Should My Gas Pressure Drop Over Nite?

[gros21]

ok last nite i filled up my kegs and piyt 15psi into them now i only have about 5 psi doe sthis mean i have a leak? were are common places for leaks?

im using john goss fittings

 

[newguy]

Your beer probably absorbed the CO2, but you may also have a slow leak somewhere too. Use soapy water to test for leaks. Check every junction, fitting, elbow, etc, right back to the bottle. Lines don't usually develop holes, so it probably isn't necessary to check the lines.

If you can't find a leak, it was just absorbed. 15psi overnight on a chilled keg will easily be absorbed if the beer wasn't carbonated or was undercarbonated.

 

[bouncingcastle]

Your beer probably absorbed the CO2, but you may also have a slow leak somewhere too. Use soapy water to test for leaks. Check every junction, fitting, elbow, etc, right back to the bottle. Lines don't usually develop holes, so it probably isn't necessary to check the lines.

If you can't find a leak, it was just absorbed. 15psi overnight on a chilled keg will easily be absorbed if the beer wasn't carbonated or was undercarbonated.

But that relies on the fact that the bottle was turned off... Was it?

 

[PostModern]

But that relies on the fact that the bottle was turned off... Was it?

If it wasn't, then the only other possibility to NG's response is that he is also out of gas.

 

[Adamt]

Bottle is off (thread subtitle) and seeing as he just filled the kegs yesterday I'd say they were flat and it absorbed the CO2.

 

[bouncingcastle]

Bottle is off (thread subtitle) and seeing as he just filled the kegs yesterday I'd say they were flat and it absorbed the CO2.

Didn't see the subtitle.

I would tend to agree with you then

Chris.

 

[PostModern]

Good eyes Adamt, good eyes. With a patch over one of mine, I no longer be seeing as well, curse ye. Arr!

So the CO2 has magically gone into the beer to make bubbles without having to split the beer atom. The fact that there is still 5psi left means that there is NO leak, as it would have dropped to atmos pressure otherwise. It'll take a long time to carbonate if you keep turning the bottle off all the time.

Check your lines and joins, make sure all is sealed well and leave the bottle on to get the beer gassed sooner.

Arrrrr!

 

[Adamt]

The fact that there is still 5psi left means that there is NO leak, as it would have dropped to atmos pressure otherwise.

Tharr may still be a leak, could still be a tiny starboard breeze blowing matey!

 

[PostModern]

Yarr! Have ye checked for ye old barnacles??? If ye be winding us up without acheckin' for the barnacles, I'll keelhaul the lot of ye. Arr!

 

[KGB]

Lower temps over night can cool the keg and allow the beer to absorb more gas, as well as the gas having less volume (therefore pressure in a fixed volume like the keg headspace) at cooler temps. Unlikely this would account for that much though.

If your kegs weren't carbonated though (as it appears) your pressure has turned into bubbles. If there was a leak I wouldn't expect any pressure left in the kegs. Squirt your gas line joins with soapy water to check for leaks.

 

[gros21]

um cheers guys.
My bottle was off overnite cause I thought it would hold 15psi and hence there be no leak. I had a slow leak on my boc bottle, but my new air up bottle is 100% full.

I was also worried I mixed up the posts and jammed my gas onto the out and made a none air tight seal.

But bottom line in kegs are fine, the bottle is set to 15 psi.

Oh when I keged it up I tried some it was VERY bitter is this normal?

 

[KGB]

Depends on the beer.... More details?

 

[gros21]

it was a coopers heratige larger, 500 dextose, 500 ldme, americian ale yeast

 

[Carbonator]

If you can discount "forced carbonation", - applying CO2 at a higher pressure and dropping beer temp from starting temperature when CO2 was added, then it could be a leak, like an O-ring or even a pin-hole in a keg, keg weld or plug seal mating surfaces (sodium in water).

 

[KGB]

Haven't tried the heritage lager... Anyone else?

 

[cdbrown]

A little OT - but do you guys wrap any of the threads of the CO2 parts with white teflon tape? Will be setting my keg gear up during the week ready for GF day party and don't want to get it wrong first up.

 

[Doogiechap]

A little OT - but do you guys wrap any of the threads of the CO2 parts with white teflon tape? Will be setting my keg gear up during the week ready for GF day party and don't want to get it wrong first up.

Yes and no
All of my 1/4" fittings for my manifolds etc get gas thread sealant Loctite 56?? (sorry can't remember the part number) but the JG to MFL fittings don't rely on sealing via the thread.
Cheers
Doug

 

[cdbrown]

Yes and no
All of my 1/4" fittings for my manifolds etc get gas thread sealant Loctite 56?? (sorry can't remember the part number) but the JG to MFL fittings don't rely on sealing via the thread.
Cheers
Doug

Cool - does that include the regulator to bottle connection?

 

[phonos]

there should be a washer between the reg and bottle which does the sealing

 

[crundle]

For the price and effort involved in wrapping some gas tape around any thread, it is worth doing in my books.

The first time that you go to pour a beer and there is no gas and the beer is flat, you will never NOT wrap tape around threads again.

Bitter experience that.....

Crundle