CO2 Blues

Discussion in 'Home Bar' started by Beer-not_just_4_breakfast, Jan 20, 2016.

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  1. Beer-not_just_4_breakfast

    Beer-not_just_4_breakfast Initiate (0) Jan 20, 2016 California

    After reading through a lot of posts, I believe I have overcarbonated my keg and I believe I know the path to fix that... I am experiencing a second problem that I have not seen on any post and could use some advice... My first pour is foamy (see overcarb issue), however when I go for a refill nothing comes out of the tap. Unfortunately, at that point I have been uping the CO2 pressure to compensate which eventually gets the beer to flow but I imagine is adding to the overcarb issue.
     
    #1 Beer-not_just_4_breakfast, Jan 20, 2016
  2. billandsuz

    billandsuz Pooh-Bah (2,097) Sep 1, 2004 New York
    Pooh-Bah

    I'm not sure what you are describing. What exactly is the problem? Foam?

    Please help us out here. Describe your system. Temperature of beer. Psi. Beer. Make of kegerator. Anything. What exactly are you trying to fix?

    We can try to help with some basic parameters.
    Cheers.
     
    #2 billandsuz, Jan 20, 2016
  3. Beer-not_just_4_breakfast

    Beer-not_just_4_breakfast Initiate (0) Jan 20, 2016 California

    2 problems actually... first problem is foam. I think I have overcarbonated the keg, so I have shut off the CO2 and am releasing the pressure at the keg. Second problem is that after the first foamy pour, beer ceases to flow even though there is pressure in the system. I am asking for troubleshooting advice with that problem.

    System is a dual Perlick faucet tower in a Kegco Kegerator with 5/16" 5' lines. I will need to get a temp on the beer.
     
    #3 Beer-not_just_4_breakfast, Jan 20, 2016
  4. billandsuz

    billandsuz Pooh-Bah (2,097) Sep 1, 2004 New York
    Pooh-Bah

    hmm. 5/16th ID line huh?
    please verify that diameter. that aint right, so lets get that right first.
     
    #4 billandsuz, Jan 20, 2016
  5. ravensjeff

    ravensjeff Initiate (0) Sep 27, 2013 Maryland

    Turning the CO2 off and venting the "overcarbed" keg can get you back in action- It took me 5 days of that when it happened to me due to a bad regulator. But I never poured a beer during that time with the CO2 shut off.

    Some one else more wiser on the site should know; but I would think that the excess CO2 in the beer is one reason for foaming; and that with the CO2 shut off, the CO2 released from the beer into the head space is only good enough to pour 1 foamy beer before it runs out of pressure. So now you have to wait for more excess CO2 to be released in order to pour your next 1 foamy beer. Pouring while fixing to me is a waste of time and you probably are getting a crappy tasting beer.

    You should not even operate without knowing the beer temp. That is very critical.

    I know I'm at 37.5 degrees and 13 psi on a consistent basis; which works fine for my types of beer (Sam Adams, Fat Tire, etc). I had minimal foam with a quick pour, so I put on 10' beer line and have had great pours ever since (many, many kegs ago). The longer line helped slow my pours down while still keeping the correct CO2 pressure on the beer.
     
    #5 ravensjeff, Jan 20, 2016
  6. Beer-not_just_4_breakfast

    Beer-not_just_4_breakfast Initiate (0) Jan 20, 2016 California

    whoops, the 5/16th was the CO2 line. 3/16th beer line at 5'. Keg is now empty, so will have to get a refill to get temp, but was setting the pressure at 10 psi.

    The one foamy pour and then no pour was happening with the CO2 open as well, so I am really at a loss on that problem. The overcarbonation issue ended with that keg, so hopefully I wont run into that problem again.

    One additional question, should I close the CO2 line when not in use or leave it always open?
     
    #6 Beer-not_just_4_breakfast, Jan 20, 2016
  7. chavinparty

    chavinparty Zealot (653) Jan 4, 2015 New Hampshire

    Sounds like something is messed up I would question the regulator.
     
    #7 chavinparty, Jan 20, 2016
  8. chavinparty

    chavinparty Zealot (653) Jan 4, 2015 New Hampshire

    My kegerator is on the warm side ( not by choice). I leave the serving pressure at 8 psi all the time.
     
    #8 chavinparty, Jan 20, 2016
  9. mikehartigan

    mikehartigan Maven (1,421) Apr 9, 2007 Illinois

    ^^^ what he said ^^^
    An over carbonation problem is not a quick fix. It will take a few days of venting the excess pressure for things to get back to where they need to be, at which point, you can resume normal pressure and, hopefully, normal pours. You can do that by pulling the pressure release valve from time to time, or pouring beer over a period of days. I do both because, beer!
    While certainly possible, if the gauge reads a constant pressure, then the problem is more likely to be a $5 gauge than a $50+ regulator.
     
    #9 mikehartigan, Jan 21, 2016
    Last edited: Jan 21, 2016
  10. ravensjeff

    ravensjeff Initiate (0) Sep 27, 2013 Maryland

    Well that sounds like a regulator/connection issue. I f you have CO2 in your bottle, good guess would be regulator. I always shut off the CO2 at the bottle when keg is emptied out and turn it back on when the next keg is hooked up.

    If your trying to fix an overcarb'd keg, why would you have the CO2 on?
     
    #10 ravensjeff, Jan 21, 2016
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