Keg Wont Carb?

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Phunhog

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 1, 2008
Messages
2,087
Reaction score
210
Okay...you guys have to help me figure this one out. I have a keg of Vanilla Bourbon Porter that has been on the gas for 3 weeks. 11 psi @38 F. It is still flat!! The other kegs on the manifold have carbed/poured fine. I have checked all connections and valves. When I bleed the pressure on the keg I hear CO2 rushing in. It just doesn't make sense!! If I had a leak my tank would be done by now. The only thing I can think of, and it doesn't make much sense, is that I added bourbon to the keg and put it in the keezer. I didn't try to mix it or anything. Is there any chance I have a layer of high alcohol bourbon sitting on top of the beer and it's preventing it from carbing?
 
Okay...you guys have to help me figure this one out. I have a keg of Vanilla Bourbon Porter that has been on the gas for 3 weeks. 11 psi @38 F. It is still flat!! The other kegs on the manifold have carbed/poured fine. I have checked all connections and valves. When I bleed the pressure on the keg I hear CO2 rushing in. It just doesn't make sense!! If I had a leak my tank would be done by now. The only thing I can think of, and it doesn't make much sense, is that I added bourbon to the keg and put it in the keezer. I didn't try to mix it or anything. Is there any chance I have a layer of high alcohol bourbon sitting on top of the beer and it's preventing it from carbing?

Well, the laws of physics state that it's impossible that it's flat. :p

So now what?

I dunno. But there is something that is stopping the carbonation of course. In theory, you should be able to carbonate pure liquor, but I don't know if that's true in reality. I do know that I've seen wine on tap, and it's 15% ABV so it's hard to believe that your bourbon is inhibiting carbonation.

Is there any chance that the diptube is blocked? I assume not, since you hear gas rushing in. And the regulator isn't reading incorrectly, and really at 2 psi? I'm at a loss, that's for sure.

Is the beer totally flat, like just out of the fermenter flat? Or just severely undercarbed?
 
I have a similar question to this. I have an ipa that is 6.5% and it has been at 38 for a week and taste maybe slightly diff but still very under carbed to me. Is it to early for it to be carbed is why? Is it because it needs to be set higher since it is a fifteen gallon sanke with a five gal batch? Do I just need to wait longer, turn it up or wat? Thanks in advance
 
I have a similar question to this. I have an ipa that is 6.5% and it has been at 38 for a week and taste maybe slightly diff but still very under carbed to me. Is it to early for it to be carbed is why? Is it because it needs to be set higher since it is a fifteen gallon sanke with a five gal batch? Do I just need to wait longer, turn it up or wat? Thanks in advance

What's the current psi? That, plus temperature, is what determines carbonation level.
 
Well, the laws of physics state that it's impossible that it's flat. :p

So now what?

I dunno. But there is something that is stopping the carbonation of course. In theory, you should be able to carbonate pure liquor, but I don't know if that's true in reality. I do know that I've seen wine on tap, and it's 15% ABV so it's hard to believe that your bourbon is inhibiting carbonation.

Is there any chance that the diptube is blocked? I assume not, since you hear gas rushing in. And the regulator isn't reading incorrectly, and really at 2 psi? I'm at a loss, that's for sure.

Is the beer totally flat, like just out of the fermenter flat? Or just severely undercarbed?

It is way undercarbed for the time/temperature. I guess I can violating the laws of physics?:D The only thing I haven't done is switch the gas connections. I have a Rye Pale Ale that has only been on the gas for 7 days and it is way more carbed than the porter is. It has to be that the bourbon is floating on top. The first keg of the porter carbed up fine...no issues.
 
It is way undercarbed for the time/temperature. I guess I can violating the laws of physics?:D The only thing I haven't done is switch the gas connections. I have a Rye Pale Ale that has only been on the gas for 7 days and it is way more carbed than the porter is. It has to be that the bourbon is floating on top. The first keg of the porter carbed up fine...no issues.

I'm at a total loss. You can try switching the gas connections, just so you can say you did it.
 
Ok here's an update.....I switched the gas connections. 9 days later still virtually no carbonation....just the slightest bit. I decided to do the crank and shake method and bottle right away. This got it up to an acceptable level of carbonation. While doing this I think I might of found my problem. I noticed tiny air bubbles coming from the keg where the rubber top meets the stainless. It seemed to be flexing a little bit too:mad: It appears that I might have a damaged keg that leaks the tiniest amount of CO2. I have never heard of keg failing and leaking from this point. I guess it would still make a great fermenter but it might be done as a serving keg.
 
Unless you can see some obvious impact point or outright puncture, it's likely a failure of the cap weld (the whole top is welded to the body cylinder). Probably not worth the effort to get it repaired, so your idea of a possible fermenting vessel is most likely the best one...

Cheers!
 
I'm reviving this thread because I am currently having the issue of a keg not carbing. Its been at 12 psi for almost two weeks now and I only have a faint (1/8") head in the glass and very fine bubbles in the glass. I also pushed this to 30 psi for about 24 hours with no improvement.
My keg isnt leaking and i have no problem drawing beer from the tap. I can also hear CO2 moving into the keg.

I've checked the posts and the lid for leaks using the Star San test....no bubbles.

The beer is an O-Fest that filled the keg completely to the top. As i was doing a closed transfer I pushed beer from the fermentor to the keg until beer started to come out the "Out" post.

Is it possible that I overfilled the keg and there isnt enough head space for the CO2 to properly put pressure on the beer?
 
I noticed tiny air bubbles coming from the keg where the rubber top meets the stainless. It seemed to be flexing a little bit too:mad: It appears that I might have a damaged keg that leaks the tiniest amount of CO2. I have never heard of keg failing and leaking from this point. I guess it would still make a great fermenter but it might be done as a serving keg.

This is quite common. Don't toss as a serving keg quite yet.
Get some Oversized Keg O-rings and don't forget to apply a thin coating of keg lube.
 
Wrong quote? "Where the rubber top meets the stainless" is not a lid problem. The leak was under the rubber top.

Anyway...the thread moved to a different user's problem, which may be a lid leak...

Cheers!
 
are your draft lines properly sized for your serving pressure? i don't get much head with cider, protein content of the beer? and, is there a way you can make sure your regulator is accurate? i wouldn't think a flat keg would be because a leak, or your tank would be empty after a couple days....when you hit it with 30psi did you shake it, and did the tank make hissing sounds while you were shaking it?

just my thoughts on the matter....

edit: and fine bubbles, you didn't accidentally get a tank of nitrogen?

you could buy a new keg but there's this too...

https://www.beveragefactory.com/dra..._EeU3tMz5AAEzxUXKaaU6ey4Mep6_TLgaAhVkEALw_wcB
 
Last edited:
Wrong quote? "Where the rubber top meets the stainless" is not a lid problem. The leak was under the rubber top.

Anyway...the thread moved to a different user's problem, which may be a lid leak...

Cheers!

Re-reading the OP's statement, I see I wrongly assumed it was a lid leak.
I've never heard of a keg failure at this spot.
 
are your draft lines properly sized for your serving pressure? i don't get much head with cider, protein content of the beer? and, is there a way you can make sure your regulator is accurate? i wouldn't think a flat keg would be because a leak, or your tank would be empty after a couple days....when you hit it with 30 psi did you shake it, and did the tank make hissing sounds while you were shaking it?

just my thoughts on the matter....

edit: and fine bubbles, you didn't accidentally get a tank of nitrogen?

you could buy a new keg but there's this too...
Have approximately 12' Bev Seal lines. This will be the third keg on this line since i built my keezer and the 9th total, including the other lines. All line lengths are the same 12' and at 12 psi.

I didn't shake the keg at 30 psi. I just set it and forget it. I do hear CO2 moving into the keg when beer is drawn off through the tap.

I'm not sure if the regulator is accurate but it hasn't been an issue with the other kegs that have been on this line

Its an Oktoberfest so i don't think the style is causing the issue.

The keg is a brand new slim line Torpedo keg. It holds pressure just fine. I have a homemade version of the link you provided.

My tank isn't Nitrogen.

Thanks for the responses!
 
If this is the only keg that has the issue you either:

- haven't waited long enough for the beer to fully carb
- there is an issue with head retention with this beer causing you to mistakenly think that this beer isn't fully carbed
 
Back
Top