Keg Dramas Help! Ha Ha

[Bomber1975]

Okay I got a kegging system and had a go at force carbonating kegs and had no end of dramas. So I figured I would naturally carbonate my last keg and see how that went. I made Tony's LCBA clone smelt beautiful and racked it, CC it for a week then bulk primed and banged it into a keg left it for four weeks whilst I was away at work and just got back. I couldn't wait to get home and plug it in and set it up to sample my hard work :icon_cheers: .
Now the kegerator I got was the keg king version on Ebay I was pretty sure that the beer line wasn't long enough so I went down to my LHBS and got 4 metres of 5mm beer line pulled apart my font and set up my new beer line. My first drama was a brain fade by not tightening up my draft system dispenser enough. I hadn't actually hooked my gas line up yet but attatched my beer line and my font looked something like the Trevi fountain (Beer everywhere) I quickly disconnected my beer line cleaned up then tightened up my font head. Then I set my pressure on my regulator to 14 PSI to pour my beer out attatched my gas line and the psi jumped to about 40. I don't know if I stuffed up here but I turned off the gas to the keg and released some pressure on the keg reattatched the gas line to the keg and it was at a constant of 14psi. Then when I went and poured my beer I am getting about 75% foam :angry: . after letting it settle for about 5 minutes I have about half a beer with still a fair bit of head. The beer tastes okay and still bubbles but I would like it to be carbonated a bit more.
Will the head situation settle down if left for a while? Have I totally stuffed up?? What can I do to be pulling great beers. I can't feel anything but distressed. My beers were tasting great from the bottle but I was getting over cleaning bottles and thought that kegging would be exactly what I was looking for but as I said I have had nothing but dramas. I work 4 weeks away and four weeks at home so carbing up kegs for two weeks really is a pain in the arse for my as SWMBO is quite happy to drink my beers but wont touch the keg system for fear of screwing something up ( not that I seem to be doing much better). Help me am I ever going to pour the perfect beer.

 

[Gormand]

I dont have any experience with kegs but really just tell SWMBO that they will take 4 weeks to carb properly. Put them on just as you go away ready to crack when you get back I believe everything should be fine as long as you carb at serving pressure. Although I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong.

 

[Leigh]

How much sugaz did you prime your kegs with? Rule of thumb is to prime a keg with about half the sugaz you would when you bottle, otherwise you end up overcarbing. The rest of what you are saying sounds like classic overcarbonation.

 

[Bomber1975]

How much sugaz did you prime your kegs with? Rule of thumb is to prime a keg with about half the sugaz you would when you bottle, otherwise you end up overcarbing. The rest of what you are saying sounds like classic overcarbonation.

Yeah I did use the normal amount that I would use for bottling. Can I save this beer? :unsure:

 

[muckey]

definately carbonation issues

the keg was originally at 40psi but you are serving it at 14. This means that co2 will come out of solution in the line and result in the glass full of head that you are getting

essentially, it sounds like your system isnt balanced. You must match serving and keg pressure with line length for the carbonation level you desire in your beer for it to pour correctly. there is a spreadsheet around that helps with this.

in the short term, for the current keg, if you want the higher level of carbonation, bump up your serving pressure or release the keg pressure and leave it sit for a while - repeat as necessary to reduce thye overall carbonation a bit so the carbonation level is a closer match for your serving pressure.

hope that helps a bit

 

[mxd]

Yeah I did use the normal amount that I would use for bottling. Can I save this beer? :unsure:

yes, the quickest way is to pull the keg out of the fridge, burp all the gas out of the keg, leave it at room temp, every time you walk past release all the gas from the keg. After 2 days check (release all gas from keg) connect gas (5psi) connect out post and pour a slow beer (dump first 100 ml), If there's still lots of bubbles then it may still be over carbed, if it seems ok, put keg in fridge, have gas on 10-12 psi (look at balancing spreadsheet, what temp are you running). Leave it for a day to shill then drink, or drink at Perth cellar temp .

Good luck.

 

[Bomber1975]

Okay I may have had too many beers already today but I can't find a spreadsheet that works in mm what is 5mm line in inches?? Yep I am certainly struggling today I have tried the search function and the Wiki article is in 3/16 and such damn my metric teachings at school.

 

[Bomber1975]

Okay I may have had too many beers already today but I can't find a spreadsheet that works in mm what is 5mm line in inches?? Yep I am certainly struggling today I have tried the search function and the Wiki article is in 3/16 and such damn my metric teachings at school.

Cancel my last I have found it ha ha. I will spend the next couple of days trying to balance my system and let you all know how I go. :icon_cheers: Thanks to everyone that has commented.

 

[mxd]

if your kegerator's at 2 Degrees then you'll need 10-12 psi to carb and pour with 2.5 mtrs

 

[bignath]

Mate, go slow, do lots of reading and careful planning.

Not wanting or trying to sound rude fella, but it sounds to me (according to your post) that you jumped in at the deep end with out being well informed of what your doing. No wonder you're having problems.

How did you know your beer line was too short in the first place. Might have been perfect.
My kegging setup uses the stock standard lengths and diameter that i purchased it with and i get a beautiful pour every time.

Did you research bulk priming/naturally carbonating a keg before you did it?

Sounds like a bit of a hap-hazzard approach has been taken here....(having loose parts put together too quick just to see if it will work etc...)

Once again, not trying to sound rude, but just slow everything down, do it properly and i'm sure you'll be pulling great beers very soon.

Hope you get it sorted!

Nath

 

[Bomber1975]

No worries Nath no offense taken. I jumped on here when I was having the dramas with the forced carbonation and a friend told me that my beer line was too short that was my main reasoning for changing it out. And yeah I probably did run into it like a bull at a gate but that seems to be how I do everything. ha ha

 

[bignath]

No worries Nath no offense taken. I jumped on here when I was having the dramas with the forced carbonation and a friend told me that my beer line was too short that was my main reasoning for changing it out. And yeah I probably did run into it like a bull at a gate but that seems to be how I do everything. ha ha

Cool man.

Was hoping there was a good reason to swap beer lines.

A few have mentioned "the spreadsheet" about getting the right length and diameter etc... I haven't had a real good look for it, but i have used it before, and if you can find it, or if someone posts it, i'm sure you'll be sorted.

Having beer on tap pouring well, is one of life's greatest pleasures (not to mention the massively reduced cleaning regime away from bottles...)

It's so good that i'm off to pour another one right now!

Cheers,

Nath

 

[Bomber1975]

Just a quick update Nath I am sure you haven't lost any sleep over it but have balanced the system and am now drinking perfect beer from my kegerator. , deadset there is nothing better in this world than tasty beer on tap in your house