Ok so I have had my beer kegged for 36 hours. Everything is in my cooler at 38 F. I am using double body regulator and because I did not think to buy extra line I not using my manifold for my two kegs I directly connected each to a regulator. I am 5400 feet alt So I set my low press to 22 psi each. As the low press dropped as the co2 chilled I adjust up to keep around 20-22. I shake the kegs periodically and here them take more pressure after. So like I said it been 36 hours now. after 24 hours I had re-adjusted regulator to 20 psi as they had dropped to about 15 psi I assume it was because of chilling of the co2. Now after 36 hours co2 should be chilled completely no? if so why did it restabilize at about 16 psi over night? My high press gauge seems rock solid I here nothing. I will probably do another leak check tonight but the tank weight feels great. Should I be worried or just keep tweaking it up? I actually planned to bring it down tonight to 10psi. The tanks take less pressure after shaking then they did previously so I know co2 is being dissolved. But my main tank valve is only maybe 1/2 to 3/4 of turn open could this be an issue?
Never experienced this…is it a new setup?
Once you set the low pressure reg it should stay regardless of temp or carbonation level of the keg. That’s kind of the point of a regulator. It should ‘regulate’ the pressure in the keg as the beer absorbs the CO2. Only time my low pressure gauges drop is when the cylinder runs out and beer is still absorbing the gas.
If the cylinder is in a fridge the high pressure gauge will drop but that’s expected.
Doesn’t make sense to me. It still holding strong at about 16 psi. and the tank high pressure has not budged. I going to leak check again and then adjust up one more time. I was hoping to sample tonight but I think I will wait one day.
Well figured most of it out. Turns out the c02 service lines each had a leak. When I was working on removing everything I noticed the gauges popped up in pressure when I turned off the shutoff valves. I was going to submerge the hoses and the tank in water… But after fiddling with it I ended up removing the hoses retightening the quick disconnects and then reattached to regulator. I got the leaks down to .5 to 1.5 psi when connected to the kegs. I ended up reseating one keg lid even though I did not detect any leaks with soapy water or sanitizer. So final results were one hose appears to be leak free the other has a .5 psi or so leak. That’s how much it jumps approxiamtly when you turn on and off the check valve at the regulator. I don’t have the pinch clamp kit so I can not redo the barbed fittings. I also worry about over tightening those plastic quick disconnects.
So my only leak is now about .5 psi… My next question is how much co2 do you think I lost with about 12-20 psi leak over the last 2 days? My tank is a 5lb steel tank.
This was hard for me as I am right hand and dealing with a possibly scaphoid fracture so it was torture tightening those damn fittings. But should be worth it. I going to let carb one more day 20 psi since the force carbing ended up at 16 psi for the last 2 days.
And to think I have to double check the liquid servicing lines and picnic taps still hopefully they are good as I got a couple more cranks on them.
Well. the picnics tap seem to hold pressure. Beer tastes good. But I had a foam and high pressure issue.
I ended bringing down my pressure to 8 psi for 5 feet of tube. I shut off pressure released the pressure in the kegs for 4 hours then turn pressure back on at 8 psi for 15 hours or so… Coiled the extra serving line to keep it above the keg and poured one. Much better on the foam and was coming out at a high pressure like yesterday…
I at 5000 feet altitude so I surprised that worked. Thought for sure I was going to have get more tubing as all the math said I need like 11 feet and serve at 12-13 psi. Only thing I can think of is the john q and the irish red do not need to be carbed at 2.5 that or I over carbed.
Once I get my kegerator built I will focus more on fine tuning the proper serving balance. For now I think I safely serve a good beer for this weekends Christmas party.
