Beer in the Gas Line?

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TriColor 1824

TriColor 1824

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Twice now I have had a problem with beer traveling backward from the keg into the C02 line. Last night while cleaning my new keezer dispensing lines I attempted to pressurize a keg w/ some beer line cleaner in it. After attaching the CO2 line to the keg, I turned the lever on the manifold to begin pressurizing. As soon as the manifold was turned fully on, root beer flowed backward out of the CO2 in post from another keg and up into the manifold. I've had retrograde flow twice now! The first time, the beer didn't make it to the manifold, but this time it made it all the way into the manifold. So now, despite having a new keezer I just completed I'm going to have to detach the manifold from the back wall so I can thoroughly clean it. Definitely a pain in the sphincter! I'd like to avoid having to do this a third time? Any thoughts as to what I'm doing wrong or why this is happening? Also of note, the gas line in / beer line out posts are hard to attach to my new ball lock connects. I have no idea why but I wonder if this might be related. Any sage advice would be greatly appreciated. :mad::confused:
 
Are the check valves something that can be bought at the LHBS or do I need to go Lowe's? Am I to assume from your familiarity with this problem and its solution that it's not an uncommon problem?
 
Check length of CO2 stainless steel line. I cut some of mine shorter because they were too long. Mine are now around 1 1/4 inches. I only fill kegs to the weld line so I have at least 3/4 inch between beer surface and CO2 stainless steel line inside keg.
 
Many manifolds come with shutoffs that have a build-in check valve. Crazy enough, the loose shutoffs/check valves cost more than when you buy a manifold that has them attached already.

To protect the regulators from back flow you should have at minimum a check valve after each, before anything else taps off that doesn't have a check valve. A flooded manifold is a nuisance, but can be cleaned fairly easy. A regulator not so.

I sometimes get beer in my lines when I forget to release the PRV before connecting a QD with lower pressure, or during force carbonation. I love having MFL connectors just for those moments.
 
TriColor1824 said:
AAm I to assume from your familiarity with this problem and its solution that it's not an uncommon problem?
Click to expand...

IslandLizard said:
I sometimes get beer in my lines when I forget to release the PRV before connecting a QD with lower pressure, or during force carbonation. I love having MFL connectors just for those moments.
Click to expand...

Yes, this. When carbonating at 25psi, then turning down to serving pressure, and I've overfilled a keg, and forget to blow off the extra via PRV (or lack a PRV altogether, a la pin locks). I did this the other day with a stout I was carbonating, and blew beer back up into the line. The only line I have without a check valve....go figure.
 
My LHBS sells check valves for around $15
I been meaning to buy 4 of them and keep forgetting (one for each output on the manifold).

I know its only a matter of time before I do the same thing.

Thanks for the reminder I will pick them up this week.

Cam
 
Nice to know I'm not alone w/ this problem. I thought maybe I was doing something wrong. I'll definitely look into the check valves.
 
CamG said:
My LHBS sells check valves for around $15
I been meaning to buy 4 of them and keep forgetting (one for each output on the manifold).

I know its only a matter of time before I do the same thing.

Thanks for the reminder I will pick them up this week.

Cam
Click to expand...

Those loose valves are pretty expensive.

Here's a 4-way manifold including 4 shutoffs and check valves for $37. They come in many configurations. I like the MFL connectors for reasons mentioned above (easy disassembly and cleaning).
 
Check valves on every QD. That is the only way. Expensive but beats the inevitable back sucking.
 
I was worried about the rootbeer back flow getting into the manifold and being a source for future bacterial growth and contamination so I decided to break down the CO2 supply lines and manifold and wash them out with water to try and prevent this. Upon doing this and observing the water flow pattern I came to realize that I do have check valves in the manifold and that no rootbeer has entered it. Thank God, but now I need to wait for the manifold to dry out a little bit before reinstalling it in my keezer. As an interesting aside, I found that the ball lock connects that do not fit well on the two kegs that caused the retrograde flow fit perfectly well on other kegs I have suggesting that the problem is being caused by the keg posts themselves. Has anyone else had ball / lock connects on a keg that do not connect well w/ the usual ball lock connection?
 
IslandLizard said:
Those loose valves are pretty expensive.

Here's a 4-way manifold including 4 shutoffs and check valves for $37. They come in many configurations. I like the MFL connectors for reasons mentioned above (easy disassembly and cleaning).
Click to expand...

Well don't I feel like an idiot.
I have that 4-way splitter and didn't know it had check valves in it.
I just bought 4 individual check valves and installed them Friday night.....
 
CamG said:
Well don't I feel like an idiot.
I have that 4-way splitter and didn't know it had check valves in it.
I just bought 4 individual check valves and installed them Friday night.....
Click to expand...

Are those the ones that go on top of the QDs? Are you happy with them?
 
Yes,
My QD's have threads instead of barbs.
They just screw on the QD and the gas line screws onto it.

They look like they are made well and I sure feel more confident with them there since I do a lot of force carbonation. Around 30psi.
I have a dedicated line outside the fridge on a shut off that I use with a carbonation cap on 1L bottles.
I always have leftover beer after filling a keg so I fill 1L bottles and force carb them for "taste testing purposes" if you know what I mean... :ban:
 
jcav said:
I use these on my ball lock gas connectors. They work great! http://www.williamsbrewing.com/DISCONNECT-CHECK-VALVE-P3658.aspx
John
Click to expand...

I was actually looking at these but had a question. The description says "This releases at 3psi". Wasn't sure what it meant. I assume any pressure over 3psi would cause the valve to open. So if you are carbing @ 10psi, it seems the valve would open and if the keg was over filled wouldn't the beer go in the gas line like there wasn't a check valve there? Or does it mean something else?
 
vNmd said:
I was actually looking at these but had a question. The description says "This releases at 3psi". Wasn't sure what it meant. I assume any pressure over 3psi would cause the valve to open. So if you are carbing @ 10psi, it seems the valve would open and if the keg was over filled wouldn't the beer go in the gas line like there wasn't a check valve there? Or does it mean something else?
Click to expand...

That is a good question. They release gas at 3 psi, but it is a one way valve so to speak, so they release gas into the keg at 3 psi. If beer tries to back up into the gas line the check valve will not let it get past it. I really like mine a lot. No issues so far and I don't have to worry about beer backing into my gas lines or regulator. Great product, very well made and great peace of mind. Hope this helps.

John
 
jcav said:
That is a good question. They release gas at 3 psi, but it is a one way valve so to speak, so they release gas into the keg at 3 psi. If beer tries to back up into the gas line the check valve will not let it get past it. I really like mine a lot. No issues so far and I don't have to worry about beer backing into my gas lines or regulator. Great product, very well made and great peace of mind. Hope this helps.

John
Click to expand...

Definitely helps and I just put an order to try them. I will also make sure not to fill my kegs as much.
 
I have these on my QD gas lines and they are great.
I originally thought it was a waste of money because my manifold has check valves in it.

I realized I was wrong. I have one gas line I use for force carbing and cleaning kegs that does not have a check valve on the QD.
If the pressure in the keg is higher than the regulator setting the gas line will expand sort of like a balloon effect. This is because the pressure can't go through the manifold. This will force liquid back into your gas line.

So in short I think you need check valves in the manifold to protect your regulator and you need check valves on your gas QD's to protect the gas line.
 

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