Help! At my wits end with kegging!

So I've been homebrewing for 7+ years now. I've been kegging for probably 5 of those 7 years. About 4 of the 5 years kegging was fine, until we moved... I've recently ran into a hurdle that I can't get over. My beer will NOT carbonate. I've replaced the lines, the regulator, both taps, I've installed new poppets, I've tried all different types of carbing but no matter what I do my beer is flat.

My current setup:

Chest freezer with temp controller
2x4 wooden collar with holes drilled for the gas in lines and a hole for each tap.
2 x Perlick Flow Control Taps (the ones that you can adjust the resistance)
Several pin lock kegs, all of which have new poppets in both the gas and beer post
~5 ft of 3/16th beer line connect the keg to the tap
Co2 bottle and regulator sit outside the keggarator with 1/4" gas line running into the kegs
Chest freezer is set to 38F, beer is right at that also.

Current carbonation process:

24 hours at 30psi
1-2 weeks at 8-12psi (depends on style)

Current issue:

The beer is flat. There are no bubbles coming from the bottom of the glass. Blind taste tests with guests they are quick to pick out the "flat" beer in a test performed in opaque cups. I get a decent amount of head but that's it.

Troubleshooting performed:

The kegs do not leak Co2. If I hit them with Co2, remove the lines and check them several days later they are still pressurized.
I've played around with the beer line length and diameter with the same results.
I've installed Perlick flow control faucets so I can better dial it in.

Help!

Is there some X factor I haven't thought to check yet? I have a keg in the freezer right now that I can test ideas with.

New O-rings on the keg posts?

If you're getting too much head maybe your lines are too short and its foaming when it pours, losing the CO2. Try turning your pressure down or your tap resistance up (until you just get a laminar flow out of the tap) for pouring and see if that helps.

agrazela said:

New O-rings on the keg posts?

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Sorry I left those off. I've replaced all rings.

same tank/fill? maybe you have a bad one...

5 foot lines seem too short. I usually run ~8-10 foot lines. Thats where I would "start".

i assume you have the same setup as before you moved? i understand components are new but is it the same keezer, set to the same temp, same diameter/length lines, etc.?

Was the gas cylinder filled with beergas by mistake?

Cheers!

itsnotrequired said:

i assume you have the same setup as before you moved? i understand components are new but is it the same keezer, set to the same temp, same diameter/length lines, etc.?

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Nope, I switched from a vertical fridge to a chest freezer at the new house.

A few of you mentioned the tank, that was my thought as well. I've used the same Co2 tank the entire time, but I'm wondering if I got bad gas?? I would think that any gas will absorb into the beer though right?

I'm sorry but you have a leak somewhere in your setup. Submerge all fitting in water. Che K all threaded connections.

What about the regulators. Any chance they got bumped when you moved and are giving you false psi readings?

you must co2 to get carbonation beer gas wont carb

GreenDragon said:

[...]A few of you mentioned the tank, that was my thought as well. I've used the same Co2 tank the entire time, but I'm wondering if I got bad gas?? I would think that any gas will absorb into the beer though right?

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No. Nitrogen is reluctant to dissolve in beer outside of a laboratory...

Cheers!

IF your tank isnt draining, then you arent leaking. You are getting a head on the beer, so Co2 is present. Just off the wall, but do you measure mash pH or take water into account. Ive noticed beers with a high mash pH (and overall beer pH) have a lot less "bite" and can seem flat. Just theorizing here from experience.

fatherdan said:

I'm sorry but you have a leak somewhere in your setup. Submerge all fitting in water. Che K all threaded connections.

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At this point I'll do anything. I'll let you know the results on Monday. I'll put everything under water.

At this point all signs are pointing to the gas. I think I'll move to a new vendor. I've now:

Checked everything for leaks.
Replaced the beer line with 10 feet of new 3/16th tubing.

To answer some questions:

I replaced the regulator in an attempt to fix this issue, both regulators showed the same pressure and I had the carb issue with both.

I'm pretty sure it's not the mash PH or anything. This has happened to about 4 different kegs now. Some I used use RO water, some was a 50/50 mix of RO and house water, and some was all house water but filtered. One of the RO batches I added gypsum the other I didn't. I've done a bock, IPA, and Oatmeal Stout, all had the carb issue. All of the batches I bottled a 6 pack for competitions and the bottled beer is carbed fine.

GreenDragon said:

At this point all signs are pointing to the gas. I think I'll move to a new vendor. I've now:

Checked everything for leaks.
Replaced the beer line with 10 feet of new 3/16th tubing.

To answer some questions:

I replaced the regulator in an attempt to fix this issue, both regulators showed the same pressure and I had the carb issue with both.

I'm pretty sure it's not the mash PH or anything. This has happened to about 4 different kegs now. Some I used use RO water, some was a 50/50 mix of RO and house water, and some was all house water but filtered. One of the RO batches I added gypsum the other I didn't. I've done a bock, IPA, and Oatmeal Stout, all had the carb issue. All of the batches I bottled a 6 pack for competitions and the bottled beer is carbed fine.

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I also doubt its pH. Too far-fetched. Usually it's something more simple. Did you try another tank (maybe borrow from neighbor brewer?)

Let's focus on two facts: you seem to produce a somewhat decent head (so CO2 or something like CO2 is coming out of the solution) but no carbonation in the liquid beer. Is that right?

If you carbonate to 2-2.5 volumes, you should have decent head AND plenty of CO2 in solution. The fact that you are not getting there tells me there are two problems: some CO2 is getting into the solution - but not enough, but maybe at 0.5 volume at most, and then something knocks it all OUT of the solution in the line so you end up with some foam but no carbonation.

Is it possible you got beer gas instead of Co2?

I can guarantee its not from your lines being to short.I run 4 ft lines with the flow control and get perfect pours.Are you using home depot 3/16 clear tubing.I used to run those and had issues.The lines my new tower came with are thick walled and my new setup has been hassle free.Maybe a coincidence but still a possibility the co2 is breaking out of the lines

JONNYROTTEN said:

I can guarantee its not from your lines being to short.I run 4 ft lines with the flow control and get perfect pours.Are you using home depot 3/16 clear tubing.I used to run those and had issues.The lines my new tower came with are thick walled and my new setup has been hassle free.Maybe a coincidence but still a possibility the co2 is breaking out of the lines

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I second this, either the material of the hose is stripping the beer all the CO2 or maybe the line hasn't cooled enough to avoid this foaming.
IMHO CO2 coming out of solution is the culprit.
Finding the cause may not be that easy...
HTH

Chanoc said:

I second this, either the material of the hose is stripping the beer all the CO2 or maybe the line hasn't cooled enough to avoid this foaming.
IMHO CO2 coming out of solution is the culprit.
Finding the cause may not be that easy...
HTH

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It's Menards tubing. Now that I think of it the old keggarator had tubing that came with my original kit. If swapping out the gas doesn't work I'll order some real tuning from an actual brew store.

Right now, if I was in Vegas, I'd bet that they filled the canister with beer gas. I'm swapping it out tomorrow. I won't know if that was it for a few days though.

Well I figured it out! When I replaced the line I noticed that the old line was much larger, most likely 5/16ths, once the clamp was loosened it slid off really easily. When I put the new correct 3/16ths line on I had to soak the end in hot water to even get it to go on.

For some reason that didn't fix it right away (temp of the tubing maybe?) but when I went out the next day to check the Co2 it was pouring great! Lots of bubbles at the bottom of the glass, if anything it might be a tad overcarbed now but I'm fine with that! Had 4 beers from it last night, all tasted great.

Thanks for all the suggestions all. Turned out to be a dumb mistake on my part.

GreenDragon said:

Turned out to be a dumb mistake on my part.

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lol, as it usually is with issues in this section. But it's fun to try and diagnose where the problem is coming from. Glad it worked out for you.

Cool..Amazing what the right lines will do.Are you still running 10 ft lines with the flow control? If it works after all this.DONT TOUCH A THING LOL. But again I run 4 fters with no issue and a nice fast pour.After the first pour dialed down..I actually like fiddling with flow control to get that "prefect head"while the beer is flowin

I feel your pain big guy.
When I first started kegging i had 4 leaks in my system.
I ran out of a keg, and had another leak.
then my regulator packed up about 9 months ago, replaced it, now another one has gone.
in the last week i found 3 more leaks after my bottle spontaneously emptied itself.
turns out a clamp had unseated itself some how
the gas bottle is leaking from the top (3 months old, i got a second one for back up)
and 2 gas post leaks (i replaced a dodgy one with another dodgy one somehow.)
Im waiting for new o-rings so i can ensure its all good.
one gas post just needs a ring, the other has some physical damage to it, meaning its knackered.

Keep on plugging mate, its all worth it.
you've already invested

You probably don't have a leak. That said I would guess that you do need longer beer lines and more pressure. I am guessing that the gage could be off. I had a pro at the pepsi plant explain that the colder the liquid is the easier the CO-2 is dissolved in the liquid. It might also help to bring down your tempature 3 or 4 degrees. Best of luck to you !

Edited: Post moot. I didn't notice the additional pages

JONNYROTTEN said:

Cool..Amazing what the right lines will do.Are you still running 10 ft lines with the flow control? If it works after all this.DONT TOUCH A THING LOL. But again I run 4 fters with no issue and a nice fast pour.After the first pour dialed down..I actually like fiddling with flow control to get that "prefect head"while the beer is flowin

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Aye, I'm running 10ft of tubing and have the flow control set to basically zero resistance. So far so good.