Kegged beer not carbing.

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.
chefchris

chefchris

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2008
Messages
1,711
Reaction score
23
Location
Gainesville, Florida
Ok, so I brewed the Moose Drool Clone from Can you brew it. Great beer. Anyways, I kegged this thing LAST MONTH and there's still no carbonation. I tried to "burst carb" it but that didn't work so I just set it for 12 psi and let it sit. That got the beer carbed up enough so that I could bottle it for an upcoming competition. But when I stuck it back in the freezer and tried it the next day. So I set it back to 12 psi. Nothing so I set it to 15 psi and it's still flat.


The sum up of the run off paragraph above:
Burst carb - FAILED
12 psi for a week - Adequate carbonation
Bottled
12 psi - FAILED
15 psi - FAILED


I don't know the diameter of my hose but it's only 5'. I have the parts from the "cure for you short hose troubles" thread coming in tomorrow. So that should help with the foaming.

I can't imagine that I have a leak because I still have gas in the tank. Seems like it would have all leaked out by now.

Am I losing the carbonation somehow in my line or through the excessive amounts of foam?

This is truely frustrating.
 
Still got nothing. If I take it out and let it warm up and add some priming sugar, should the yeast wake up and take care of business?
 
Maybe try transferring to a different keg? I would think that there's a leak in your keg somewhere
 
That got the beer carbed up enough so that I could bottle it for an upcoming competition. But when I stuck it back in the freezer and tried it the next day.
Click to expand...

Sounds like you carbonated at room temperature (at only 12 psi), then chilled it. Figure another week to equalize at the lower temperature. If you want to carbonate at room temperature, then chill, you have to use 30 psi or so.
 
One time I had some water not carbonate because I had filled it up almost completely, there was no head space for the Co2 to collect and then absorb in the water.

It may be a temperature thing as mentioned by David, needs to be cold and at 12 PSI or room temp and 30 psi to get similar carb levels. There are some carbonation level charts online you can find.
 
david_42 said:
Sounds like you carbonated at room temperature (at only 12 psi), then chilled it. Figure another week to equalize at the lower temperature. If you want to carbonate at room temperature, then chill, you have to use 30 psi or so.
Click to expand...

No, it was in the keezer at 42F carbed up. I took it outside to bottle 4 bottles and stuck it right back in the keezer. It's been sitting on the gas every since, going on a month now.
 
Even if you have a leak, it is STILL going to carb. Why? Well, you have a regulator and you have CO2... meaning that the keg, regardless of a leak, is STILL sitting under the dialed in PSI.

You can have a leak, and still fully carb, because your regulator is telling you that you have 15PSI on the keg.

Leaks dont stop carbing, the absence of CO2 pressure will stop carbing, you can have a leak and still have 15PSI in the keg, as witnessed by your regulator.
 
You didnt comment what was your result when you pulled on the pressure relief valve on the keg? Could you hear co2 escaping and can you hear the regulator noise and co2 flows from tank to keg? And this is co2 right, not beer gas co2/nitor mix right?
 
JesseRC said:
You didnt comment what was your result when you pulled on the pressure relief valve on the keg? Could you hear co2 escaping and can you hear the regulator noise and co2 flows from tank to keg? And this is co2 right, not beer gas co2/nitor mix right?
Click to expand...

Yes, when I pull the relief valve co2 comes out and the regulator starts hissing. Everything seems to be working just right, except for the end product.

I got pissed last night and took it out of the freezer and put in Tasty's Brown Ale. We'll see in about a week if it carbs up.

Can I add sugar to the now room temperature beer and expect the yeast to do their job?
 
Arkador said:
Once it is warmed back up, I would suspect they will go back to work.
Click to expand...

Yeah, i figured that, too. That might be my only option. I've already drank a half keg of it. I gotta say, it is a good beer. It's the Moose Drool clone from Can You Brew It. I would definately recommend it.
 
Is your REGULATOR actually a CRAPULATOR? Is it reading correctly? Maybe it shows 15PSI and it is like 4PSI instead? I dunno.
 
If you have the ability to force carb, I would use that method. Perhaps you are not satifisfied with the level of carbonation. What kind of pour are you getting. If your are getting lots of foam on the first pour. THat glass of beer will seem kinda flat.

If you are going to warm her up, and still attach the co2 to it, warm beer carbonates at a different pressure.
 
Have you carbonated any other kegs with that tank of CO2? I remember another member who couldn't get his beer to carb and he was using a tank of beer gas and not CO2.
 
chefchris said:
Yeah, i figured that, too. That might be my only option. I've already drank a half keg of it. I gotta say, it is a good beer. It's the Moose Drool clone from Can You Brew It. I would definately recommend it.
Click to expand...

Not sure how well a half empty keg will naturally carb, due to all the head space.

You may want to concider bottleing it, and throw a coopers carbonation drop in each bottle and let them sit for a couple weeks.
 
The Pol said:
Is your REGULATOR actually a CRAPULATOR? Is it reading correctly? Maybe it shows 15PSI and it is like 4PSI instead? I dunno.
Click to expand...

Nah, brand new regulator from Micro Matic. Works great (I think)

JesseRC said:
If you have the ability to force carb, I would use that method. Perhaps you are not satifisfied with the level of carbonation. What kind of pour are you getting. If your are getting lots of foam on the first pour. THat glass of beer will seem kinda flat.
Click to expand...

I am still getting lots of foam, but I've drank half the keg already. It would seem I would get a glass every now and then that's carbed.

Iechyd Da said:
Have you carbonated any other kegs with that tank of CO2? I remember another member who couldn't get his beer to carb and he was using a tank of beer gas and not CO2.
Click to expand...

Yes, this keg was actually carbed when i bottled some from it. It was after that when I couldn't get the carbonation back up.

springer said:
I was just thinking the same thing.

chefchris when you pour it does it pour real slow?
Click to expand...

No, not slow, still a good bit of foam. I do have one of the gadgets from the "cure for your short hose troubles" thread.

Arkador said:
Not sure how well a half empty keg will naturally carb, due to all the head space.

You may want to concider bottleing it, and throw a coopers carbonation drop in each bottle and let them sit for a couple weeks.
Click to expand...

I've definately considered this. Didn't think about the headspace.

I took the keg out last night and put a new beer in and hooked the gas up. We'll see how that does.
 
Just what I suspected. I always get flat beer if the first pour is foam in the glass.

Here's the scenario.

If I start pouring foam into the glass at the beginning of the pour, and I continue the pour. THe whole glass seems kinda flat.

If however I empty out that foam, then start the pour again, now with less foam. I get a perfectly carbed glass.

-Some suggestion. Start with a cold, not frozen glass. Wet the glass right before pouring.
-Pour out the first 2 ounces
-Make sure your taps and lines are cold.
 
JesseRC said:
Just what I suspected. I always get flat beer if the first pour is foam in the glass.

Here's the scenario.

If I start pouring foam into the glass at the beginning of the pour, and I continue the pour. THe whole glass seems kinda flat.

If however I empty out that foam, then start the pour again, now with less foam. I get a perfectly carbed glass.

-Some suggestion. Start with a cold, not frozen glass. Wet the glass right before pouring.
-Pour out the first 2 ounces
-Make sure your taps and lines are cold.
Click to expand...

Good points. I'll try that once I stick the keg back in there.

Denny's Evil Concoctions said:
How long are your lines? Short lines = foam = flat tasting beer. Hell, if you over carb a beer and it foams, it can taste flat.
Click to expand...

My lines are 5'. I put Tasty's Brown Ale on tap 2 days ago with two of the restricters from McMaster Carr in the dip tube. I set the psi to 30 and after 1 day it's more carbed up than the Moose Drool Clone that was hooked up for a month.

My plan is to put two restricters in the Moose Drool keg and put it back on the gas once I have room in the freezer.

I appreciate everyone's help on this.

:mug:
 
you have the gas in line hooked to the gas in ball lock right? If you're carbing to the liquid out line, this might be the problem.
 
Just because the regulator is brand new doesn't mean the gauge is accurate. I used to work for a manufacturer of pneumatic products and we'd get a case of gauges in and have anywhere from 5-20% of them be damaged. They're pretty sensitive to being bounced around. That would be the first thing I check.

Number two was already mentioned...if you poor a glass and it's coming out at such a high rate that it foams up.....poof...there goes the carbonation and the glass will taste flat. Put one or two of the restrictors in line and that will no longer be a concern.
 
Well, after 3 days in the freezer Tasty's Brown has significant carbonation. I did pull of two ounces or so, then continuted to pour once I drank that. First two ounces were flat, and all good after that.

So I put the Moose Drool back in there to see if the same trick worked.
 
Ah... relax...dont worry , have a home brew. Good to hear. Yeah, that foam on the first pour can do some tricks on your head. Always judge the second pour , not the first.
 
Chris,

My first pour is always crap, even if it foams up. I turn the gas off before I make the first pour, and most of the time, I turn the gas off for every pour.

It seems my gas makes it foam, but if it just flows out of the keg, no worries.
 
So what was the fix? Why wouldn't the first beer carb up for you. Did I miss the answer?
 
mk1271 said:
So what was the fix? Why wouldn't the first beer carb up for you. Did I miss the answer?
Click to expand...

I think I posted the answer. It was the short lines. I was getting a lot of foam and it was basically blowing out all the carbonation. So I would just cut off the co2 to the keg, then vent a little bit and pour. Worked perfect.
 

Similar threads

F
Need help with regulators/ co2 tank
Replies
9
Views
622
Bobby_M
Bobby_M
iandanielursino
Anyone ever thought of trying to use CO2 from the same batch to bottle that batch?
Replies
13
Views
675
iandanielursino
iandanielursino
Gadjobrinus
5 lb down in the red after overnight?
Replies
5
Views
301
Gadjobrinus
Gadjobrinus
iandanielursino
De-carbonating for bottle conditioning
2
Replies
40
Views
2K
iandanielursino
iandanielursino
J
Do you purge the keg at serving pressure?
Replies
3
Views
670
day_trippr
day_trippr
SSBrew 300

Latest posts

Back
Top