Beer not carbing in keg

[jwmmccoy]

Hey all
I am new to kegging and at a loss of why my beer and cider is still flat. Ill give you quick info on what I'm using and hopefully someone can tell me what I'm doing wrong
-using the ball lock corny kegs
-cleaned and sanitized before pouring in beer slowly
-sealed up beer and pressurized to 12 PSI for 2 weeks (no carb) I jumped up to 20PSI for 1 week (still no carb) and then to 25psig for one more week (still no carb) I planned on doing the set and forget method but its obviously not working.
-checked for leaks (there are none)
-using a 20lb beer gas cylinder
-ive pulled the pressure relief valve a few times and have confirmed that, yes, there is pressure in the kegs
-one keg has a stout (all grain) and the other has a cider (pressed by a local orchard)
-I have bottled both of these before and used the bottle condition method with no issues
-also I'm keeping the beer around 36F/2C
SO what am I missing??????

 

[ol-hazza]

What temperature are the kegs at?

 

[tg123]

Not sure if this applies to you but I've had very tiny leaks that were extremely hard to detect. I did the same thing where I pulled the relief valve to check if there's pressure a few days after and there was. But a week later I would go back and it would be flat.

What I found out later was that when I charged the keg, the pressure would push the lid up and make a good deal. As the CO2 carbonates the beer, the head pressure would drop and that secure seal would no longer be there. This allowed a small amount of gas to leak out over time and the CO2 would slowly defuse out of the beer and it would go flat again. To fix this, I bumped up the CO2 pressure and left it at 30lb for a few days to make sure that it maintained a good seal.

Not saying this is the same problem you're having but it could potentially be something you want to check for. Some lids will make a tight seal regardless of keg pressure. In my case, it wouldn't make a tight seal until the internal pressure pushed the lid up and and tight.

 

[Dixon9717]

Beer gas? Or C02. I've heard "beer gas" C02 with Nitrogen called beer gas and from what I understand that won't carb beer.

 

[jwmmccoy]

Beer gas? Or C02. I've heard "beer gas" C02 with Nitrogen called beer gas and from what I understand that won't carb beer.

Its Beer gas

 

[joshesmusica]

I know that you've said you've checked for leaks, but a month at that amount of pressure, and no carbonation, means a leak.

 

[jwmmccoy]

What temperature are the kegs at?

around 35F/2C

 

[jwmmccoy]

I know that you've said you've checked for leaks, but a month at that amount of pressure, and no carbonation, means a leak.

Would it be reccomended to turn off the beer gas and check pull the relief after a few days?

 

[jwmmccoy]

I know that you've said you've checked for leaks, but a month at that amount of pressure, and no carbonation, means a leak.

I dont think there's a leak, my level in the beer gas tank has moved from 1400 to 1300 PSI

 

[joshesmusica]

Would it be reccomended to turn off the beer gas and check pull the relief after a few days?

No. You should be checking the pressure with a regulator. Turn off the gas (hopefully you mean co2 when you say beer gas??), and see if the regulator ends up reading 0 psi. Then carb up to like 30 psi. Turn of gas. Then wait to see how low it dips. If it keeps going back to 0 after every time, then you absolutely know you have a leak.

After you have racked your beer/cider into the keg, you want to really make sure the lid has sealed completely at that point. Otherwise, you'll have to completely release the pressure and re-set it.

Another question I had about your process, though, which isn't really what you're asking about: you're pouring your beer/cider into the keg and not siphoning it, filling from the bottom up???

 

[jwmmccoy]

No. You should be checking the pressure with a regulator. Turn off the gas (hopefully you mean co2 when you say beer gas??), and see if the regulator ends up reading 0 psi. Then carb up to like 30 psi. Turn of gas. Then wait to see how low it dips. If it keeps going back to 0 after every time, then you absolutely know you have a leak.

After you have racked your beer/cider into the keg, you want to really make sure the lid has sealed completely at that point. Otherwise, you'll have to completely release the pressure and re-set it.

Another question I had about your process, though, which isn't really what you're asking about: you're pouring your beer/cider into the keg and not siphoning it, filling from the bottom up???

I mean beer gas......

I did use a siphon

 

[jwmmccoy]

also my kegs are about 3/4 full (not making contact with the gas in tube)

 

[GlassForest]

Hey there welcome to kegging, it makes life grand doesn't it!!??

But seriously, beer gas is a mixture of nitrogen and carbon dioxide. Normally someone would use beer gas to pour a peer off of "nitrogen" or "nitro", as en example, Guinness is poured using beer gas. Also pouring off of nitrogen requires a special tap. Such as the ones Guinness uses, which have a restrictor plate allowing higher PSI while pouring, to ensure the "cascading" effect of the nitrogen foam.

Here is a little clarification for yourself, one needs to use CO2 to carbonate their beer in the keg. Then if wanting the nitrogen pour, you would push your beer to your tap with the beer gas.

This is because nitrogen does not have a carbonating effect on beer, or a strong one any ways.

So go out and buy another gas tank with CO2 ONLY and your beer/cider will carbonate perfectly. Hope that helps! Cheers!

 

[joshesmusica]

also my kegs are about 3/4 full (not making contact with the gas in tube)

You don't want to make contact with the In line. Not under a pressurized environment.

Beer gas??? That doesn't explain anything. There's not such a thing... Typically people use carbon dioxide (co2), but without knowing that you are for sure using that, it makes it really hard to help you! haha

It's good that you siphoned, and didn't actually pour in the liquid, as that would lead to oxidation, likely.

This is why it's good to use the proper terms for what you're doing, your processes, what you're using, etc. in order to get the best help possible. When you say pouring, but you mean siphoning, you're gonna get weird advice that doesn't apply to you. When you say beer gas (which as one poster said typically means a nitrogen/co2 combo), but you possibly mean co2, it's hard to give you the proper advice.

 

[GlassForest]

You don't want to make contact with the In line. Not under a pressurized environment.

Beer gas??? That doesn't explain anything. There's not such a thing... Typically people use carbon dioxide (co2), but without knowing that you are for sure using that, it makes it really hard to help you! haha

It's good that you siphoned, and didn't actually pour in the liquid, as that would lead to oxidation, likely.

This is why it's good to use the proper terms for what you're doing, your processes, what you're using, etc. in order to get the best help possible. When you say pouring, but you mean siphoning, you're gonna get weird advice that doesn't apply to you. When you say beer gas (which as one poster said typically means a nitrogen/co2 combo), but you possibly mean co2, it's hard to give you the proper advice.

Ahem, *Coughs in throat*...

Actually,

Beer gas is a thing, in our physical world and our mental ones! go to any welding or gas supply stores, And ask for a tank of Beer Gas, they know exactly what your talking about and most of the time have tanks in stock since it is not super popular...

Just thought I would verify that the OP does know what type of gas he is using, I believe...

 

[GlassForest]

Here is an except from Wikipedia on the gas, for your own verification and loss of any confusion...
"""
25/75 gas—also known as G-Mix or Beer Gas—is a pre-mixed blend containing 25% CO2 and 75% nitrogen in a single cyl- inder. This blend was created to dispense nitrogen-infused beers like Guinness Stout but has been widely applied to other beers. Applying 25/75 gas to regularly carbonated beers makes them go flat.
"""

 

[Scriv]

So you're trying to carbonate beer with something that can't carbonate beer?

 

[gatsby174]

I'm pretty sure u can carb with beer gas, but you would need to set the pressure at about 46-48 (25%CO2 = 12psi goal pressure x 4). BUT, you would need a stout faucet. Completely worth it if u brewed a stout or porter though...
Forgot to ask, do you have a co2 regulator, or a beer gas reg?

 

[Iseneye]

Its Beer gas

Well there's your problem.

 

[Yooper]

Its Beer gas

You don't want to make contact with the In line. Not under a pressurized environment.

Beer gas??? That doesn't explain anything. There's not such a thing... Typically people use carbon dioxide (co2), but without knowing that you are for sure using that, it makes it really hard to help you! haha

It's good that you siphoned, and didn't actually pour in the liquid, as that would lead to oxidation, likely.

This is why it's good to use the proper terms for what you're doing, your processes, what you're using, etc. in order to get the best help possible. When you say pouring, but you mean siphoning, you're gonna get weird advice that doesn't apply to you. When you say beer gas (which as one poster said typically means a nitrogen/co2 combo), but you possibly mean co2, it's hard to give you the proper advice.

Beer gas IS a proper term. It's beer gas. It's a real thing.

 

[j1n]

Beer gas? Or C02. I've heard "beer gas" C02 with Nitrogen called beer gas and from what I understand that won't carb beer.

Its Beer gas

Well there's your problem.

^^^

 

[jwmmccoy]

Thanks to those who gave GOOD feedback without being jerks.

For those who were jerks.... I used beer gas (yes it's a thing!) because I'm new and I had no idea it wasn't soluble in beer. Headed to my gas supplier tomorrow to make the switch!

Thanks to everyone.....even the trolls I guess

 

[Yooper]

Thanks to those who gave GOOD feedback without being jerks.

For those who were jerks.... I used beer gas (yes it's a thing!) because I'm new and I had no idea it wasn't soluble in beer. Headed to my gas supplier tomorrow to make the switch!

Thanks to everyone.....even the trolls I guess

What kind of regulator do you have? The beer gas regulator and the c02 regulator aren't interchangeable. So, make sure you have the correct regulator for the gas that you get. You want "food grade" c02, if they have it. But other c02 seems to work just fine from what others report.

 

[Yooper]

Here is an except from Wikipedia on the gas, for your own verification and loss of any confusion...
"""
25/75 gas—also known as G-Mix or Beer Gas—is a pre-mixed blend containing 25% CO2 and 75% nitrogen in a single cyl- inder. This blend was created to dispense nitrogen-infused beers like Guinness Stout but has been widely applied to other beers. Applying 25/75 gas to regularly carbonated beers makes them go flat.
"""

applying beer gas doesn't make a carbed beer go flat.

It's different, and requires a higher pressure, but the beer won't go flat.

 

[ol-hazza]

Dammit I missed all of the fun.

Welcome to HBT, sometimes we take a while to solve problems but we get there in the end.

Brew on

 

[dancingfetus]

I just did the same thing, and had another thread on it a week ago. as everyone has said beer gas is mostly nitrogen, which isn't soluble in beer, You can still carb in theory with it, but I've read its more recommended to force carb with CO2, then when at the proper volumes, use beer gas to serve(or you can use it for longer line runs, as it needs a higher PSI for a balanced system. It needs the stout tap, and a specific regulator.

I switched to CO2 and my beer is carbonating nicely.

 

[jwmmccoy]

Thanks again to ALL!
I thought I did all my research but obviously missed something. Someone asked what type of reg in using...... It's a c02 reg. Can't wait to get this stuff carbed now!

 

[Electrake]

My favorite part was when poster said "I'm using beer gas" early on, but the argument continued

 

[Yooper]

Thanks again to ALL!
I thought I did all my research but obviously missed something. Someone asked what type of reg in using...... It's a c02 reg. Can't wait to get this stuff carbed now!

Sounds perfect, then.

I think a lot of gas guys who don't brew try to push us into buying beer gas, because it sounds specialized for beer. Well, it is in a way, I guess, but usually unless you specify you want a nitro set up, or a beer gas set up, we mean that we want a tank of CO2 when we ask for a tank of CO2!