Already own Edgestar mini keg system

[Irish620]

Hello all....new to home brewing but falling deeper in love everyday.
A year ago my wife bought me the Edgestar 5l mini keg system. The co2 cartridges did not work so i bought a co2 adapter to fit their regulator to my tank.

Since I have a week before I bottle my Belgian triple, I thought perhaps I should look into using what I already own. I've read all the threads on this but it seems to be mixed.

Can you force carbonate these 5l mini kegs using a 9 oz paintball tank ?

For some reason the last two Bell's 2 Hearted mini keg went flat a day after I attached them to the co2 lines,,,,, I tried adjusting the PSI but was unable to find the right setting. Any idea what I'm doing wrong ?? So you can see why I am leary of ruining my first batch.

Thanks for helping out a new guy !

 

[camiller]

Hello all....new to home brewing but falling deeper in love everyday.
A year ago my wife bought me the Edgestar 5l mini keg system. The co2 cartridges did not work so i bought a co2 adapter to fit their regulator to my tank.

Since I have a week before I bottle my Belgian triple, I thought perhaps I should look into using what I already own. I've read all the threads on this but it seems to be mixed.

Can you force carbonate these 5l mini kegs using a 9 oz paintball tank ?

Sure you can

For some reason the last two Bell's 2 Hearted mini keg went flat a day after I attached them to the co2 lines,,,,, I tried adjusting the PSI but was unable to find the right setting. Any idea what I'm doing wrong ?? So you can see why I am leary of ruining my first batch.

Thanks for helping out a new guy !

Possibilities:

1. Out of CO2
2. Leak where the CO2 attaches to the minikeg
3. Leak elsewhere in the system

 

[Irish620]

Ca miller....... I verified I have a full tank and I did the soap bubbles test to see if there were any leaks In the line. Nothing. Tried different bungs too. With the psi @ about 10-12. Why would I get pressure enough to pour but not to carbonate ? It never empties my co2 tank......just doesn't carb it

Thanks for your thoughts

 

[bovineblitz]

Reviving this thread because I have the same issue.

My mini kegerator winds up with flat beer within a day or two. It pushes the beer out just fine but for some reason the beer isn't carb'd. I've tried low psi, high psi, moderate psi... not sure what the issue is.

Any suggestions?

 

[MeatyPortion]

Reviving this thread because I have the same issue.

My mini kegerator winds up with flat beer within a day or two. It pushes the beer out just fine but for some reason the beer isn't carb'd. I've tried low psi, high psi, moderate psi... not sure what the issue is.

Any suggestions?

Well, number one: how long are you letting the beer carb up for?

Assuming that's not the problem, have you tried swabbing some soapy water over the connection points? That's one way to see if you have any leaks.

 

[bovineblitz]

Well, number one: how long are you letting the beer carb up for?

Assuming that's not the problem, have you tried swabbing some soapy water over the connection points? That's one way to see if you have any leaks.

It's DEFINITELY carb'd when I open it, it's almost explosive. It happens with commercial mini kegs too.

I haven't tried the soap test yet, but the CO2 cartridge is only 16 grams and it can stay carb'd for at least 3 weeks... I'd imagine if there's a leak, I'd run out of CO2 before then. It dispenses like a champ... maybe if it dispenses too hard all the CO2 comes out of solution so I should lower the pressure? But then I have the issue of not having enough pressure on it to keep it carb'd...

I'm at a loss

 

[MeatyPortion]

I've used that sort of CO2 cartridge before and the results were fine when the beer had been carbed up using a 5lb cylinder. However, it didn't last long and I had to hook it up to a friend's portable 10lb cylinder. I'm guessing that you may need to swap cylinders out more frequently than is recommended. Not sure if that's any help or not but if there's no leak that would be my next guess.

 

[bovineblitz]

I've used that sort of CO2 cartridge before and the results were fine when the beer had been carbed up using a 5lb cylinder. However, it didn't last long and I had to hook it up to a friend's portable 10lb cylinder. I'm guessing that you may need to swap cylinders out more frequently than is recommended. Not sure if that's any help or not but if there's no leak that would be my next guess.

I'm kinda leaning towards getting a 5lb CO2 tank too, but I can't really figure out why my current method seems to be failing... I mean, pressure is pressure. I'll do the soap test tomorrow, but I doubt that there will be a leak since my CO2 cartridges don't run out over time.

 

[Irish620]

Guys,

My 9 oz paintball tank was full and I checked it for leaks.....nothing.
The pressure was never an issue, the flow would rise and drop according to
How much pressure I regulated. If the bells 5l is already carbed, and the co2 is flowing properly, why would it lose it's carbing so quickly ?

I have to figure this out before I use my precious home brew with it.
Let me know how you make out Bovineblitz

 

[bovineblitz]

Dear EdgeStar Customer,

Thank you for taking the time to contact us. We certainly appreciate your business, and we are here to help you!

In response to your inquiry:

Since you state that the unit has no obvious leaks present, I would suspect maybe the type of beer that you are using requires a higher pressure than what our standard unit is able to provide. Therefore, using the 5lb. tank may be well worth the effort getting one. Be advised we neither sell or support this particular option.

If you have any further questions, feel free to contact us.

Best regards,


David R. Sugerman
EdgeStar Technical Support
[email protected]
866-319-5473 x523

 

[MeatyPortion]

So basically what they're saying is that the CO2 system they sell with it is inadequate. That's kind of dickish.

 

[bovineblitz]

So basically what they're saying is that the CO2 system they sell with it is inadequate. That's kind of dickish.

Esp since I stated that one of the beers I was carb'ing was a german lager...

 

[MeatyPortion]

Crap. I hope you can rig up something that works.

 

[bovineblitz]

So I've been trying to figure this out and 7 days into my next mini keg it seems to be doing a lot better. When I put it in the kegerator I put it on 15psi and haven't changed it from that at all... pours alright, maybe a little foamy but not too excessive, and most importantly it stays carbonated!

Hopefully the upcoming beers will be just as good.

 

[Okie12beer]

I have not used my edge star mini keg in a long time, but I think the issue is that it sits on a cold plate. The beer at the bottom is cold which is needed for serving as it comes off the bottom, but the beer higher up is not cold and therefore it would need more pressure to carb it or maintain a CO2 level for very long.

 

[bovineblitz]

I have not used my edge star mini keg in a long time, but I think the issue is that it sits on a cold plate. The beer at the bottom is cold which is needed for serving as it comes off the bottom, but the beer higher up is not cold and therefore it would need more pressure to carb it or maintain a CO2 level for very long.

Once I got used to my system it's been working great for me. I put it at about 10psi and the beer comes out very nicely carbed no matter the level in the keg. Typically it pours with slightly too much head but it's not really a big deal. Also, the first 2oz or so should be discarded unless you poured recently, it tastes a bit sour if it sits for a while.