Kegerator troubles

What problem were you trying to fix when you "tweaked the PSI up a little bit"? How much is "a little bit"? How long did you keep it at the higher pressure?

Depending on how high and for how long, it's possible that the beer is simply overcarbed. Even a little bit can make a big difference in the amount of foam you're pouring. Backing off on the pressure will take a few days to show any benefit. I would advise patience.

I would suggest leaving the valve closed for a few pours. Let the excess CO2 push it for now (at least you're pouring liquid beer this way). The excess CO2 will eventually escape the beer into the headspace. Or you could vent the excess occasionally for a few days. You'll need to open the valve eventually, or you'll definitely end up with flat beer.

You didn't say what style of beer you're serving, but, at 38F, 10-11 psi is a good number for most American styles. If it worked well before, it'll work well in the future.

Look at the bright side -- you've got clean lines!

 

You need to properly balance the beer, it is much more scientific than picking a temperature and pressure you like. To do it right you need the volumes of CO2 for the beer, then using the exact temperature you set the pressure. "About 38" is not a good enough reading. 5' lines are the minimum. Longer lines can be employed as one of the tools to correct the problem of properly balanced beer getting agitated by fast flow. What beer is it? What did the line look like when the pressure was still on - was it solid beer or were there gaps?

 

Perhaps it's just semantics, but you don't 'balance the beer', in this context. It's the system that needs to be balanced. The volumes of CO2 in the beer is one factor in the equation.

While your info is accurate, I don't want Benlee to overthink this. To that end, throwing out a lot of technical info, while correct, is not helpful in this case, IMO. He said "everything was working great" at 10psi, 5' of nondescript line, at a temp of "about 38". The only difference was the pressure ("I tweaked the PSI up a little bit and all went to hell"). I say leave everything as is and untweak the pressure, allowing sufficient time for everything to return back to normal -- probably a few days.

 

Yes it is semantics. The other things that changed are the thermal mass of the beer and the ability to cool it given the same thermostat setting, possibly the beer itself (wont know until he answers) and most likely circulation in the unit is also different now that he is at a half instead of a sixth. It may just be semantics, but a lot has changed.

 

Actually, if you read the OP's post, he says that, "First sixtel commercial keg worked great. Graduated up to a half keg. everything was working great. Had PSI set to 10. around 5 feet of line.Temperature of beer out of keg is about 38. I tweaked the PSI up a little bit and all went to hell."


In other words, Mike is right. Don't overthink the problem and return to your original setting. Tweaking the CO² pressure caused the issue and returning to the original setting (and venting the ullage) will bring back normalcy.

 

You're right, bad read on my part. He should look up how to balance going forward too.

 

Not sure where you're coming from here. 38F is 38F, regardless of the thermal mass of the beer or the air circulation patterns. If a sixtel pours fine at 38F/10psi, then, given the same line configuration, a half barrel will also pour fine at 38F/10psi. You'll note that the carb charts don't specify keg size -- because it's irrelevant.

 

If the highly specific reading of around 38 was taken on the sixth and the thermostat wasn't adjusted it is unlikely in my experience that the half would maintain that in the absence of circulation. You will likely disagree and I will surely not care.

 

a half barrel is so much more than a sixth and now the kegerator cant keep it cold enough without circulation? if i'm understanding this. the thermostat should be adjusted when going from a sixth to a half?

this is a new and novel theory.
we are not like the other boards on BA; around here opinion is welcome. experience is great. but expect to be questioned when logic or fact is absent. because how else would we learn?
Cheers.

 

Not really, both on the new and novel theory or the idea opinions are wlecome. I love a pounding fro trying to help a guy out. A small space like a home kegerator is completely packed with a full keg. There is a temp differential top to bottom and front to back. I can put three sixths in mine and without a fan the front one is warmer than the back two. With a fan distributing the cooler air off the cold plate and pushing it around the kegs the temperatures are much more uniform. This is also related to wear the temp prove is. If it is the small space created in the back by the keg, then it will cool that air space and shut down. Repeat over and over. If you are blowing the cold air throughout it is much more uniform across the whole keg.

 

A keg will equilibriate to the ambient temp regardless of the size of the keg or circulation. And, unless the beer is producing its own heat, a half barrel will stay exactly as cold as a sixtel, or even a 12 oz bottle, regardless of circulation, without adjusting the thermostat. The only difference would be if the kegerator door is opened frequently (they tend not to be), in which case, the half barrel is more likely than the sixtel to hold a constant temp ('around 38', in this case), due to its larger thermal mass (it will tend to use less electricity with a half barrel than it would with a sixtel).

 

If you are back in business and the foam was from overcarbing as a result of the temp and pressure changes you are likely all set. A rule of thumb for temperature and pressure changes...you need to make the change to both in the same direction. Lower temp needs a lower pressure. If it was from a regulator problem it may come back.
For a grossly over carbed keg, you shut off the gas, vent, and shake and vent again. Do this a few times over the course of a day, then reapply the correct pressure. For a mild case of over carbing, you can vent and shake and get right back to drinking. The quick venting and dispensing will lower the carbonation in a short time. Or you can just keep drinking. Let us know how it goes.

 

Yes, pull the pressure relief with the gas off.

 

Once the beer is no longer overcarbed (I'm assuming that was the problem), it's safe to increase it to 'normal' serving pressure all at once. As to your question, as long as you're increasing the pressure, there's no need to vent it.

 

You still need to properly balance using the volumes of CO2 for the beer and the temperature to avoid over or undercarbing.