Ball lock gas disconnect with Check Valve and foam issues

[Alf34]

Good morning and happy new year!

I recently bought a check valve disconnect from ikegger since my kegs are lying down in my fridge ( space issues) and I do not want to risk the regulator getting damaged by liquid.

I read on on ikegger website that the check valve only reads the pressure between the regulator and the check valve, not the pressure inside the keg, so if fot example the pressure changes due to temperature changes, that is not reflected on the the regulator. Basically, it is not really accurate.

Then I read a comment on a review that says that using this check valve lowers the pressure and that therefore you have to set the pressure slightly higher or you will end up with undercarbonated beer. What is slighly higher?

Anyway, I kegged my beer a few days ago using first a regular gas disconnect with the keg standing in the fridge, used the set and forgot method, set it to 14 psi, and it was pretty well carbed after 4 days and poured well ( small keg). Then I put the keg lying down, using this check valve disconnect, leaving the same pressure at 14 psi. Next day when I poured a glass, all foam, flat beer and large pockets of air in the beer line.

It looks to me like 14 psi is now a very low pressure and that causes Co2 to come out of solution. How much higher should I set the pressure now?

 

[mashdar]

Are you sure we're talking about a check valve, and not a secondary regulator?

A check valve won't have a gauge or any fancy membrane. It's just a physical plug that gets sucked closed if the gas tries to flow backward.

I wouldn't expect a normal check to have any affect on pressure (other than keeping it high if you turn down the regulator).

I guess it could have a spring mechanism that might only open if the supply side is x PSI higher than the load side. If it's like this one, that may be the case?
https://www.morebeer.com/products/cm-becker-check-valved-ball-lock-gas-flare.html

edit: If you want to be sure, you could always put a gauge on the liquid side of an empty (!) keg and test it. I'd try it with the check and no check so the calibration doesn't matter.

edit2: it seems like most of these gas-side checks may have a spring like this. I imagine it would be very low pressure differential, but there's only one way to verify unless mfr responds to an e-mail.

 

[Alf34]

Exactly, I have that same disconnect with the check valve from morebeer. And then that is connected to my mini regulator with the sodastream bottle attached.

I actually sent a message to ikegger about this issue and they replied that the regulator reads the pressure inside the keg, the valve itself opens around 1 psi, so generally, 1-2 psi additional pressure will allow to read the most accurate pressure.

However 1-2 psi seems very little given what I have experiencied myself and some reviews I have read. I was wondering if someone had the same issues I am having.

 

[Broothru]

Damn! You guys stay up all night, or something? Sober me is just barely conscious at 9:00 am EST!

 

[Alf34]

I live in Spain

 

[day_trippr]

The ball-and-spring type check valves do indeed incur a small pressure hit somewhere between 0.5 to 1 psi. I have confirmed that the check valve in my keezer primary regulator and the check valves on the 1:8 manifold inside both incur their separate hits. I run the primary CO2 regulator at 12 psi to keep the kegs at 2.5 volumes of CO2 at 36°F which requires 10 psi at the kegs, confirmed with my spunding valve/gauge.

I don't know how much if any pressure hit the "duckbill" style check valves incur. Never used one here...

Cheers!