Beer Froth In The Regulator?

[270win]

Hi all,

Recently got into kegging, I must say its great to have a couple of taps hanging out of the drinks fridge.

Now here is my concern, on my first keg (up to #3 now) I was screwing around with the pressures trying to get a good pour and managed to suck a very small amount of froth into the regulator (I know I should get a check valve) not much got in there but Im sure some did. Straight away I took the line off turned the regulator right up and opened the bottle multiple times to blast anything out.

The regulator seems to be working OK but now and then I set the pressure and its all good then after quite a few pours the pressure drops off as if the regulator is sticking until the pressure gets real low then it opens up, otherwise I will turn the pressure up a bit myself and then over time it creeps up a bit too high and I have to back it off again. Like I said it only happens now and then most of the time it works fine.

My pour pressure works best at only 50 - 70 kpa, is this just at the extreme low end of the regulators working pressure range?

or

Can / should I flush the regulator with anything to try and clean it out eg water, metho, line cleaner etc?

I could pull the thing apart but would rather not if it can be avoided seeing its brand new.

P.S. its a Micromatic regulator

 

[Ross]

I think your regulator is probably fine, mechanics wise - The pressure is dropping as you pour beers, but then after you leave it, it's creeping high. I think this is because your pouring pressure is set a little below the pressure you've got your beer carbonated to. As the CO2 comes out of solution over time & into balance, the overall pressure is more than your dispensing pressure, hence the increase on the dial - Hope that makes sense.

If you did get beer in your reg, then you do risk long term problems if the beer goes bad, as you'll end up infecting every brew. It's really your call whether you take a chance & leave it, or order a seal kit & take it apart.

Cheers Ross

 

[Franko]

Order a seal kit, trust me same thing has happend to me you would be suprised what you find when you take the cover off your regulator.

Franko

 

[Maxt]

Did the same thing early on. I pulled the reg apart (carefully), got the schematic of how it fitted together off the net so that I could reasemble it if things went wonky, and then gently dried up the beer with a hairdryer. I then hit it with a no rinse sanitiser, left it for 20 mins, then dried this too. It has not missed a beat since.

lesson....Get a check valve!

 

[Back Yard Brewer]

lesson....Get a check valve!

Yep. I have had a non return valve from the day I started kegging. Great investment :super:

BYB

 

[270win]

Cheers for the quick replies people.

OK I couldnt live with the guilt so tonight I bought a check valve on good old ebay. $20.50 delivered, seeing none of the brew shops near me had them.

Next didnt know how hard it was to pull a regulator apart but found an exploded view of a Micromatic on the net, this gave me some confidence.

So tonight I pulled the regulator apart, dammed easy I must say and to my surprise / relief there was evidence of the most miniscule amount of froth that had gotten in there, some slight residual marks on the diaphragm rubber and that was all. Didnt bother taking the centre valve assembly apart because theres no way anything got in there, put it back together with a smear of silicon grease around the sealing surfaces and Im pretty confident shell be sweet.

Moral of the story USE A CHECK VALVE PEOPLE its cheap insurance!


P.S. Ross, I think you were on the money mate, trouble is all to do with my pour pressure v carb pressure.