new to kegging - didn't connect serving line till now D'OH

5 days ago i racked beer into a corny keg for the first time.

i hit it with 30 psi for 24 hrs. Then lowered to 10 for the next 4 days.

well i went to go and serve myself some today. The problem was that i had not connected my picnic tap, hose and disconnect to the keg. I thought that was something you did when it was done carbing.

Well you can imagine how dumb i feel now that I tried to connect it and beer sprayed out the post because (of course!) its under pressure now.

My question is what do I do now? Do I pull the relieve valve on my keg and empty it of pressure, then connect my serving line? After that do I need to re-carb my beer? Will it take another 5 days at 10psi?

thanks!

yea, pull the relief valve. connect serving line. you're good.

Hmm. I've regularly connected and disconnected serving lines juggling kegs around in my fridge, and I've never had any beer spray at me. I have ball lock kegs, so maybe that's part of it, but I'd imagine if you make the connection in one quick motion you shouldn't have too much beer spraying.

Barring that, removing the keg from the CO2, purging briefly, and then connecting both the gas and serving lines shouldn't cause too much loss of carbonation. Just set it at serving pressure and let it go.

Brooklyn-Brewtality said:

yea, pull the relief valve. connect serving line. you're good.

Click to expand...

Yep! You're fine. turn off the gas briefly. Pull the pressure relief valve, just in case. The hook up the beerline/qd/tap. Turn on the gas. The first 3 ounces will be a sludgy yeast mess. So have two glasses handy! Pour the first three ounces, until it looks like beer. Then stop, and pour into the "real" beer glass. Voila! Beer!

Phew. Here is my list of steps I'm gonna run through for my first pour. Can you let me know they look good.

1. Pull relief valve.
2. Connect serving line.
3.Disconnect gas line from keg.
4. Purge CO2 tank of pressure.
5. Reconnect gas line.
6. Slowly increase psi back to 10.
7. At eye level pour out 1/2 glass and dump it.
8. Pour out next glass and drink the hell out of it.

3.Disconnect gas line from keg.
4. Purge CO2 regulator of pressure.
1. Pull relief valve.
5. Reconnect gas line.
2. Connect serving line.
6. Slowly increase psi back to 10.
7. At eye level pour out 1/2 glass and dump it.
8. Pour out next glass and drink the hell out of it.


Fixed that how I'd do it.

I don't get the problem...I have ball locks and keep them at about 12psi all the time. I've connected and disconnected both gas and liquid without mishap. Your steps look good, just seems like overkill to me.

TacoGuthrie said:

Phew. Here is my list of steps I'm gonna run through for my first pour. Can you let me know they look good.

1. Pull relief valve.
2. Connect serving line.
3.Disconnect gas line from keg.
4. Purge CO2 tank of pressure.
5. Reconnect gas line.
6. Slowly increase psi back to 10.
7. At eye level pour out 1/2 glass and dump it.
8. Pour out next glass and drink the hell out of it.

Click to expand...

Brooklyn-Brewtality said:

3.Disconnect gas line from keg.
4. Purge CO2 regulator of pressure.
1. Pull relief valve.
5. Reconnect gas line.
2. Connect serving line.
6. Slowly increase psi back to 10.
7. At eye level pour out 1/2 glass and dump it.
8. Pour out next glass and drink the hell out of it.


Fixed that how I'd do it.

Click to expand...

Oooooh, I drink, especially on Friday nights and numbers hurt my head.

NO numbers here!
No need to disconnect anything! Just turn off the co2. Then purge the corny keg. I assume you already have the co2 at 10 psi which is fine. Then, hook up your beer line to the "out". Since you purged the keg, nothing will happen. turn the gas on. Pour beer. Throw out the yucky bottom of the keg stuff. Then pour more beer.

Now, you're done! You can pour 39 more pints without worry.

Kaz said:

I don't get the problem...I have ball locks and keep them at about 12psi all the time. I've connected and disconnected both gas and liquid without mishap. Your steps look good, just seems like overkill to me.

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Hate to tell you kaz, but if you don't connect the "out" line and tap when you set up the system in your kegerator, a sudden push on the out post will drench you in beer when you DO hook it up. Try it! Or, just trust goofballs like me who do it! Pushing down on the "out" poppit while the beer is under pressure equals beer shower, trust me!

HEY EVERYONE I AM DRINKING MY BEER FROM A KEG RIGHT NOW AND IT IS FRIGGIN' AWESOME.

Seriously, thanks for the quick answers. I'm pretty happy.

It could use a little more carbonation. If it turned it up to 12 or so it might do the trick.

It takes a minute to figure out your system. I like my needle flickering between 11 and 12 on my system. But this might cause havoc on someone else's.

TacoGuthrie said:

HEY EVERYONE I AM DRINKING MY BEER FROM A KEG RIGHT NOW AND IT IS FRIGGIN' AWESOME.

Seriously, thanks for the quick answers. I'm pretty happy.

It could use a little more carbonation. If it turned it up to 12 or so it might do the trick.

Click to expand...

You did it!!! Hooray for you. Have another beer, and then one more. It'll get better and better, I promise.

If it needs more carb, certainly turn it up. My system is 12 psi at 40 degrees, and it's perfect!