NO CARB!! 25 days old in keg HELP!!

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JKHomebrew

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Guys,

I just tapped a keg that I filled 25 days ago and it is flat, when I racked it from the primary I used 1/3 cup of priming sugar as I thought I was supposed to do and let it sit for 3 weeks. I put it in the fridge on Monday and when I tapped it today i hooked up the beer line first to see the pressure and I had enough to fill a 20 oz glass. so I hooked up the co2 to about 7 lbs and filled a glass and it is flat, it tastes great but no carb!

What did I do wrong?

I know I can force carb it but I really wanted that nat carb taste

PLEASE HELP!!!
 
When you closed the keg, did you give it a shot of high pressure co2 to seat the lid? They usually don't seal well until you do that. I crank the regulator up to 30, which always does the trick...then I'll chill the keg, and finally apply the appropriate carbing pressure.

Honestly, I force carb most of my kegs, but I've primed a few as well...I haven't noticed any definitive difference in taste.
 
Yes I purged the tank a 4 or 5 times with the pressure at around 15 or so.

I would assume the seals were ok since when I tapped it it had pressure in it, I also checked it once during the 3 weeks to see if it still had pressure and i did.

This sucks! It tastes so good too
 
yeah um Co2 is Co2 either way. If you let a force carb'd keg sit for a couple days for the formed carbonic acid to level back out it will taste the same as a naturally carbed keg (from my experience and what I've read)

Oh and to actually be helpful... It may have leaked at once point and then stopped, or perhaps it never fermented the sugar, what temp were you storing the keg at? Also what length lines do you have (are you getting a ton of foam, letting it die down and then it is flat?)
 
I got into an argument during the Boulevard Brewery tour over this same topic. She also said that "natural" carbonation has smaller bubbles :drunk:

Could the "natural carb taste" be due to additional sediment caused by adding priming sugar?

Or, could it be due to drinking force carbed beer too soon?
 
I will agree that home brew which we carb in the bottle has smaller bubbles, so I guess nat carb does produce smaller bubbles, but my problem is now I have no bubbles but perfectly aged beer, or is it?

Does the aging come from just sitting or from the nat carb affect?
 
Just set it to 12 psi and forget about for about 10 days, it will be awesome in 3 weeks. But drinkable in 10. Make sure you dont have any leaks. That could account for no carbonation.
 
I agree that naturally carbed beers have a "finer" mouthfeel than force-carbed. It feels like the bubbles are smaller.

As for leaky kegs, I always purge the air after I fill a keg. Just hook up your CO2 and purge it a few times by pulling on the overpressurization valve ring. No oxygen in there and you know everything is sealed. I'll also give the keg a good shake to dissolve the priming sugar.

If you're having leak problems on your kegs, get yourself some KegLube. It's just food-safe o-ring lubricant. Looks and feels like Vaseline, but obviously isn't petroleum-based so it won't break down o-rings. A little lube and your kegs will seal wonderfully! I've used it on my last half dozen batches and couldn't be happier.

Right now, I say force-carb it and drink it.
 
Pick up your "bible" (see sig) and turn to 328. Did you give the keg a shot of 5lb co2 to make sure the seals were set?

If you didn't it probably leaked, and even if you did... it leaked.

A couple of points from other posts... I'm in the camp that CO2 is CO2... because it is. If you force and drink it early it will not be the same as priming. If you force and age it a little... I doubt anyone could tell the difference side by side.

"Keg Lube" just seems like a total waste of money to me. Mineral oil (the foundation of keg lube) works just fine and is much cheaper. If you are ever constipated.. dual purpose!
 
That's exactly why I think people perceive a difference in the carbonation of sugar primed vs. force carbed. People try drinking kegged beers too soon before the beer fully carbs. I just poured a porter off my tap that has been kegged for 2 months and I can practically stand on the fine head.
 
Guys,

I had a problem before with force carbing so I did follow the book this time and put in the priming sugar and 5 or 10 lbs to purge and seal the keg, I guess I will just let it sit in the fridge for a while on about 12 lbs and see what happens.

Do any of you guys leave a co2 tank hooked up while it is aging?
 
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