New to kegging: No pour?

[nobeerinheaven]

For Christmas, I've been fortunate to get a kegging setup. But I've had a hard time getting any beer out of the keg: I've got a pin lock setup with about 20psi to the keg and about 12' of 1/4'' ID of poly tubing. Despite that pressure, I cannot get beer out. The line barely fills when I open the tap (it does fill slightly, and very slowly, and drips out of the tap). I removed and checked the dip tube, but things seem OK.

The one thing that seems to help is if I press down on out the keg connector, the line will fill, and I can pour -- but only until that pressure is gone, and I have to do it again. Any ideas what might cause that? Bad connector?

 

[Stauffbier]

It sounds like something is wrong with the poppets in the pin lock valve. Maybe it's not depressing properly when you apply the disconnect. You might need new poppets. When you remove the disconnect, press the poppet with your finger. Does beer spray out all over the place? If not, it's bad.

 

[Cathedral]

Make sure all your o-rings are in place and in good shape. A bad or missing o-ring will cause all sorts of problems. I had a keg that had a missing o-ring on the dip tube and all I would get is foam and air. Soon as I put an o-ring on, perfect pour.

In addition to what Stauffbier said about the post poppet, check your QD-- maybe the poppet in the QD is bad and not depressing enough to let the gas/beer out.

 

[nobeerinheaven]

I figured it out (I think): the top of the disconnect was not fully screwed in (just needed a quarter turn or less) but because of that it was not depressing the poppet far enough into the keg. After tightening it slightly, I got a major increase in line pressure.

 

[Stauffbier]

I figured it out (I think): the top of the disconnect was not fully screwed in (just needed a quarter turn or less) but because of that it was not depressing the poppet far enough into the keg. After tightening it slightly, I got a major increase in line pressure.

I almost suggested that, but I really didn't think it could stay on like that. Is it pouring now?

 

[Cathedral]

I figured it out (I think): the top of the disconnect was not fully screwed in (just needed a quarter turn or less) but because of that it was not depressing the poppet far enough into the keg. After tightening it slightly, I got a major increase in line pressure.

Simple "duh" fixes are the best--and the cheapest! Probably most of your pressure was releasing through the gap instead of going up the line. The path of least resistance and all that.

 

[nobeerinheaven]

I almost suggested that, but I really didn't think it could stay on like that. Is it pouring now?

I think. I've been force-carbing and when bleeding off pressure notice an immediate problem in pouring. Probably that is to be expected? After bleeding off, I put on serving pressure of about 10psi and again have to depress the connect to get line pressure. After depressing it once it seems to be fixed permanently, I think (unless I bleed off pressure again?).