Spike PRV was stuck

[iandanielursino]

As I mentioned in https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/de-carbonating-for-bottle-conditioning.730721 I'm running a batch of fruit wine under pressure at high temperature (80F) right now to test my equipment.

Weird thing is, it started getting over 15 PSI after a couple days, and I realized that I could not adjust it, so I had to tap the plunger gently (sending star san all over the room) before I could get it to move. It seems the PRV was stuck closed, and hence not acting as much of a PRV.

I was wondering why it doesn't bubble, I thought maybe it would bubble all at once once it had passed the set point or something. Anyways seems to be bubbling now and I'm giving it a little bit of a turn each time I go out there until it gets down to 15 PSI.

It seems weird though I wonder if my gauge is off, cuz shouldn't the maximum setting of this PRV be 15?

So far between this and all the trouble I went through getting it to hold pressure, I have a very negative view of this PRV and wish I had the brewbuilt one instead. Love all of spike's other products though, especially now that they engineered a new gasket for the Conicals that actually works.

 

[mac_1103]

So when you say PRV, do you mean your spunding valve? Either way, what specific valve are we talking about?

 

[iandanielursino]

Yeah Spike calls it a PRV, it's the Spike PRV or "Spike All-In-One PRV" for long https://spikebrewing.com/products/pressure-relief-valve


Also update: Spike got back to me and said they know why this happened. The threads have a tendency to bind so they switched recently to a black plastic knob, and they've just put in an order to send me one apparently.

So that's that probably.

If you use spike stuff remember to get your free symmetrical conical O ring and plastic PRV adjustment knob.