Kegco Regulator issues

[puzx]

Hello,
I was trying to downgrade my PSI, from 10 to 8 on my beer. I cranked the kegco knob all the way to the left and nothing happened. So I just shut off the valve, pull the pressure pin and that managed to bring the PSI needle back to 0. Now, I opened the valve again and I crank up the pressure to my desired 8 PSI with no issues, however, when I come back to check on my keg 20 minutes or later, it went up like 5 extra PSI, it was at 13. Any body experience this?

 

[IslandLizard]

Pulling the PRV on the regulator resets the outgoing pressure, yes. It doesn't happen automatically.

Did you also pull the PRV on the keg to let off some extra pressure in there?
If there's 13 psi in the keg already, you need to vent some of that to reduce it to around 8 psi. With a little experience you can judge by the amount of hiss how much pressure is in there, roughly.

Now... If your beer has been under 13 psi for a few days, or longer, all the beer in there is carbonated at around 13 psi. When you reduce the pressure (in the headspace) by venting it, the beer itself is still at 13 psi, and will (slowly) outgas into the headspace. That will raise the pressure in the headspace over a few hours to around 13 psi minus something. How long that takes, and how much it de-carbonates the beer depends on how large the volume of headspace is at that time.

If there are no check valves in the gas system, that headspace pressure will push the gas back into the regulator, hence the dial reading goes up.
Keep venting over a few days and she'll settle out at whatever you chose.

If you want it to settle out fastest, do not connect gas to the keg. Keep venting every few hours, until it's where you want it to be (pour some into a glass). Then reconnects the gas at whatever pressure you want it to be (8 psi or so). It should stay there.

 

[puzx]

Pulling the PRV on the regulator resets the outgoing pressure, yes. It doesn't happen automatically.

Did you also pull the PRV on the keg to let off some extra pressure in there?
If there's 13 psi in the keg already, you need to vent some of that to reduce it to around 8 psi. With a little experience you can judge by the amount of hiss how much pressure is in there, roughly.

Now... If your beer has been under 13 psi for a few days, or longer, all the beer in there is carbonated at around 13 psi. When you reduce the pressure (in the headspace) by venting it, the beer itself is still at 13 psi, and will (slowly) outgas into the headspace. That will raise the pressure in the headspace over a few hours to around 13 psi minus something. How long that takes, and how much it de-carbonates the beer depends on how large the volume of headspace is at that time.

If there are no check valves in the gas system, that headspace pressure will push the gas back into the regulator, hence the dial reading goes up.
Keep venting over a few days and she'll settle out at whatever you chose.

If you want it to settle out fastest, do not connect gas to the keg. Keep venting every few hours, until it's where you want it to be (pour some into a glass). Then reconnects the gas at whatever pressure you want it to be (8 psi or so). It should stay there.

I have never done that, interesting, I will give it a go. I always have it at 10, and it usually stays, I just noticed that today when I tried to downgrade it, the needle keeps creeping up. I just switched regulators for now just in case. In regards to the PRV, how do I know how long to pull or what to hear for? are we talking a few seconds of pressure? I have never done that

 

[puzx]

I have never done that, interesting, I will give it a go. I always have it at 10, and it usually stays, I just noticed that today when I tried to downgrade it, the needle keeps creeping up. I just switched regulators for now just in case. In regards to the PRV, how do I know how long to pull or what to hear for? are we talking a few seconds of pressure? I have never done that

Pulling the PRV on the regulator resets the outgoing pressure, yes. It doesn't happen automatically.

Did you also pull the PRV on the keg to let off some extra pressure in there?
If there's 13 psi in the keg already, you need to vent some of that to reduce it to around 8 psi. With a little experience you can judge by the amount of hiss how much pressure is in there, roughly.

Now... If your beer has been under 13 psi for a few days, or longer, all the beer in there is carbonated at around 13 psi. When you reduce the pressure (in the headspace) by venting it, the beer itself is still at 13 psi, and will (slowly) outgas into the headspace. That will raise the pressure in the headspace over a few hours to around 13 psi minus something. How long that takes, and how much it de-carbonates the beer depends on how large the volume of headspace is at that time.

If there are no check valves in the gas system, that headspace pressure will push the gas back into the regulator, hence the dial reading goes up.
Keep venting over a few days and she'll settle out at whatever you chose.

If you want it to settle out fastest, do not connect gas to the keg. Keep venting every few hours, until it's where you want it to be (pour some into a glass). Then reconnects the gas at whatever pressure you want it to be (8 psi or so). It should stay there.

also

Pulling the PRV on the regulator resets the outgoing pressure, yes. It doesn't happen automatically.

Did you also pull the PRV on the keg to let off some extra pressure in there?
If there's 13 psi in the keg already, you need to vent some of that to reduce it to around 8 psi. With a little experience you can judge by the amount of hiss how much pressure is in there, roughly.

Now... If your beer has been under 13 psi for a few days, or longer, all the beer in there is carbonated at around 13 psi. When you reduce the pressure (in the headspace) by venting it, the beer itself is still at 13 psi, and will (slowly) outgas into the headspace. That will raise the pressure in the headspace over a few hours to around 13 psi minus something. How long that takes, and how much it de-carbonates the beer depends on how large the volume of headspace is at that time.

If there are no check valves in the gas system, that headspace pressure will push the gas back into the regulator, hence the dial reading goes up.
Keep venting over a few days and she'll settle out at whatever you chose.

If you want it to settle out fastest, do not connect gas to the keg. Keep venting every few hours, until it's where you want it to be (pour some into a glass). Then reconnects the gas at whatever pressure you want it to be (8 psi or so). It should stay there.

Also, I was trying to downgrade the PSI hoping to control all the foaming issues I have, I am now wondering if the issue could be associated to all the pressure in the keg, my beer flow out of the tab is pretty fast

 

[IslandLizard]

I always have it at 10, and it usually stays, I just noticed that today when I tried to downgrade it, the needle keeps creeping up.

Is the keg perhaps warmer than it was before? As kegs warm, their headspace pressure goes up, until a new equilibrium is reached. Warm beer can't hold as much CO2 in solution raising the pressure.

 

[IslandLizard]

Also, I was trying to downgrade the PSI hoping to control all the foaming issues I have, I am now wondering if the issue could be associated to all the pressure in the keg, my beer flow out of the tab is pretty fast

Well, yeah, higher keg pressure pushes the beer out faster, causing foaming unless the line is longer and/or thinner to offer more counterpressure/resistance.
Did the foaming issues start recently/suddenly? Did it pour fine before?

How did you carbonate the keg? Burst/forced carbonation (rolling, shaking, etc.) or the slow and gentle set-and-forget method over 1-2 weeks?

 

[puzx]

Well, yeah, higher keg pressure pushes the beer out faster, causing foaming unless the line is longer and/or thinner to offer more counterpressure/resistance.
Did the foaming issues start recently/suddenly? Did it pour fine before?

How did you carbonate the keg? Burst/forced carbonation (rolling, shaking, etc.) or the slow and gentle set-and-forget method over 1-2 weeks?

I carbonated regular at 10 PSI, did not force carbonate. It was pouring much better until today I noticed it much worst. The keg and CO2 can have stayed all the time inside the kegerator at 38 degrees. Weird thing is, now that I switched regulators, this other one is maintaining the set pressure, so could be a combination of a bad regulator and too much keg pressure

 

[IslandLizard]

Weird thing is, now that I switched regulators, this other one is maintaining the set pressure, so could be a combination of a bad regulator and too much keg pressure

Since you've got one, definitely worth a try with a different regulator.
Regulators rarely go bad unless they get leaky inside, are worn out, or beer backed up and got inside.