Gas In Beer Line - Serious Problem

[NRB]

That's exactly what i was thinking Doc. I will watch this thread for updates.

 

[imellor]

Did you refil your gas bottle when this started. Another thing to check could be you regulator. Where I work we calibrate everything at regular intervals. At home I set and forget and would have no idea if my reg reads the same as when I bought it. The only other thing not mentioned could be your manifold. I have only experienced this problem when over carbed.

Cheers,
Ian

 

[OzBeer_MD]

I'm trying to solve pretty much the same problem at the moment. My latest theory is that my fridge is suspect. I sit 2 cornys on the very bottom of a 400l fisher and paykel. The bottom is about zero degrees and the top is about 4 or 5. (and the compresor runs about 80% of the time even after replacing the door seal recently) . I am currently experimenting with looping/tidying the beer line so that it does not go near the bottom of the fridge.

MD

 

[NRB]

Doc_D, sounds like you need a computer fan in there to circulate the air from time to time.

 

[OzBeer_MD]

Doc_D, sounds like you need a computer fan in there to circulate the air from time to time.

Yeah thats a thought, its trying to make the bottom of the keg like lettuce and the tap on the door like butter <_<

Could this be similar to Ben's problem though?

MD

 

[Ross]

I've watched the video & it really looks like a leak through the beer diptube seal. But if it's happening with all your kegs then it's a real mystery, unless your run some cleaner through the kegs that dissolves rubber? I'd definately be replacing the diptube rubbers.
The only other answer is Doc's suggestion of a faulty reg, but those bubbles are not displaying the character of over carbed beer. Over carbed in my experience should be a fine stream, not the big bubbles from the video.

Hope you solve the mystery soon.

Cheers Ross

 

[imellor]

Are you sure your regulator is displaying the right pressure ?
If the gauge for some reason has gone screwy you could be over carbonating. Especially if it is affecting all kegs.

Doc

Did you refil your gas bottle when this started. Another thing to check could be you regulator. Where I work we calibrate everything at regular intervals. At home I set and forget and would have no idea if my reg reads the same as when I bought it. The only other thing not mentioned could be your manifold. I have only experienced this problem when over carbed.

Cheers,
Ian

Sorry Doc missed you post. I agree with this line of investigation. All other parts of the system seem to be consistent.
Cheers,
Ian

 

[OzBeer_MD]

I've watched the video & it really looks like a leak through the beer diptube seal. But if it's happening with all your kegs then it's a real mystery, unless your run some cleaner through the kegs that dissolves rubber? I'd definately be replacing the diptube rubbers.

Cheers Ross

Is Pink Stain remover no good? (thats what I use)

MD

 

[DWC]

Have you tried checking the post seals on the kegs??
They might be worn.

Dave

 

[matti]

I' be following this thread for sure.
Sorry to here about the problem.
Being new to kegging only logic can assist me as experience is zero to none.

Those bubbles are huge and indicates a larger leak.
Good luck and keep us posted!

matti

 

[Cracka]

I've watched the video & it really looks like a leak through the beer diptube seal. But if it's happening with all your kegs then it's a real mystery, unless your run some cleaner through the kegs that dissolves rubber? I'd definately be replacing the diptube rubbers.
The only other answer is Doc's suggestion of a faulty reg, but those bubbles are not displaying the character of over carbed beer. Over carbed in my experience should be a fine stream, not the big bubbles from the video.

Hope you solve the mystery soon.

Cheers Ross

+2

I had a keg doing the same thing and it was the dip tube oring. Sounds different because your other kegs are doing it as well <_<

 

[sicklizard]

+2

I had a keg doing the same thing and it was the dip tube oring. Sounds different because your other kegs are doing it as well <_<

Wow, thanks for all the responses - sorry for posting in the wrong thread.

There doesn't seem to be any holes in the dip tube, and while it may be the reg, a similar problem is happening with my brother in law's set up (my kegs, but he bought an ebay reg!!). The other thing that makes me think it is the reg, is that it races out even if I cut back the psi. We may be onto something but I still don't really understand why an over carbonated keg would produce bubbles in the line. My rudimentary understanding of physics says that if it is all under pressure, gas shouldn't come out of solution until the pressure drops???

I'll try a different reg and post back.
Ben

 

[pint of lager]

The gas comes out of solution when there is a pressure change or a temperature change.

Often the lines are near the top of the fridge where it is a bit warmer than where the beer is pulled from at the base of the fridge. It is especially noticeable if you have a tap with a long shank that sticks out of the fridge, the very first bit of beer is warm where it sits in the shank and it pours frothy, after that the beer is cold and pours ok.

Overcarbed kegs pour all head and the beer is flat.

If your brother-in-law's kegs were carbed up at your place, but serving frothy at his place, it is really pointing at your reg.

You haven't changed any beer lines, or shortened them recently?

 

[sicklizard]

Yeah I know that temp can cause the problem, and line lenght, but I have been using the same system, same lines, same kegs for three years with no problem. Of course this means I've been using the same reg for three years and maybe it's finally stuffed. Gas in the line though still gets me.
B

 

[tomtoro]

As far my logic carries me, i figure that there must either be something wrong with the kegs (or their contents), or something wrong with the lines and tap.

I personally think that the likelihood of it being something wrong with the kegs themselves is low because it sounds like it has occurred on 12 different kegs at around the same time. That said, i would still entertain the possibility of it being either a dodgy reg that has caused over carbing of all the kegs, or a dodgy cleaning solution that has caused damage to the seals and diptubes in all the kegs.

The possibility that i think is more likely though, is that there is something wrong with the some aspect of the lines. Unfortunately I have no ideas as to what that might be, except to agree with the previous posts that temperature variation could be one of many possible factors contributing to the problem.

My suggestion as to how you should determine where the problem lies is to try a couple of your kegs on someone else's kegerator. If foamy beer is still coming out then i reckon it can be safely assumed that the kegs or the beer in them is to blame, and the fact that it happened to all of them is unfortunate and largely coincidental. If however, the beer pours fine from another fridge you would need to suspect that there is either damage to your ball-locks, your lines themselves, your tap, or even the temperature of your fridge.

tt

 

[JasonY]

How about filling a keg with good old water and doing some test pours, if the gas is getting in from the head space of the keg then you should still see it. preferably drink one of the misbehaving kegs and test it As others have pointed out it seems incredible that 12 kegs could all develop the same problem at the same time.

If water will sit in the lines fine then it may just point to your reg having crapped out. Water won't carb the same as beer so you can't do a full test. You can always degas a keg and try that, best way to do that is to take it out of the fridge and keep burping it every time you pass it for a couple of days (or leave the vent open altogether).

I've never seen bubbles come out like that when over carbed but perhaps you have done a really impressive job of it

 

[kabooby]

Its looking more and more like the regulator. This would cause the beer to overcarb and your dispensing pressure would be to high as well causing foam beers. Try disconnecting your keg from the gas. Let all the gas out of the keg. Leave it for a day or two release the excess gas and try pouring a beer with out the gas connected. This should hopefully take some gas out of the beer and have you closer to a pouring pressure

Kabooby

 

[Beer Guy]

Probably a loss of integrity in the line or connection or seal. Could be the reg in my 16years of pubs the problems usually traced back to a seal. Providing nothing else has failed ie the reg you usually assume the gas is not the problem as it is one of the only constants in the system. Try gassing an empty keg then spray on some soapy water and detergent mix using a mist sprayer (wife or girlfriend shouldn't mind) and spray the mix around all of your connections this will help find any leaks as the gas coming out will cause bubbles to form.

I would also recomend pulling apart what you can and soaking in a caustic cleaning solution of beer line cleaner or TSP rinse well and then replace all the seals.

I have had problems like this before and sometimes you never actually pin down the root cause but you fix it by giving the system a birthday. Big bubbles like the vid showed can be the system pulling in air or not enough dispense pressure as well as too much.

 

[KGB]

Wow, thanks for all the responses - sorry for posting in the wrong thread.

There doesn't seem to be any holes in the dip tube, and while it may be the reg, a similar problem is happening with my brother in law's set up (my kegs, but he bought an ebay reg!!). The other thing that makes me think it is the reg, is that it races out even if I cut back the psi. We may be onto something but I still don't really understand why an over carbonated keg would produce bubbles in the line. My rudimentary understanding of physics says that if it is all under pressure, gas shouldn't come out of solution until the pressure drops??? *Or the temp changes*

I'll try a different reg and post back.
Ben

I'm leaning towards over carbed beer, after reading the entire thread I don't think 12 kegs are going to have the same problem all at once ( though it is possible if it were a cleaning chemical etc).
As your carbing method has stayed the same (35psi for 3 days or whatever you wrote) the only variable seems to be temp. Is it possible your fridge is chilling your kegs colder than previously? I don't have a reason how or why it might be doing this but if it were, the colder beer would absorb more gas than when the fridge was slightly warmer, thus over-carbing the beer.

Scrap all that, I just watched the vid. Like Ross said that doesn't look like gas coming out of solution. Bugger. I'm stumped.
Temp solution: arrange your beer line so the tap is the highest point and all the gas can run up to it. That way the firsdt part of the pour should clear out the gas and then you can get into the good stuff. Nothin like a bandaid! Good luck with the problem.

 

[SJW]

My money is on it being a problem with the disconect. Why the hell would it be happening with all the kegs.
Other than that just drink 10 schooys at a time! easy fixed

Steve