regulator psi is at 500

hey guys, kegging for the first time here. when i first hooked up the keg and put the thing to 12psi for the set it and forget it method, the regulator psi was on 750ish. i just noticed that now its at 500psi. is that normal or is something messed up?

 

If the CO2 cylinder is in the kegerator, don't worry. The cold has caused the CO2 to contract but you still have the same volume and it will be fine.

If your CO2 cylinder has been at room temperature and this is just your first full keg, start checking every fitting systematically for leaks.

A spray bottle with soapy water is good tool to use. Spray each fitting and watch for any bubbles formed by escaping gas. Take your time as slow leaks are the hardest to find. Any fitting you can submerge in a small container of water (like ball/pin lock disconnects) make detecting leaks a bit easier. Look for bubbles.

Check the keg fittings too. Inspect keg posts for dents and dings. This kind of damage will not cause a leak until a disconnect is on the post and the imperfection allows gas to escape. One good test I found is to use duct tape and cardboard covering the keg handles and gaps by the posts to form a temporary water tight well. Fill the top of the keg well with water and look for bubbles with and without the disconnect in place. This best done outside of the kegerator as you'll have water to deal with when you are done.

Good luck

 

You're fine. The co2 level gauge is pretty much worthless. It'll keep at 500-600 until the very last bit and drop to 0 rapidly.

 

I have had 3 regulators, and all of the tank gauges are wrong/not working.

Not sure why they all fail, but it sucks.

 

As long as there is still liquid in the cylinder (which is until it's almost empty) the tank pressure guage only tells you the temperature of the liquid. Warm it up, the pressure will go up, cool it off the pressure will drop.

Once the pressure starts to signifcantly drop, there is very little co2 left as all the liquid is gone.