I finally hooked both my kegs up to my CO2 using a splitter. I had a 3 way splitter and used 2 lines. I didn't have all the hose clamps I needed and I relied on the ball valve alone on the 3rd splitter to keep CO2 from getting out. Next day I went out to a dead CO2 tank. I turned the screw on my regulator to close the pathway by letting the diaphragm out all the way (full closed), turned the ball valves to off on the splitter, unhooked the CO2 tank, but left the gas QCs connected to the kegs. They sat this way for 24 hours. I got the tank filled, pulled the entire hosing set up, hooked it up with hose clamps (including capping off the un-used splitter valve), checked all the hoses for leaks to make sure it doesn't happen again, and then reconnected it all to the kegs. Burped the kegs. Pulled samples to make sure my PSI was good since I had been having foam issues. Foam was good. Taste on the Pilsner/Helles was not. It shifted from light Noble hop aroma and clean malt character to slightly dull (not cardboard, but something is off), kind of like a firkin that has been out too long but hasn't gone totally oxidized yet. Looks like I might have let in some oxygen in and started to oxidize it
I'm not sure what to say. I'd like a show of hands of people who have accidently killed their CO2 tank in one way or another. You can add me to that list P.S. Go crazy with the Star San and check, check, check for leaks.
I've lost a couple of 20lb CO2's by stupidity. I pressure check everything I can now. <quote>It shifted from light Noble hop aroma and clean malt character to slightly dull (not cardboard, but something is off), kind of like a firkin that has been out too long but hasn't gone totally oxidized yet. Looks like I might have let in some oxygen in and started to oxidize it </quote> I'm surprise they could become oxidized. Don't you have check valves between your splitter and QC's? I purchased a second tank that I keep full and on hand now. Only takes a few seconds to swap the empty for a full one.
I've lost a couple. One to a hose clamp that needed tightened and a keg that needed a new O ring. I now shut off my tanks until I need a beer.
Better to be anal about leaks than to shut off the gas and risk a keg of flat or, even worse, oxidized beer, which is likely if you have a leaky o-ring. Shutting off the gas between pours is hiding your head in the sand, IMO. FWIW, while I've never emptied a tank to a leak, I've filled up my keezer with CO2 (not a pleasant 'aroma' ). Yes, I'm anal about leaks. Not saying it will never happen, but I like to think it's unlikely.
Know that feel, bra. I have done a lot of stupid shit with kegs/tanks. Drained co2 tanks, emptied half a keg with a slow leaky poppet, filled gas lines with beer, hooked the beer line up with the tap open, etc.
I reviewed the Pilsner last night and was pleasantly surprised that (after burping the kegs a few times) the aging firkin flavor had dissapeared. After that fiasco I StarSaned ever nook and cranny on those lines to make sure I didn't lose another tank.
And this is why everyone like kegging so much better than bottling! Actually, I just starting kegging. So far, so good. But I as I was setting it up, I was very careful to make sure I had no leaks. Clearly this is the biggest potential downside to any kegging operation. In fact, I keep my keg sitting on an old bathroom scale just to monitor the possibility of a very slow leak that a soapy-water (or starsan) test might not detect.
Still beats the hassle & extra time involved with bottling. For every hour I spend fixing a kegging-related f-up, I would have spent 5 hours moving bottles around, delabeling, cleaning, etc. Plus, I have magic faucets that make beer for me. That alone is worth it.
I'll fess up to my recent leaky mistake. I ferment in 10 gallon cornies. The last two batches I fermented in one of them were incredibly difficult to transfer, foamy, crazy and uncooperative. Seriously made me angry sort of stuff and I lost beer during the transfers. During my last brew session when it was finally clear and I had made enough of a hole during the brew day to tear the thing apart, I found the issue. One tiny little gasket, the one that seats under the dip tube was missing. I must have missed it when I last took the keg completely apart. These things are tricky to disassemble/reassemble and that one gasket made enough of difference on the system's stabilty to foam the ever living hooey out of the beer during transfer.
