddnt think of that, but it just seemed as though when I was playing with the line the bubbles came from the fitting, I'll go and have a look again.

casey

Inside of John Guest fittings there would be a small void that would hold any small bubbles of CO2, as you touch the fitting you are probably dislodging them. A keg and beer line has greater pressure than atmosphere, if there was a leak, gas and beer would squirt out, not air enter in.

 

[kc_ksom]

true DAT!!!

casey