Need Kegerator advice

Discussion in 'Home Bar' started by easye418, Mar 25, 2015.

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  1. easye418

    easye418 Initiate (0) Mar 25, 2015 Texas

    I've opened it maybe a handful of times for very short period of times. Less than a minute.
     
    #41 easye418, Apr 4, 2015
  2. easye418

    easye418 Initiate (0) Mar 25, 2015 Texas

    @DougC123 I just don't get it..... Poured a glass today.... beer came out 44.5.... I wonder if I have a leak in my seal somewhere?
     
    #42 easye418, Apr 4, 2015
  3. easye418

    easye418 Initiate (0) Mar 25, 2015 Texas

    I cranked my kegerator to max. If I freeze the keg, I at least know it is capable of getting temperatures that low. Will update.
     
    #43 easye418, Apr 4, 2015
  4. DougC123

    DougC123 Savant (1,186) Aug 21, 2012 Connecticut

    To check your seal put a flashlight inside and close the door. Turn of the lights in the room and take a look.
     
    #44 DougC123, Apr 4, 2015
  5. easye418

    easye418 Initiate (0) Mar 25, 2015 Texas

    @DougC123 Good news... beer temp has dropped to 37 degrees. I turned down the kegerator a bit.

    Still a good amount of foam pouring, but I am using a pitcher and it seems to be helping. It will at least work until I can diagnose the amount of foam.... I have PSI set at 12.
     
    #45 easye418, Apr 4, 2015
  6. easye418

    easye418 Initiate (0) Mar 25, 2015 Texas

    @DougC123 I have the proper temperature.... no carbonation once so ever in the beer.... very flat.

    How do I know if my shut off valve is in the off position? I thought I had it correct... maybe the c02 wasn't hitting the keg.
     
    #46 easye418, Apr 4, 2015
    Last edited: Apr 4, 2015
  7. DougC123

    DougC123 Savant (1,186) Aug 21, 2012 Connecticut

    If it is pouring foamy it is thrashing all the carbonation out of the beer. One thing to note is if you have a burst of foam and continue to pour into that it will also be foamy.
    Take a look at the beer line after it has sat for a little while. Are there pockets of CO2 in the line, not solid beer? When you pour what does it look like right at the faucet - burst of white then beer color, or all white?
     
    #47 DougC123, Apr 4, 2015
  8. easye418

    easye418 Initiate (0) Mar 25, 2015 Texas

    @DougC123 Burst of white then beer color... Beer line looks like it has a line of bubbles going through it. The beer line is full of beer. I don't see any gaps of just carbonation.

    Did I possibly kill the BBL when it warmed up to the mid 40's? It pours nearly 75% foam then gets to about 75% beer with a thick head.
     
    #48 easye418, Apr 4, 2015
    Last edited: Apr 4, 2015
  9. DougC123

    DougC123 Savant (1,186) Aug 21, 2012 Connecticut

    You didn't kill it. The bubbles moving in the line say you aren't balanced. If you let it sit long enough they will make pockets of CO2. The problem is you have changed the temp again. You need to leave it all alone for a day. Changing stuff on a kegerator isn't like changing the volume on a radio. It takes time. And you only change one thing at a time and then wait. You can still drink, just don't change anything. If you get the burst of white and then beer, try switching glasses right after the burst - hopefully you will have clear beer
     
    #49 DougC123, Apr 4, 2015
  10. easye418

    easye418 Initiate (0) Mar 25, 2015 Texas

    @DougC123

    I lowered PSI to 10. Changed glasses. It may of been dirty. I got a beer clean glass and poured it from a pitcher. I see bubbles and I am drinking it now. The pitcher fills up with foam but quickly turns to beer.

    By the way, thank you very much.
     
    #50 easye418, Apr 4, 2015
  11. DougC123

    DougC123 Savant (1,186) Aug 21, 2012 Connecticut

    Stop touching stuff. Stop touching stuff. Stop touching stuff. Your changes don't do anything for a day, so these constant adjustments will make it so you can never balance properly. Put it back at 12 and leave it alone.
     
    #51 DougC123, Apr 4, 2015
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  12. easye418

    easye418 Initiate (0) Mar 25, 2015 Texas

    @DougC123 haven't touched it.... Been drinking it tho.... Pitcher helps a lot just because it pours so fast. Delicious tho.
     
    #52 easye418, Apr 5, 2015
  13. easye418

    easye418 Initiate (0) Mar 25, 2015 Texas

    @DougC123 pouring great. Perfect temp. 1 finger foam. Thanks Doug
     
    #53 easye418, Apr 5, 2015
  14. easye418

    easye418 Initiate (0) Mar 25, 2015 Texas

    @DougC123 Froze the keg overnight.... blah... I shook the keg and can't hear anything, maybe slush.

    I lowered the temp about a half number. from 6 to 5.5... I won't be drinking it for another week anyways... just keep checking if it dethaws?

    Any steps I should take? Also, how do I know when the tank is unpressurized from C02?

    I should also note that I kept a circulator fan running constantly (small pc fan). I wonder if that is making the fridge reach much colder temperatures.
     
    #54 easye418, Apr 5, 2015
    Last edited: Apr 5, 2015
  15. easye418

    easye418 Initiate (0) Mar 25, 2015 Texas

    @DougC123

    The circulator fan is definitely causing my beer to drop temperature way too quickly. Current water temp is nearing freezing again.

    I lowered the kegerator to 3 out of 7 and used a mechanical plug in to turn the fan on and off in 30 minute intervals. Hoping to achieve optimal results.

    At this point, this keg is totally experimental because I probably killed it by raising and lowering the temperature 1000 times.

    I just don't get it...
     
    #55 easye418, Apr 6, 2015
  16. DougC123

    DougC123 Savant (1,186) Aug 21, 2012 Connecticut

    If you have a tower cooler you really don't need a circulator, it will move air around for you. Again the rapid, big and constant changes are killing you. Take the keg out to thaw it, even if you set the temp at 50 it would take a long time to thaw a 15 gallon keg that way. What do you mean by the tank unpressurized from CO2? Empty bottle?
     
    #56 DougC123, Apr 6, 2015
  17. easye418

    easye418 Initiate (0) Mar 25, 2015 Texas

    I managed to unthaw the keg. I just can't seem to keep the keg from dropping temperature. My liquid temperature is around 33 now.

    What I mean by unpressurized is when I take the coupler off, I should probably let the c02 exit the keg first?

    I assume I am letting the air temp screw with me too much.

    I am going to stop touching it with these settings:

    30 minute on and off circulator fan.

    Thermostat level:
    https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwNfHOEp5EYUUU5udmtSMDJMRlk/edit?usp=docslist_api

    When should I measure the temperature?
     
    #57 easye418, Apr 6, 2015
    Last edited: Apr 6, 2015
  18. easye418

    easye418 Initiate (0) Mar 25, 2015 Texas

    @DougC123

    I haven't touched anything. Took a liquid temp - came in around 37-38. I now see the pockets of C02 in the beer line. Is that a good sign?
     
    #58 easye418, Apr 6, 2015
  19. easye418

    easye418 Initiate (0) Mar 25, 2015 Texas

    @DougC123

    Took water temp this morning, looked to be in an acceptable range (believe it was 36).
     
    #59 easye418, Apr 6, 2015
  20. DougC123

    DougC123 Savant (1,186) Aug 21, 2012 Connecticut

    The pockets of co2 just say you are unbalanced. How are you taking the temperature? The correct way is to pour a beer into a room temp glass, immediately dump or chug it and pour a second beer right away into that glass. Then take the reading with the probe not touching the glass and in beer not foam. Water temp may be screwing with you here. You need beer temp.
     
    #60 DougC123, Apr 6, 2015
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