Kegging soda

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mkozlowski

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I've seen a few threads on this but so far haven't really been able to get root beer good and carbonated. I have barqs syrup mixed in a 5 gallon ball lock keg currently at around 30 psi. After shaking a bunch the best I have been able to get is mild carbonation. Any thoughts on how to get it better carbonated? 30 psi also seems too much to pour... Should I be relieving some pressure from the pin? I'm kinda new to kegging as you can probably tell so any help is appreciated. Thanks.
 
What's the temperature? The 30psi is about right for soda, but requires a really long line and/or epoxy mixers in the diptube to balance that pressure. If you try to push 30psi using the 5-10' lines commonly used for beer, you'll end up with a firehose of foam. One of the reasons it might not taste very carbonated is because you're losing a bunch of carbonation from the fast/violent pour.
 
The temperature should be about 38. I do get a lot of foam as you mentioned. But how much line should I be using? Currently I'm just using the standard line that came with the unit. So I took a quick look at the epoxy suggestion but I don't really get yet where that would fit in? I found the part on McMaster but how does it attach? does it help regulate the flow? I don't suppose there's any way I could keep using my current line? Don't really like the thought of having a bunch of hose coiled up just sitting there. Thanks for the suggestions though.
 
For soda most people use 25-35' long lines. The epoxy mixer sticks go inside of the liquid out diptube in your keg. Just remove the post fitting, and drop them in place. What they do is provide extra resistance, which slows the flow down similar to the way extra long lines do. Even with a diptube full of the epoxy sticks, you'll probably need at least 10' of 3/16 id line, which is likely twice as long as the line that came with your unit.
 
When I made my batch I had to eventually crank it up to 45 psi just to get it carbed. Forget that crap about setting it at 12 psi for a week. It's not beer. I used my 10ft beer line for mine. Carbed the hell out of it and then dropped it to a lower serving pressure. It also ruined my beer line. After the root beer sat in the line for a week or two I rinsed it out and tapped a keg and it tasted gross. I currently have a solution of baking soda and oxi clean free sitting in the beer line trying to deodorize it so I don't have to pay the ridiculous price of $2ft for new line.
 
When I made my batch I had to eventually crank it up to 45 psi just to get it carbed. Forget that crap about setting it at 12 psi for a week. It's not beer. I used my 10ft beer line for mine. Carbed the hell out of it and then dropped it to a lower serving pressure. It also ruined my beer line. After the root beer sat in the line for a week or two I rinsed it out and tapped a keg and it tasted gross. I currently have a solution of baking soda and oxi clean free sitting in the beer line trying to deodorize it so I don't have to pay the ridiculous price of $2ft for new line.

Unless you're using barrier tubing (ie accuflex bev-seal ultra), you'll never get the root beer taste/smell out of the line. Same goes for the o-rings on the keg. Many people keep a dedicated line and set of o-rings around just for root beer.
 
When you drop the pressure are you pulling the pressure pin? Or are you lowering the pressure from the regulator? I've tried lowering it just on the regulator but then I think it only drops after I start pouring.
 
When you drop the pressure are you pulling the pressure pin? Or are you lowering the pressure from the regulator? I've tried lowering it just on the regulator but then I think it only drops after I start pouring.

You need to lower the pressure on the reg first, then release the excess pressure from the keg.
 
So do you recommend the epoxy? Does it work well? Or am I better off with the dedicated 25 ft line? And with regards to the o rings should those be changed out for a different type of soda? Or only if I'm going between beer and soda? Thanks for all the help guys.
 
So do you recommend the epoxy? Does it work well? Or am I better off with the dedicated 25 ft line? And with regards to the o rings should those be changed out for a different type of soda? Or only if I'm going between beer and soda? Thanks for all the help guys.

I've not used the epoxy mixer sticks myself, but a lot of other people have had great luck with them. I don't do much soda, but I have a 30' line for when I do.

It's really just root beer and Mr Pibb/Dr Pepper that are really problematic, and lines used for those sodas will ruin lighter flavored sodas too. Some people have had issues from cola too though.
 
Your just better off keeping that keg strictly for soda, or make sure you change out all the o-rings and poppets when you change over to beer then you can change them back if running soda again. Easier to just have a dedicated keg. And Bev-seal ultra 235.
 
I've made alot of soda over the years, and I found that I needed 30' lines to make the soda retain carbonation. 30-40 psi is the right pressure at fridge temps- I like mine at 30 psi, but I know David_42 said that his is more like 40 psi.

I bought some cheaper tubing, just for soda, from McMaster-Carr. I don't remember the model number, but I found it searching this forum. It was like 15 cents a foot- so much cheaper than beer line, but still food grade.

It was semi-rigid, so it was hard to work with, but it coiled up beautifully on the keg and that was a big plus.
 
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