Beer backup into regulator

Ok, I thought these shutoffs had check valves but I was apparently wrong. I'm sure some beer got up into the regulator. Can I clean this mess out?





-Joe

I had once the same problem with my portable keg-o. Not was bad as on your picture, but enough... I ended up dumping the co2 line since I first didn't notice and then couldn't clean it out anymore. Not sure how I managed to do that since it had never happened before and never after but it is a mess!
Don't know how to clean a regulator (if that's even possible) but rins your lines and let them dry. Possibly blow the lines to get the water out to dry faster.

The lines went straight into the trash bin. I'm really only concerned about the regulator. Beer came out of the hole on the side of the regulator screw, so I know it's a mess in there. I'm so angry. I wouldn't have bought these valves if I didn't believe they were check valves, but the description on the website doesn't say they are. I don't know what happened.

-Joe

As far a I know, you need a new regulator

RLinNH said:

As far a I know, you need a new regulator

Click to expand...

No way.

You can take it apart and clean it. There should be a screw or something on the back side.

I've taken my cornelious regulators apart before, and they also sell repair kits for them.

I had the same thing happen to me with root beer. Had the regulator set at 12lbs for my beer, but put it on my root beer, where the keg was pressurized to 30psi.

This is what is in the cornelious regulator:

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/products/ProdByID.aspx?ProdID=6107

That's what I was hoping, but I can't figure out how to get this unit apart :/ The main knob doesn't unscrew all the way - I can see a circlip at the bottom of it. There are no other screws on the body of the regulator.

I guess I'll have to call Beverage Factory tomorrow.

-Joe

Those look like Micromatic regs. send them an email and they may sell the rebuilds and have instructions with it.

B

bad coffee said:

Those look like Micromatic regs. send them an email and they may sell the rebuilds and have instructions with it.

B

Click to expand...

+1 You can definitely take them apart yourself, not incredibly hard, but you have to pay attention to what you are doing so put it back together right (What's this spare piece for?).

kirscp said:

No way.

You can take it apart and clean it. There should be a screw or something on the back side.

I've taken my cornelious regulators apart before, and they also sell repair kits for them.

I had the same thing happen to me with root beer. Had the regulator set at 12lbs for my beer, but put it on my root beer, where the keg was pressurized to 30psi.

This is what is in the cornelious regulator:

Cornelius Regulator Repair Kit :: Midwest Supplies Homebrewing and Winemaking Supplies

Click to expand...

Thanks for setting me straight kirscp. See that, ya learn something new every day.

Ok, got it figured out. The whole face unscrews. Man did a lot of beer pour out.





The fiber washer was saturated, but on the upside it looks like it's the only component that could have been damaged.





...

I cleaned and dried everything and put it back together. It holds pressure with no leaks so I'm OK until I get another washer at least.

I'm still pissed.

-Joe

This makes me happy that I got that some regulator... At least I know I can try to fix it should anything happen to it...

Micromatic has a great schematic - Follow this link then click "Replacement Parts".

Let's see if I can snag it...



-Joe

Great info on the regulator.

In the future you might want to keep the regulator above the keg. Gravity has this way of allowing liquid to drain to the lowest point, in this case into your regulator.

My regulator is at the level of the tops of my kegs. I'm pretty sure this would have happened no matter where my regulator was. I hit the keg with 30psi then dropped it down to 14psi to carb. I forgot to purge the keg of the extra pressure. Then when I saw the beer flowing to the reg I couldn't act fast enough to stop it.

-Joe