I found beer in my co2 tank and gas lines and assuming the regulator. I burst carbed for the first time. Set the regulator to 30 psi for 24 hrs then purged and dropped it to 10. Later that night i had no pressure and beer in all my gear. How did this happen? Is my tank, reg, and line screwed? How can i prevent this. Thanks for all your help.
just found beer in co2 tank... help.
- Thread starter basilchef
- Start date
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Sounds like your 1 way valve (if you have one) was bad. Did you carb through the beer out post? If not then you may have filled up your keg too full and when you dropped pressure you sucked back beer into the Reg. Yes if you got beer in the tank and Reg then the regulator will need to be taken apart and cleaned for sure. If I knew for sure I got beer in my tank then I would take the tank to a welding supply house and let them know what happened and ask what should be done. I am guessing they are just going to take it in as an exchange and send it out for cleaning and hydro. But PLEASE don't pass it on without saying anything, you will be screwing the next guy!
Cheers
Jay
Cheers
Jay
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basilchef
Well-Known Member
It's my personal brand new tank. I don't want to pass it on if i dont have too. So this means my tank is screwed? Also i carbed through the in post.
Nightshade
Well-Known Member
Sounds like you need a check valve on the line from the CO2 tank, the regulator does not serve this function at all and will allow beer to flood back in the line and possibly to the tank.
LovesIPA
Well-Known Member
I did this once. In the future don't fill your kegs past the bottom of the gas dip tube.
Even being your personal tank you can "exchange" it. No your not screwed at all. Like I said I would talk to a welding supply house and see how they would handle it. If you don't want to exchange your tank then just turn your tank over (up side down) without the regulator and open the valve and drain it. Then take it in and tell them what happened and see how you should go about fixing it. I am willing to bet a simple purge is all it will take.
I carb through my beer out post. But I have a good working 1 way valve on my system, so there is never a chance of back flooding my valve.
Cheers
Jay
Take your regulator apart before beer dries in there and ruins it. You still may have ruined it, but it's worth a shot.
And, make sure you a. install a check valve in the beer line below the regulator! and b. don't carb through the in post!
Yooper
Most people carb through the gas in post, its the safest way to do it really. I am willing to bet he filled his keg up to full and got his beer into the gas in tube without a check valve. Recipe for disaster if that's the case.
Cheers
Jay
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basilchef
Well-Known Member
I think i did over fill it. I left an inch or two from the very top.
You're right! I read that as "in the "out" post". Carbing in the "in" post is right, and I'm sorry for the error on my part.
Filling above the bottom of the "in" diptube is probably what caused this problem.
How can beer carbed at 30psi back flow into a tank at 800psi? Maybe I am missing something, but I can see the low pressure side of the regulator getting beer in it, but not the high side.
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basilchef
Well-Known Member
Its weird bc it was just filled. They over fillied.it. Then when i hooked it up the tank didn't register on my high presser gauge. I thought it was just my gauge. Guess they screwed me twice. Too bad they are my only option.
How far is Arco welding away from you? They are in Malden
or Igo's in Watertown, both of those guys exchange. I think Igo's fills on the spot also.
Were you able to pull your regulator apart like Yooper suggested?
Cheers
Jay
or Igo's in Watertown, both of those guys exchange. I think Igo's fills on the spot also.
Were you able to pull your regulator apart like Yooper suggested?
Cheers
Jay
Happened to me, once.
Check valves were on my to-do list. I had ordered all my keezer stuff before I had ever brewed a beer. My keezer was gonna be for commercial kegs. sanke couplings have check valves, so regs generally do not.
Anyway, I had a keg of sparkling apfelwein left over from a wedding. Took two kegs, brought back one full and one with a little left in it. A month later I tapped the full one with a serving pressure of 12 psi. I had forgotten that keg was at 45 psi or so. My reg started spewing apfelwein.
Took the reg apart, cleaned it and all was well. The next day I bought my check valves.
Check valves were on my to-do list. I had ordered all my keezer stuff before I had ever brewed a beer. My keezer was gonna be for commercial kegs. sanke couplings have check valves, so regs generally do not.
Anyway, I had a keg of sparkling apfelwein left over from a wedding. Took two kegs, brought back one full and one with a little left in it. A month later I tapped the full one with a serving pressure of 12 psi. I had forgotten that keg was at 45 psi or so. My reg started spewing apfelwein.
Took the reg apart, cleaned it and all was well. The next day I bought my check valves.
amandabab
Well-Known Member
this may be your problem as far as beer getting into the tank. if they over filled it the burst disk could have blown at some point, completely dumping the tank contents. with no check valves, hooking a keg to the system just acted like a keg jumper line in reverse.
filling a tank at a homebrew shop is the worse option. Many don't actually have diptube tanks and chillers on-site and just fill with gas pressure. swapping is a better option
the Tank needs to be completely serviced,(valve removed, cleaned, dried, re-hyroed)
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basilchef
Well-Known Member
Ok, so i drunkenly tapped my mosaic pale ale tonight. It was at 30 psi for 24 hrs then 10 for about the same. After that i lost gas and had all my suckback issues. Yadda yadda. Anyway, my pale ale is perfect. Its perfectly carbed and the best tasting brew i have ever made. Im couldn't be happier. Does this seem right? Either way scooooore! Wish i could share with all of you.
