EMERGENCY: Keg carbing

[B0rnFrustr8ed]

I have a keezer setup with a 10 lb. CO2 tank, a dual gauge regulator with 4 lines, and 4 pin lock kegs. The CO2 tank is about half full. Right now, the keezer is set at 38 degrees and the CO2 is set a 12 lbs.

I have two beers on the line. One has been there for a couple months, and it is almost empty. One has been on gas for 12 days and it is full.

I am getting a very thick and almost creamy head on both beers, but I am not getting any bubbles at all. I need the new beer for a party in about 48 hours and I am freaking out. If I can't get some bubbles, I'll have to cancel.

The first beer carbed nicely at first, and then it went flat, but kept the head.

I checked the lines and there are definitely no leaks. The gauge hasn't gone down at all in the last week. What, if anything, can I do to get this beer to carb up?

 

[Bobby_M]

Your entire party is based on the availability of homebrew?

How does the pour look? Does it shoot out like a fire hose? How long are your serving lines?

 

[B0rnFrustr8ed]

Your entire party is based on the availability of homebrew?

How does the pour look? Does it shoot out like a fire hose? How long are your serving lines?

It's a friend's birthday party.

I'd have to cancel supplying the homebrew.

6 foot lines. picnic taps. It does not shoot out like a fire hose. If I shot the tap straight up, it would probably go an inch or two before falling back down.

 

[LVBen]

I have a hard time believing that you don't have any leaks.

 

[allthingsgiant]

The beer you should focus on is the beer that has been on gas a couple months. If this one isn't carb'd, you have a leak or you are out of gas. If you have confirmed no leeaks, check your tank to see if anything comes out. If you have gas, liquid might have f'd up your regulator and isn't reading right.

To expedite carbonation, jack up your regulator to 20 psi, and roll your keg back and forth until you don't hear any more air entering the keg. Wait 12 hours, repeat as needed.

Since you probably only have 24 hours until your party, it would be good to maybe jack pressure up to 30 psi, rock back and forth once for a couple minutes until no air enters the keg, and cross your fingers you rock n' rolled enough. Leave it on 10-12 psi overnight, then good luck. Note that the lower the temperature of the beer, the more CO2 that's able to be absorbed into solution.

 

[B0rnFrustr8ed]

The beer you should focus on is the beer that has been on gas a couple months. If this one isn't carb'd, you have a leak or you are out of gas. If you have confirmed no leeaks, check your tank to see if anything comes out. If you have gas, liquid might have f'd up your regulator and isn't reading right.

To expedite carbonation, jack up your regulator to 20 psi, and roll your keg back and forth until you don't hear any more air entering the keg. Wait 12 hours, repeat as needed.

If I do this, do I depressurize and then repressure to 20 again? Or do you mean just to reroll every 12 hours?

 

[malkore]

If I shot the tap straight up, it would probably go an inch or two before falling back down.

That sounds like too much pressure for 6ft lines. If I shot mine straight up I'd probably have a 1/4" height before it was falling down to the ground below.

Either way, your beer IS carbed, or it would have no head...so you're blowing the carbonation out of solution as you pour it.
Thats either an unbalanced system (lines too short), a poppet all gummed up and restricting the flow...or something right along those lines.

check your liquid out poppet, and the tap itself, then turn it down to like 4psi and vent the excess pressure and try another pour, which should be a lot slower pour but properly carb'd.

 

[JuanMoore]

That sounds like too much pressure for 6ft lines. If I shot mine straight up I'd probably have a 1/4" height before it was falling down to the ground below.

Either way, your beer IS carbed, or it would have no head...so you're blowing the carbonation out of solution as you pour it.
Thats either an unbalanced system (lines too short), a poppet all gummed up and restricting the flow...or something right along those lines.

check your liquid out poppet, and the tap itself, then turn it down to like 4psi and vent the excess pressure and try another pour, which should be a lot slower pour but properly carb'd.

I agree. And cranking the pressure and shaking already carbonated kegs is a sure fire way to end up with overcarbed beer, which is not quick or easy to fix.

 

[B0rnFrustr8ed]

I was able to get the beer to a drinkable, though not ideal, state in time.

I have struggled with my poppets more than seems appropriate when cleaning and assembling. I'll have to look into that.

 

[ksbrain]

once the keg is cleaned and assembled, no need to take apart the poppets usually. I just scrub with a rag, rinse, sanitize, then refill. I also use a liquid disconnect to get rinse water into the keg which probably helps keep junk out if the poppet area.