Keg Gassing Problems

[Jase]

Hi There,

I've got a mate, who's having some trouble with gassing two kegs.

He normally makes either Coopers Draught or Coopers Real. The last three kegs that he has made have been real, draught and real. The 1st keg (Real) is as flat as a tack, as is the 3rd keg (Real). The 2nd keg (Draught) is perfect.

He gassed the kegs up no problem, the kegs hold the pressure, but the beer doesn't seem to be absorbing the gas. He had the gas on 45 psi for a week to see what happens, but nothing, still flat as a tack.

Any ideas?

Cheers,
Jase

 

[warrenlw63]

Jase,

Is he chilling the beer before gassing? Beer won't take CO2 very well unless the beer's chilled to about 2-3c.

Warren -

 

[Jase]

Warren,

The keg's in the fridge at 0 degrees.

Cheers,
Jase

 

[warrenlw63]

Hmmm ... Keg's gotta be leaking.

Gas it up to about 200kpa. Get a spray bottle with water and a small amount of dishwashing liquid. Shake up the water bottle until you get a foamy solution and spray it on the top of the keg on areas where it could leak gas.

Example; disconnects and seal on the lid. The more pressure in the keg the greater the chance you're going to find your leak.

Warren -

 

[Jase]

Warren,

Tested for leaks, not that either.

Very strange.

Jase

 

[warrenlw63]

Okay. Now that's just getting weird.

Tried shaking the shit out the keg with the gas on? Do this several times over the course of the day keeping the temp. low. That notwithstanding do you enjoy flat beer?

Warren -

 

[Doc]

Is your mate using the same gas line to carbonate the keg that won't gas ?
Maybe the leak is not in the keg, but further up the gas line. Although at 200kpa you should hear the leak.

Doc

 

[Boots]

Were you able to hear the gas entering the keg at all?

If he's using seperate gas disconnects for each keg, is it possible that the disconnect is damaged / stuffed and not actually depressing the valve on the gas poppet? Or vice versa, is the poppet stuffed, and not allowing any gas into the keg?

All the best ... having spent all christmas with a non-functioning keg system, I know how frustrating it can be :unsure:

 

[Boots]

also what happens when you operate the relief valve? is there gas under pressure in the headspace?

 

[GMK]

excellent advice Boots...Beat me to it....

:lol:

 

[Corb]

Guys,

I had a similar problem and thought the beer was not gassed enough. I actually found that I had over gassed the beer and when pouring a beer had heaps of head and flat beer.

I released the gas out of the beer over a 24 hour period and began to re-gas using the rapid gas method.

Not sure if this is the same thing her but worth a try.

Cheers
Corb