I just tried to force carbonate a beer in a keg for the first time. I ran out of CO2 in about 30 minutes. What did I do wrong, what do I need to check? Thank you for the help, it is truly appreciated
Did you leak check everything before you started? You'll want to seat the keg lid good with about 30 psi and then spray some SS to check for leaks before you do any carbing.
You had a leak, as said. Crank the pressure up to 30 PSI to seal the lid. Listen for leaks, if you can hear gas flow you have a leak. Spray everything with star San including the regulator and connection to the tank.
Every new kegger has leaks, usually more than one. Everywhere there is a threaded/hose-clamp/quick-disconnect connection is suspect. After you refill your keg, start at the source. Pressurize the regulator, but close the shut off valve(s). Spray starsan on all the pressurized fittings (tank-connection, shut-offs, gauges). If you absolutely can't find a leak, then shut the tank master valve off and let it sit overnight. If the pressure holds till morning then your leak is downstream. Open the shut off valve and pressurize each line individually (disconnected from keg). Don't be afraid to crank it up . . . nothing wrong with putting 40 or 50 psi in the lines. Don't be afraid to dunk your QD's in a bucket of water. If all your lines are good then pressurize your keg, squirt starsan on your posts/lid. Don't be afraid to dunk an empty keg in a bucket of water. Don't celebrate when you find a leak . . . there could be more. The final test is for pressure to hold with the master tank valve off. I would not go to sleep at night with the tank master valve open until I know it will hold pressure. You really don't want to be on a first name basis with those guys at the carbon dioxide store.
What they said, you had a leak. Did you use keg lube on your o-rings? That is a very easy way to lose a shit ton of CO2.
