Happy Friday Gang,
After reading plenty on proper carbonation, head retention etc, I changed out my lines to 8 feet. But I’m still getting a weak pour, little foam and what I perceive to be low carbonation. I have my psi set between 10 and 15. I’m beginning to think that maybe the gauge is off. The beer is coming out “ok” only. Also, is my coiled lines okay in the pic or should they be set horizontally or cut free to hang as they want?
How long has it been set to that pressure? If it’s been more than two weeks, maybe your gauge is off, because it sounds like you know what you’re doing. What’s your serving temperature? You didn’t freeze the keg, did you (I did that once and had the same problem!)
The keg is 2 weeks in, so the “set it and forget it” system was employed. My thermostat/keezer kicks on at 41 and shuts down at 32, so no problem there. Nothing is frozen. Thanks for the compliment but I’ve got a lot to learn.
M
The keg is 2 weeks in, so the “set it and forget it” system was employed. My thermostat/keezer kicks on at 41 and shuts down at 32, so no problem there. Nothing is frozen. Thanks for the compliment but I’ve got a lot to learn.
M[/quote]
3/16"ID?
At 41*F at 10psi you should get 2.25vol CO2. Have you checked for leaks? Even a very small leak will keep the beer from carbing up. Also, as long as your lines aren’t kinked they’re fine to be coiled.
Thanks. I’ll check. Truthfully, the hose was close to impossible to shimmy all barbs, I have not clamped.
M
I first put each end in near boiling water to get them loosened up to fit over the barbs. If that didn’t work I resorted to tiny amount of keg lube. I only have hose clamps at the main line from the CO2 tank to the 4-way distributor.
If the beer is still flowing your lines aren’t too long or too restricting. If you’ve had your keg at 12 PSI for two weeks and there is still no carb to your beer, you gauge or your temp must be off. Try setting it to 15 and let it sit for a week. Keep in mind, turning up your PSI will make the beer come out faster given the same length of bev line though.
I would agree that most likely your gauge is off. I have had 5, 6 or maybe more regulators and even more gauges pass through my hands in the last couple years and I am amazed at how each regulator has worked slightly different from one another- and the gauges are even worse. Also, there have been a couple of times when the ‘set it and forget it’ just didn’t do it in 2 weeks time. If your keg is filled to the max you will find that it takes longer to carb. I think 8’ lines are a little overkill as well, but everyone’s setup is slightly different. I sit around 38 degrees, at 11-12psi with 6’ lines and my pour seems slow at times. Slow pour equals almost no head. You have to work to give a pint some head on my system (insert joke here). You will dial it in, but my guess is the gauge. good luck.
I would also put on a hose clamp or oetiker clamp where the tubing connects to the beer out - at least I always do.
Thanks for the great advice fellas. I haven’t narrowed it down but my beer is carbing better and I’m achieving acceptable foam. I set the gauge to just about 15psi and my first corny is 3 weeks and my second is 2. So whateverthehell, it looks like a combo of fixes; higher psi and time. And both taste great. It’s so easy to draw from a keg, I can’t imagine I’ll be doing too much bottling anymore.
Mike
[quote=“Steppedonapoptop”]Thanks for the great advice fellas. I haven’t narrowed it down but my beer is carbing better and I’m achieving acceptable foam. I set the gauge to just about 15psi and my first corny is 3 weeks and my second is 2. So whateverthehell, it looks like a combo of fixes; higher psi and time. And both taste great. It’s so easy to draw from a keg, I can’t imagine I’ll be doing too much bottling anymore.
Mike[/quote]
I just kegged my 5th batch. An innkeeper that is very tasty green. Quick carbed it at 30 psi, rolled it back and forth about 5 minutes. Set it in the keg fridge for about 3 hours and drew the first carbonated pint. Beer + Kegging = Instant Gratification!
That is :cheers:
