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Initial charging keg w/ Beer gas

Kegging
#1

I googled and didn’t find anything concrete so I’ll ask the forum.

I’m brewing a Nut Brown Mild Ale today, expecting barely 4%, and I’d like to serve it on my Nitro tapper. I’ve already done three beers through it and I’ve always had an issue with foam. The first time I figured I should charge the beer normally using CO2, then dispense with the beer gas (it’s a 70/30 blend). That beer was way too foamy in the glass. Yea I had the cascading, but there was about 3" of foam when it settled down. The second time was the same because it was so much later I forgot what happened the first time. The 3rd time I only carb’d up to 5 psi at 40F, but I still had wicked foam.

My question: If I’m using Beer gas, do I even need to charge the keg first with straight CO2? Should I just hit the keg with the Beer gas and wait a few days for the CO2 that’s in the beer gas to be absorbed, then draw off a glass?

Thanks all.

#2

[quote=“Mattbastard”]I googled and didn’t find anything concrete so I’ll ask the forum.

I’m brewing a Nut Brown Mild Ale today, expecting barely 4%, and I’d like to serve it on my Nitro tapper. I’ve already done three beers through it and I’ve always had an issue with foam. The first time I figured I should charge the beer normally using CO2, then dispense with the beer gas (it’s a 70/30 blend). That beer was way too foamy in the glass. Yea I had the cascading, but there was about 3" of foam when it settled down. The second time was the same because it was so much later I forgot what happened the first time. The 3rd time I only carb’d up to 5 psi at 40F, but I still had wicked foam.

My question: If I’m using Beer gas, do I even need to charge the keg first with straight CO2? Should I just hit the keg with the Beer gas and wait a few days for the CO2 that’s in the beer gas to be absorbed, then draw off a glass?

Thanks all.[/quote]

You can just carb with the beer gas, but it is more expensive and not necessary. From the sounds of it, you are over carbonating. Remember beer should be at very low carb levels when going through a stout faucet on nitro.

What is the serving pressure with the Nitro?

Did you purge the keg of straight CO2 fully before connecting the nitro blend?

#3

Yes, both times I purged and served at 30 psi.

I think this time I’ll just straight keg it and gas it with the beer gas and wait a week before taking a glass.

#4

[quote=“Mattbastard”]Yes, both times I purged and served at 30 psi.

I think this time I’ll just straight keg it and gas it with the beer gas and wait a week before taking a glass.[/quote]

Just watch out - you can still overcarbonate with beer gas the exact same way.

http://www.kegerators.com/carbonation-table.php

Here is a reference chart for carboination levels.

If you held your keg at 40 F at 5 psi your levels should have been fine for serving through a stout faucet. Something else has to be the issue there.

I usually have trouble with my beer overcarbonating after the fact - when I have it under 30 psi with the beer gas. So I will make sure I disconect everyday and purge.

#5

That does sound odd.

I usually carb with CO2 at 5-7 psi, then purge keg and hook up beer gas at 30psi and have no problem leaving it hooked up at all times.

Is your stout faucet ok? Is your restrictor plate disk clogged? Are both washers holding it in place correctly?
I use a 75/25 mix, so at 30psi, the beer is only getting 7.5psi, which at the 40-50F range, shouldn’t overcarb any beer.

#6

I don’t understand why you are purging the head space of CO2?

You remove straight CO2 at 5-7psi, then fill it with N2/CO2 at 30psi. Seems like a wast of $.03 of CO2.

#7

[quote=“Nighthawk”]I don’t understand why you are purging the head space of CO2?

You remove straight CO2 at 5-7psi, then fill it with N2/CO2 at 30psi. Seems like a wast of $.03 of CO2.[/quote]
I think the idea is to remove the 100% CO2 from the headspace so it minimizes the amount of CO2 that goes into suspension once the pressure is up. Doesn’t seem that important to me, but I don’t have beergas, so I don’t know.

#8

[quote=“Nighthawk”]I don’t understand why you are purging the head space of CO2?

You remove straight CO2 at 5-7psi, then fill it with N2/CO2 at 30psi. Seems like a wast of $.03 of CO2.[/quote]

I don’t know the science behind, but would assume it has to do with getting the excess pure CO2 out of the keg.

From experience, if I do not purge it first, the pours are foamy. But when I do and follow my schedule above, they are perfect from first creamy pour to the end.

Sometimes ya just gotta have faith!!! (in a southern preacher’s voice)

:cheers:

#9

OK, that sounds reasonable. Someone on the science end could run the numbers. But from a layman’s angle it would seem that you would go from 2.2v to 2.4v by not purging.

I’ll file this under, “it works for you, don’t mess with it”.

#10

I actually think it has to do with getting the CO2 out of there since its the Nitrogen that creates the cascading effect since it easily dissipates into our atmosphere since nitrogen already comprises such a high percentage of it.

???

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