Beer Seems Flat - First Kegging Experience

So, this is my first attempt at kegging beer. Let me walk through what I have done, and maybe someone can offer up their vast wisdom.

I set the CO2 to 30PSI. I left at 30 for about 24 hours. During that time I rolled the keg on my lap twice. Then I dropped the PSI to the 14 that the beer requires. All these steps seem to be suggested by people on these forums. I have then let it sit for the last 6 days.

I poured myself a short glass to see what was going on. I did not purge the keg or anything like that. I just poured about 3/4 cup of beer.

The head is very foamy, but is not too bad. The beer on the other hand seems to flat. There is no long term sparkle to it and because of this the flavors seem lost because there is no bite or carbonation to it.

What should my next steps be?

I would say to set the PSI to 14 that the beer requires and leave it alone for another week and try it again. It'll pick up much more carbonation over the next couple of weeks. A lot of people let it sit in the keg or bottle three weeks to ensure proper carbonation.

How long are your beer lines? You need min 6-8' 3/16" id lines.

Too short and u risk getting too much foam which would throw off the carbonation in the glass.

You could try purging the keg and then pouring a glass at 1-2 psi such that there is no foam. If the carb level seems correct at that point, excessive foam is your problem. If not, leave it at 14 psi for another week and check again.

I'm assuming 14 psi is calculated from storage temperature and volumes of co2 you would like.

I was not aware that my lines needed to be that long. Mine are about 4-5 long. Yes, the 14 is calculated based on my temperature.

psubrewer said:

How long are your beer lines? You need min 6-8' 3/16" id lines.

Too short and u risk getting too much foam which would throw off the carbonation in the glass.

You could try purging the keg and then pouring a glass at 1-2 psi such that there is no foam. If the carb level seems correct at that point, excessive foam is your problem. If not, leave it at 14 psi for another week and check again.

I'm assuming 14 psi is calculated from storage temperature and volumes of co2 you would like.

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Are those the serving lines or the lines coming from the tank?

Beer lines.

Co2 lines can be any length.

psubrewer said:

Beer lines.

Co2 lines can be any length.

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Awesome, I'll check that just to make sure.

Btw, at 14 psi you will might need 10' of line for a proper pour...

Here are a couple of links to some good articles on the topic. Hope these help.

ProBrewer.com: Troubleshooting Beer Draft Line Problems

Crockett Brewing Keg System Balancing