Help! there's beer on my foot!

So i just got my co2 tank filled today and threw 5 gallons into my corny keg with half the corn sugar.. I wanted to give the keg a quick burst of co2 to seal up the keg and when i turned it on the beer shot out and sprayed all over my foot... i quickly shut it off.. what am i doing wrong?

What did it spray OUT of?

the black "out" ball lock thingy

franklinswheat said:

the black "out" ball lock thingy

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You had beer line on it?

no.. no line at all.. just the gas line going in and the black and gray connectors ball lock style on top? should i not have the black connected at this time?

unless there is a line connected, you don't want them ON the keg.

franklinswheat said:

no.. no line at all.. just the gas line going in and the black and gray connectors ball lock style on top? should i not have the black connected at this time?

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Well, the "out" is the way the beer comes out of the tap. The black QD hooks up to the beerline and the tap. When the tap is closed, the beer can't get out. But if you don't have the line on and the tap closed, and the black QD is "open", it'll spray beer all over the place I guess.

Take off the black QD. Check for leaks all over the posts and the lid by spraying soapy liquid or star-san over it when you add the co2. If it's not leaking you're golden!

When you're ready to tap, use the black QD and beer line and tap (either a faucet or a picnic tap) to get the beer out of the keg.

ok so if i want to put a shot of co2 into the keg.. do i just use the one side? leave the black off?

franklinswheat said:

ok so if i want to put a shot of co2 into the keg.. do i just use the one side? leave the black off?

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Yes. Use the "in" for the gas.

Only use the "out" when you want beer to come out.

thanks.. what psi do you guys usuallu use to seal up

franklinswheat said:

thanks.. what psi do you guys usuallu use to seal up

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Usually a big shot of about 30 psi and then I check for leaks. I also purge it a few times, by pulling the pressure relief valve and refilling. Since co2 is heavier than air, it should fill the headspace and you can purge out the air. Then give it a final shot and set it aside.

also.. once if has the co2 in there when i do connect the blacvk at a later time is it going to spray everywhere again?

franklinswheat said:

also.. once if has the co2 in there when i do connect the blacvk at a later time is it going to spray everywhere again?

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I assume so.

You want to have the whole thing hooked up- the black QD, the beer line, and the faucet. When the faucet is closed, no spraying. When the faucet is open, you'll get beer out. If you just stick the black QD on there without the beer line and faucet, I imagine the beer would spray out. I've never tested out this theory but it seems like that's the way it would go.

franklinswheat said:

also.. once if has the co2 in there when i do connect the blacvk at a later time is it going to spray everywhere again?

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Don't connect the black until you have attached a beer line and a picnic tap or nice faucet on the other end.

and.. where is this pressure release valve you speak of? when i try to pull the gasline off of the connector all the co2 seems to shoot out.. should i be disconnecting the whole grey piece instead?

you don't pull the line off the connector, you pull the connector off the keg!

understood... wheres this pressure release valve?

Walker said:

you don't pull the line off the connector, you pull the connector off the keg!

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That's the beauty of the concept of "quick disconnects". They come right off of the keg.

franklinswheat said:

understood... wheres this pressure release valve?

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some lids have them, some don't.

This one has one:


It's that thing in the center. Other lids have this sort of thing with a ring on it that you can pull to manually let gas out. (The one in the picture is a safety, automatic vent one).

Some lids have none at all.

ok..mine looks exactly like that one.. so no need to mess with it then i suppose after the co2 is in?

clamp the lid down, remove the liquid out connector completely, attach the gas in connector until it stops taking gas, disconnect the gas.

done and done.. thanks to all.. i assume wait a day or so and give it another shot? waiit 2 to three weekes and enjoy?

franklinswheat said:

done and done.. thanks to all.. i assume wait a day or so and give it another shot? waiit 2 to three weekes and enjoy?

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If you added priming sugar, you'll keep it at room temperature for two to three weeks to allow carbonation to take place. No need to give it more co2. You only did that to make sure the lid was seated.

There are two ways to carbonate kegs- either adding the priming sugar ('naturally carbing') and force carbing with co2. Both work just fine, depending on your system.