Beer shooting out of regulator!

[HopHead10]

Help! I tried to carb my 24 -hr refrigerated keg of IPA at 30 psi and when I turned on the co2 tank and the valve into the keg beer started shooting out of the regulator. A small hole above the psi-controlling screw. Beer ALL over the room : /.

How do I fix this? Is the beer ruined? Thanks in advance...

Also when I turn the psi screw it doesn't reflect on the psi gauge, if i slightly tilt the gauge it then changes the psi reading. I was cranking it up and it wasn't reflected - i moved the guage and it shot up to 40+ psi!

Any recommendations are appreciated.

 

[jester5120]

sounds like your regulator is messed up and the high pressure in the keg is pushing beer backwards up through the regulator. if it's an old regulator some of the rubber inside may have rotted. Never heard of anything like that tho

 

[audger]

A small hole above the psi-controlling screw.

that means the rubber internals have cracked. it sounds like this regulator isnt in good shape to begin with. you will either need to find a rebuild kit for it or just replace it.

even if it wasnt damaged ; now that it is full of beer you need to tear it down and clean everything.

 

[EFaden]

Might want to invest in a check valve also.

 

[phidelt844]

Might want to invest in a check valve also.

This is the way to go for next time.

How did the beer travel up the line, though, I'm wondering? Did you have the C02 connected to the beer out line, or was the keg on its side? Even if the keg pressure was higher than your regulator, I would find it hard for beer to travel 1/2 inch vertically to the gas in tube and to your regulator.

 

[jester5120]

keg could have been on its side, beer could have been filled to above the bottom of the gas tube, beer could have been all foamed up and agitated from too high of a pressure

 

[Yooper]

This is the way to go for next time.

How did the beer travel up the line, though, I'm wondering? Did you have the C02 connected to the beer out line, or was the keg on its side? Even if the keg pressure was higher than your regulator, I would find it hard for beer to travel 1/2 inch vertically to the gas in tube and to your regulator.

Oh, it's easy to do that. If you've got the beer at 30 psi, it can easily back up and ruin the regulator. Check valves (one way valves) are essential, because if beer backs up into the regulator it can ruin it. That's one reason I never shake or roll my kegs, especially when they are hooked up to the gas.

 

[gnef]

For check valves, I like to use these cheap ones from US Plastics:

Check Valves | U.S. Plastic Corp.

I just cut the tubing, put this in with oetiker clamps, and I'm good. They aren't the strongest (I've split some in half when not being careful), but they work well and are cheap and easy to replace if needed.

 

[weirdboy]

I had this happen once. I tried rebuilding the regulator...I replaced all the internals with new parts, etc. Still didn't work after that. I ended up just getting a new regulator after wasting time and money on fixing the old one.

So, based on my admittedly limited experience, you should just get a new regulator. And next time, before you hook up your keg, close the check valve and vent the keg a bit using the pressure release valve.

 

[EFaden]

Can you post a pic of the regulator? If you are getting a new one pm me before you chuck the old one.