CO2 regulator and paintball tank questions??

[stbnj]

Ok I searched around a bit and am not entirely sure what to ask. I picked up a regulator back in June from Adventures in Homebrewing, a paintball tank adapter, and a paintball tank. My plan was to put a couple kegs outside in my storage closet attached to my townhouse, prime with sugar, and then use the paintball tank to serve during the winter when temps are appropriate. Anyway, that time is getting closer so today I decided to fill my tank, awesome 4 bucks at Dicks. I decide I will test the system tonight by using my carb cap to carb some milk stout I put in a 1l bottle. So anyway I just hooked up the paintball tank to my regulator and it makes farting type noise, which I quickly realize is the c02 shooting out so fast that the pressure relief valve is opening and closing itself. I try to shut the valve down as much as possible, doesn't seem to help. I realize that on a normal tank you would snug everything up and then open the tank. My regulator uses a hand knob not a screw like some I have seen. So what am I doing wrong? Is this normal because the paintball tank is open as soon as the regulator hits it? Is my regulator possibly broken, even with nothing hooked up the regulator sits at 5?

Thanks for any help!

 

[msabin]

That hand knob is what opens the tank.
Unscrew the knob -- look up inside the adapter, and you'll see a pin which raises away from the bottle as you unscrew.
That pin pushes into the bottle when you screw it down and opens the bottle.

With it up, cinch everything up and once everything is sealed and ready for pressure, turn the thumb-screw.

I've used my set-up to force carb a 5gal batch, there's lots of CO2 in one of those bottles.

I emptied mine twice working it out.

--Matthew