No pressure in keg

[Blarneybrew]

When I xfer my brew to keg I purge all the air out with co2 by pumping the relief valve several times, and maybe even a little shake. Then I take the co2 off and condition/lager. Several days later or weeks there's no pressure left when I pull the relief tab.

No air from outside should be getting in, correct?

 

[pvpeacock]

Sounds like you have a leak. repressurize it and spray some starsan on the posts, the pressure release valve and the top to see if you get any bubbling from any of these areas. I had this happen to me and discovered a very small leak in the poppet valve on the post. Small enough not to hear it, but enough to let all the pressure out. I also discovered a small leak in the pressure relief valve on another keg that way.

 

[Blarneybrew]

Well wait a minute. I'm just purging the air out and disconnecting the co2. I'm assuming that a keg with 5 gal of flat beer is pretty much going to absorb a 12 psi burst of Co2 after awhile no?

 

[pvpeacock]

In my experience doing the same thing, the keg will still have some pressure in it even a few weeks later.

 

[Blarneybrew]

I'm not so sure. I've leak tested my kegs and have new poppets in them. It's conditioning at 33/34F which is enough to make some tall boy cans of beer feel mushy.

Could be a leak none the less

 

[wineANDbrine]

I heard that leaving the tank connected for three days with the regulator set at 10 psi will adequately carbonate your beer with no problem. You need I give it time to absorb.

 

[day_trippr]

fwiw, a 5 gallon keg left quietly under constant pressure appropriate for the beer temperature and desired level of carbonation will take a couple of weeks or more (higher FG takes longer) to be fully carbed.

Adding top pressure to a keg of fermented beer may well be absorbed to the point that there's very little pressure above atmosphere...

Cheers!

 

[BigFloyd]

I heard that leaving the tank connected for three days with the regulator set at 10 psi will adequately carbonate your beer with no problem. You need I give it time to absorb.

The OP isn't carbonating, he's just purging the headspace then putting it away to lager.

I'm not sure that you have a leak problem. You're not adding much CO2 to the keg and then you're letting the pressure out via the relief valve. The small bit of residual CO2 in the headspace is probably being absorbed by the beer, especially if you're purging at room temp and lagering cold.

I suggest hooking up the CO2 after the keg is fully chilled, hit it with 20psi for a few hours, disconnect, then come back and check it a week later. I assume that you're using keg lube, right?

 

[Blarneybrew]

Not keg lube, Dow 111

 

[wineANDbrine]

Oh. My mistake. Sry.

 

[Blarneybrew]

leaks are possible

But yea the 111 is likely got everything on lock down

 

[lschiavo]

leaks are possible

But yea the 111 is likely got everything on lock down

Seems like you answered your own question. Just lonely?

 

[Blarneybrew]

Well, yea. I guess I was thinking leaky relief and vacuum effect. A bit outlandish perhaps