I think i just realized my problem

I just kegged my first batch of beer. It's been almost a week and it is still pretty flat. I was reading through some threads and I think I realized my problem. I am using beer gas which is about 80/20 nitrogen to CO2. Is this my problem? To carbonate' it needs CO2 right? Will it eventually carb with the beer gas hooked up, or should I just go get some co2?

 

What pressure is your beer gas at? What temperature is your kegerator?

You can carb with beer gas, but you need to have the pressure at ~30 PSI (probably more, someone with a system can chime in here).

 

I had the pressure at 25psi for the first night and then brought it down to ~12psi. The temp has been at 40 the whole time since I kegged on Tuesday.

 

what kind of beer is it?

the two main 'beer-gassed' beers i drink are guiness and boddingtons.

if it has enough residual proteins, et al, left in it, you should get a nice head when poured, and the N outgasses.

i'd crank it back up to 20-30 psi, cause you aint gaat much carbies in there yet (is my guess)
(i dont carbonate my beers at serving pressure)

 

It'll out gas, but still taste pretty flat. Nitrogen is tasteless. CO2 has a sparkly bite to it. The nitrogen gas mix is a stout gas or "guiness gas" and is not "regular beer gas" nearly all beers are maintained under pure CO2. There is a big difference in flavor profile.

 

I brewed an Ahtanum Pal Ale from Austin Home Brew. It was my first brew ever. I had the beer gas left over from when I went through my Guiness phase. I converted my kegerator over to work with my home brew set up, but I never thought about the gas, because I have used it for other beer besides guiness with no problems, but these were commercial bought kegs that were already carbonated. I think I am going to bump the pressure back up to 30' and get me some CO2 on Monday and let it finish carbing with the CO2, unless someone knows for sure if I can carb it with beer gas.

 

Well, you could spend forever trying to get it right based on partial pressures and the preferred volumes of CO2 in solution, but in the end you will have beer that is kept at seriously high pressure, and is practically unservable due to foaming when you lower the pressure to serve.

Your experience with using this to push beer is a pleasant one because the CO2 does not rapidly come out of solution when pressure is maintained. It's like using a hand pump on a keg of Bud. You are pumping air in to push the beer out but it takes a few days to a week to go flat due to the rate of dissolution.

I would let that beer sit un pressurized for a week before trying to carb it back up, otherwise you will forever be fighting with the nitro for space in the solution. Don't just open the bleeder and leave it though - that could allow O2 entry and cause potential oxidation. I suggest bleeding it daily for a week. Then re pressurize with CO2.

 

Was the beer cold during the carbing process? It makes a big difference.

 

Don't take this the wrong way, but did you actually read this thread before posting?