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

    @DougC123 I put a water bottle in the kegerator and take it out every once and a while to test the temperature. I also have measured the beer temp and it has correlated.

    I will measure when I get home from work, but yesterday was the first time I saw pockets of C02. Probably since I haven't touched it every 30 seconds.
     
    #61 easye418, Apr 6, 2015
  2. easye418

    easye418 Initiate (0) Mar 25, 2015 Texas

    @DougC123 Water bottle temp 36. Beer temp 38.3-39.5 (did a number of readings, most came out near 39). TONS of Foam. Full glass of foam.

    My action plan:

    1. Move the needle on Thermostat a little bit. Keep temperature near 36-38.
    2. Lower PSI to 10 or 11.

    I will not touch it until I hear your recommendation.
     
    #62 easye418, Apr 6, 2015
  3. DougC123

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

    Besides the obvious balance / temp issues you may also have an overcarb issue now because of the freezing. As temp drops the pressure should be lowered also. I have frozen legs and saved them, but you will first need to vent off the excess CO2. To do this turn off the CO2 , and vent the keg. Shake it and vent again. Repeat a few times over the course of a day. Then reapply pressure. Take a temperature and using a force carbonation chart and a v/v of 2.7 dial in your final pressure.
     
    #63 DougC123, Apr 7, 2015
  4. easye418

    easye418 Initiate (0) Mar 25, 2015 Texas

    @DougC123
    How do I "vent" a keg or release the c02?
     
    #64 easye418, Apr 7, 2015
  5. easye418

    easye418 Initiate (0) Mar 25, 2015 Texas

    @DougC123 I'm venting it. Sounds slushy. Should I let it warm up a bit?
     
    #65 easye418, Apr 7, 2015
  6. DougC123

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

    Yes.
     
    #66 DougC123, Apr 7, 2015
  7. easye418

    easye418 Initiate (0) Mar 25, 2015 Texas

    Poured great this morning. Much slower. Mostly beer. Temp came in ~38
     
    #67 easye418, Apr 7, 2015
  8. easye418

    easye418 Initiate (0) Mar 25, 2015 Texas

    @DougC123 by mostly beer, I mean beer with w nice 1 inch head. My PSI is around 12. I'd honestly like my beer a little colder ~34-35.
     
    #68 easye418, Apr 7, 2015
  9. DougC123

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

    Just let it be for a while. I don't think you are done with these issues and I don't think you have stabilized the temp. if you went from slushy (sub 32) to 38 in 9 hours.
     
    #69 DougC123, Apr 7, 2015
  10. easye418

    easye418 Initiate (0) Mar 25, 2015 Texas

    @DougC123 Probably not for the best, but I left the keg out of the kegerator for about an hour. I vented like a mad man. By the time I put it back in, I didn't hear any slush. And by intial slush, I heard it on the top of the keg.

    But, I understand now it takes time and patience to make adjustments and it doesn't happen over the course of 3 hours. However, that pour this morning, was hands down the best pour I've gotten out of the keg. It almost was too slow of pour!

    I am going to re-evaluate when I return home tonight.
     
    #70 easye418, Apr 7, 2015
  11. LetsGoExploring

    LetsGoExploring Pooh-Bah (1,550) Apr 25, 2006 Connecticut
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I think Doug should be awarded additional beer karma for his advice and patience during this wreck.
     
    #71 LetsGoExploring, Apr 7, 2015
    paulys55, Redrover, ccwilli3 and 1 other person like this.
  12. easye418

    easye418 Initiate (0) Mar 25, 2015 Texas

    I agree. Thanks Doug!
     
    #72 easye418, Apr 7, 2015
  13. DougC123

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

    "Like" a post and that adds to people's karma. I do appreciate the thoughts too, but I can't spend those like I can spend karma. Oh wait, I can't spend karma either.
     
    #73 DougC123, Apr 7, 2015
    paulys55, billandsuz, easye418 and 1 other person like this.
  14. easye418

    easye418 Initiate (0) Mar 25, 2015 Texas

    Tested when I got home. Temp is ~38. PSI ~12. Pours a lot of foam but quickly disappear s. Leaves about a head of 3 fingers.

    Tastes watery or flat. Did I kill the keg when I froze it?
     
    #74 easye418, Apr 8, 2015
  15. easye418

    easye418 Initiate (0) Mar 25, 2015 Texas

    @DougC123 Do I need to "recarb" the keg at 20PSI for a few days then bring it back down?
     
    #75 easye418, Apr 8, 2015
  16. easye418

    easye418 Initiate (0) Mar 25, 2015 Texas

    @DougC123 also, I purchased a real thermometer this time. I'm sick of the garbage reads this cheap digital one gets me.
     
    #76 easye418, Apr 8, 2015
  17. DougC123

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

    Just wait a bit. Freezing certainly doesn't help, but again let's not rush to conclusions. With a 2.7 v/v and 38 degree beer you should be at 14 psi so bring it up just a touch and let it sit.
     
    #77 DougC123, Apr 8, 2015
  18. easye418

    easye418 Initiate (0) Mar 25, 2015 Texas

    @DougC123

    Doug... I got my 2nd thermometer. Surprisingly, the cheap shitty one and this one measured the same. ~39.1-39.3.

    I want to get the temperature closer to 35-36. That would call for PSI to be at close to 13.

    Adjust it now or wait for the temperature to drop?
     
    #78 easye418, Apr 8, 2015
  19. DougC123

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

    Get the temp down first.
     
    #79 DougC123, Apr 9, 2015
  20. easye418

    easye418 Initiate (0) Mar 25, 2015 Texas

    @DougC123

    I took measurement this morning. Beer temp still hanging ~39 +/- .3. Never goes above 40. I lowered the temp a little more. Will test when I get home.

    1. I am getting fairly close to max cool on the kegerator. When I ran the kegerator at max, I froze the keg. Is it possible that running the circulator fan non-stop vs on/off 30 min cycles is having a big effect?

    2. Foam gets better after first pour but leaves a thicker foam. Maybe 35% of the beer. For some reason, it looks "golden", not the fresh white I'm used to. I am looking into lengthening the line to 10' however, I need to get the temperature settings down first.
     
    #80 easye418, Apr 9, 2015
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