Beer Geyser

After a large order from AHS last week, I finally got the kegerator up and running this weekend.

I successfully ran the gas line through the side of the fridge to the manifold which I mounted inside. Didn't hit any coolant lines either! Then I put the 3 shanks thru the fridge door. So far so good. Screwed on the new Perlick faucets on the outside of the fridge door.

All that's left is connecting the beer line to the shank tailpiece, then hooking up the kegs. I ran out of small hose clamps, and didn't want to attach the liquid line to the tailpiece without them. So off to Lowes I went. I took one of the Perlicks with me so I could buy a threaded insert, I wanted to make my own tap handle.

Got the clamps and inserts, headed back home. Attached the liquid line and I was good to go. Ok, cranked up the gas, all the kegs are under pressure, no leaks from the manifold. Hooked up the first liquid line. This was to my wifes keg of Belgian Chocolate Stout. Liquid flowing into the line, hmmm, that doesn't seem right. It should be closed. I dunno, maybe it's just......BAGOOOSH!!

A 3 foot stream of Stout came spraying out of the fridge door. It shot across and sprayed the wall, beer all over the floor too. There was at least 1-2 seconds of total shock. Then I realized what was happening and pulled the disconnect back off the keg. I had forgotten to put the faucet back on the fridge. Mass profanities were used.

In the end, it was only about half a beer that sprayed forth. But it was enough to make me scared of the kegerator for the rest of the weekend. No pictures of the explosion, as I had the steam cleaner on the spill within 3 minutes.

And now a moment of silence for the lost beer.












Really though that sucks to hear, but I'm glad that you caught the mistake quickly.

The poppet valve on one of my cornies wasn't sitting in properly (it works fine with the cobra tap on it), which I forgot about when I attached the gas first. That there is what we call a brewkakke.

haha, this kinda happened to me. I wasnt paying attention one day and went to clean my faucets. I completely forgot that I had already hooked up the new keg, then the faucet came loose beer went everywhere.... I managed to get it back on within seconds but it scared the poo out of me.

I bet once the initial shock was over you and your wife had a pretty good laugh over the situation. Good call on just removing the quick disconnect, fast reactions man!!!

Brewin_CRAZY said:

haha, this kinda happened to me. I wasnt paying attention one day and went to clean my faucets. I completely forgot that I had already hooked up the new keg, then the faucet came loose beer went everywhere.... I managed to get it back on within seconds but it scared the poo out of me.

I bet once the initial shock was over you and your wife had a pretty good laugh over the situation. Good call on just removing the quick disconnect, fast reactions man!!!

Click to expand...

Yeah, I've done that, too.

The worst incident I ever had involved the BMBF, and a picnic tap and my stupidity. Let me say that I know that the original is called a "counterpressure bottle filler" which should have given me a clue.

I filled the bottle, holding the bottle in one hand and the tap and the other. I decided that it would be easier to take off the picnic tap, so it wouldn't drip. Lifting out the whole works would cause a drip. To my tiny brain, this seemed like a good idea at the time.

Until I did it. Then, as beer under high pressure sprayed out the racking tube as if it was Old Faithful, I remembered the concept "counter pressure". Aha! Counter pressure! Since I had the bottle in one hand, and the tap in the other, it didn't occur to me to drop the tap. So, I tried to stem the entire geyser from continuing to splash the ceiling and every piece of furniture inside the home office the only way I could think of- with my mouth. I almost drowned, and my entire room was covered with IPA.

High points to note for future reference:
A 12 ounce full bottle of beer under pressure through a racking cane can erupt with great force.

Twelve ounces of beer in a 10 X 10 room is alot.

If you think you can chug 12 ounces of beer geyser, you are wrong.