Do I have a leaky keg?

Ok I used a keg I had used previously since it never leaked and held pressure. Cleaned, sanitized and lubed it. I put 5 gallons of Apfelwein in it and primed it with 3/4 cup of dextrose. Pressurized it to 30 psi and disconnected the gas and set it aside.

Like all my kegs every couple days I do a quick yank on the pressure relief to be sure it's holding pressure (paranoid I know) so last night I yank it and instead of the hard Pfffft I get from 30 psi I got barely a pfft.

I repressurized it today and sprayed all around the top with starsan and saw no bubbles. I then used the leak test stuff I got from the welding shop that is even more sensitive and bubbles at the slightest leak and saw no bubbles.

So did the the CO2 get absorbed into solution so there was less psi or should there still had been 30psi of pressure?????

If there is no evidence of leaks at any of the fittings or openings, the CO2 went into solution.

Curious. Why prime AND pressurize if all you are doing after the pressurization is letting it sit before you purge?

The pressurizing is to make sure the keg seals. I thought that was SOP?

akthor said:

The pressurizing is to make sure the keg seals. I thought that was SOP?

Click to expand...

That's what I do. I do find I can usually get it to seal with only about 10-12 psi and don't normally go for the full 30 psi.

akthor said:

The pressurizing is to make sure the keg seals. I thought that was SOP?

Click to expand...

Yeah, but if you pull the pressure relief valve, you're removing the co2. When you have a full keg, there isn't much headspace. Some of the co2 you shoot in there will be absorbed into the beer/cider. When you pull the pressure relief valve, you're simply "uncarbing" your beverage. Unless you're replacing the co2 you just released.

I'd leave it alone.

When keg priming, my SOP is to prime, pop the keg with gas to seal and then open the valve to purge the air then leave it to carb itself as per the prime volume I choose.

My point with the question before is, is you are pressurizing at 30 psi and not purging the air space immediately then why bother priming at all?

Just gas it, purge, gas it again, and let it rest. Or otherwise, connect it and forget about it for a week or two.

No I just do it very quickly these are all new kegs to me and new co2 gear so I am paranoid that everything is leak free. I already lost a whole 7lb tank of co2 to a leak.

Yooper_Brew said:

Yeah, but if you pull the pressure relief valve, you're removing the co2. When you have a full keg, there isn't much headspace. Some of the co2 you shoot in there will be absorbed into the beer/cider. When you pull the pressure relief valve, you're simply "uncarbing" your beverage. Unless you're replacing the co2 you just released.

I'd leave it alone.

Click to expand...

akthor said:

No I just do it very quickly these are all new kegs to me and new co2 gear so I am paranoid that everything is leak free. I already lost a whole 7lb tank of co2 to a leak.

Click to expand...

Ha.

I lost a 20 once.

Once!

Damned lid reliefs.

So the short answer. If you pressurize a keg of fresh uncarbed stuff to 30 psi and remove the gas the co2 will get absorbed into the solution and it won't stay at 30psi??? RIGHT?

akthor said:

No I just do it very quickly these are all new kegs to me and new co2 gear so I am paranoid that everything is leak free. I already lost a whole 7lb tank of co2 to a leak.

Click to expand...

Man, this is timely. I just went out to the keezer and noticed the fairly new tank was way down in the red on the gauge and not down in the red like the difference between a warm CO2 tank and a cold one, but more like it looks when it's just about to give up the ghost. Looks like I'll be checking for leaks!!!!

akthor said:

So the short answer. If you pressurize a keg of fresh uncarbed stuff to 30 psi and remove the gas the co2 will get absorbed into the solution and it won't stay at 30psi??? RIGHT?

Click to expand...

Right.

GilaMinumBeer said:

Right.

Click to expand...

Left, right left


and so i dont get deleted for off topic banter.

the liquid will absorb co2 based on tmep and pressure look at carb tables in any brewing book for the exact volumes. I go along with Gila... prime seal with 20 and let it be for 3 weeks.