CO2 Leak or Normal???

[akthor]

So I set my PSI to 30. Came down to look at everything about an hour later and the gauge said 25 PSI? Cranked it back to 30 PSI. Check again a couple hours later and the gauge says 27 or so PSI??? So I crank it back to 30 again.

Do I have a leak? I hear no leaks I did the soapy water check on all connections and nothing.

Is this just the CO2 getting absorbed by the beer hence the lowering of the PSI???

 

[RogerMcAllen]

What kind of regulator do you have? I've got one with a screw, and if I don't tighten the set nut all the way it will loosen itself and dial down the pressure.

 

[wildwest450]

Maybe your regulator is trying to tell you your carbing way to high.

 

[akthor]

No set screw it has a knob.

I am trying to get this beer ready in 6 days. I was advised on this board to set it to 30 PSI for 3 days and then purge and set at 12 PSI and I would be good to go.

 

[Scut_Monkey]

Are you turning off the gas each time or leaving it on? Might be a dumb question but if not leaving on it's normal.

 

[AnOldUR]

I am trying to get this beer ready in 6 days. I was advised on this board to set it to 30 PSI for 3 days and then purge and set at 12 PSI and I would be good to go.

That is a good rule of thumb, but be sure to check it every 12-24 hours. It doesn't take much to over-carb.

 

[akthor]

No I am leaving it on.

Are you turning off the gas each time or leaving it on? Might be a dumb question but if not leaving on it's normal.

 

[samc]

No set screw it has a knob.

I am trying to get this beer ready in 6 days. I was advised on this board to set it to 30 PSI for 3 days and then purge and set at 12 PSI and I would be good to go.

I read your post and Yoopers reply - she said 36 hours not 3 days. 3 days will leave you with a very fizzy mess.

 

[akthor]

Lol doh! I am an idiot 36 is 3 ft not 3 days. Been measuring a lot lately lol!

 

[wildwest450]

That is a good rule of thumb, but be sure to check it every 12-24 hours. It doesn't take much to over-carb.

No it's not. 72 hours is way to long at 30psi, unless it's at a high temp.

 

[shortyjacobs]

I actually go 48-60 hrs at 34 psi at 38F, so 3 days isn't TOO bad. As for the reg, did you just recently put it into the fridge? I find that regs take a couple days to equilibrate at fridge temps, so you need to check them every so often and adjust as necessary.

Also, set your pressure with the keg disconnected, THEN connect the keg, (or if you have a valve, shut off the valve, then set pressure). Also, flip the release valve on the reg a few times to make sure that the pressure comes back to the setpoint.....gives you better readings.

 

[AnOldUR]

That is a good rule of thumb, but be sure to check it every 12-24 hours. It doesn't take much to over-carb.

No it's not. 72 hours is way to long at 30psi, unless it's at a high temp.

This must be one of those YMMV things. My beer fridge is in the 40-45 degree area. If I put a room temperature keg in and set it at 30lbs, it's usually ready to serve in three days. Sometime less, sometime longer. I just keep an eye on it to be sure it doesn't over carb.





Edit:
Just for the record, this is not my usual technique. Lean more toward set-and-forget, but there are those times . . .

 

[akthor]

No reg in not in fridge. Since I am afraid of a leak I am just turning the tank on now pressuring to 30 PSI then turning it off and I go down every few hours and do that.

 

[AnOldUR]

No reg in not in fridge. Since I am afraid of a leak I am just turning the tank on now pressuring to 30 PSI then turning it off and I go down every few hours and do that.

So, it's not chilled and you're trying to carb in 6 days at 30psi? And to boot you're turning the gas on and off? Not gunna happen in six days!



Edit:
30psi at room temperature is about the same and set-and-forget when chilled.

Duh. It's the regulator that not in the fridge. :cross: Nevermind!

 

[lschiavo]

What kind of regulator do you have? I just rebuilt mine and had some similar problems before. If there is a weep hole in the front near the adjustment screw, make sure to check if any gas is leaking there.

 

[akthor]

Oh it's chilled it's been sitting in cooler filled with ice, well its water with ice chunks and frozen bottles of water in it. It's icy cold.

So, it's not chilled and you're trying to carb in 6 days at 30psi? And to boot you're turning the gas on and off? Not gunna happen in six days!



Edit:
30psi at room temperature is about the same and set-and-forget when chilled.

Duh. It's the regulator that not in the fridge. :cross: Nevermind!

 

[akthor]

No weep hole there is definetely not a leak on the regulator, don't hear anything and I did the soapy water thing. I really don't think there is a leak anywheres actually. I think it's just the CO2 going into the beer being the result of the drop in pressure. Since everytime the drop was less. and the tank side regulator hasn't moved.

But I figure better safe than sorry Hence the on/off method.

What kind of regulator do you have? I just rebuilt mine and had some similar problems before. If there is a weep hole in the front near the adjustment screw, make sure to check if any gas is leaking there.

 

[shortyjacobs]

Actually, the off/on method WILL leak CO2. See, your CO2 tank is a rear seating valve. When you close it, CO2 in the SYSTEM will leak out past the CO2 tank valve! (side note, when you open your CO2 tank, open it all the way so the valve can seat against the top).

 

[Scut_Monkey]

Concerning the above picture ^^^

I didn't know that was true that it could leak out the needle valve. I'll have to make sure mine is open all the way to help seal that off. Makes sense.

 

[AnOldUR]

Concerning the above picture ^^^ I didn't know that was true .

It's not. If it were, the second that you closed your gas tank valve the pressure reading on the high pressure gauge would drop. It doesn't. It's an unobstructed hole through the regulator to the main gauge, but the reading will hold indefinitely if you don't have any leaks.

 

[shortyjacobs]

It's not. If it were, the second that you closed your gas tank valve the pressure reading on the high pressure gauge would drop. It doesn't. It's an unobstructed hole through the regulator to the main gauge, but the reading will hold indefinitely if you don't have any leaks.

Mine sure drops, but I don't have any leaks, (15 lb tank lasts like 18 kegs with force carbing included)...

 

[AnOldUR]

Mine sure drops, but I don't have any leaks...

You can't have it both ways. It may be a small leak, but it's a leak. If you shut off the valves leading to your kegs and shut off your tank the main gauge should hold pressure. The problem is that there is a very high pressure in a very small space so even the smallest of leaks will not take long to show up.

Your sketch is flawed. If it were the case and you only opened you main valve a quarter turn (so that it didn't seal on the top) all the gas would escape. It doesn't.

If your main gauge doesn't hold pressure for a reasonable amount of time when the tank is off and the valves to the kegs are off you have a leak in either the gauge or in the regulator itself. Or it's possible the valve on the tank is bad.

 

[shortyjacobs]

You can't have it both ways. It may be a small leak, but it's a leak. If you shut off the valves leading to your kegs and shut off your tank the main gauge should hold pressure. The problem is that there is a very high pressure in a very small space so even the smallest of leaks will not take long to show up.

Your sketch is flawed. If it were the case and you only opened you main valve a quarter turn (so that it didn't seal on the top) all the gas would escape. It doesn't.

If your main gauge doesn't hold pressure for a reasonable amount of time when the tank is off and the valves to the kegs are off you have a leak in either the gauge or in the regulator itself. Or it's possible the valve on the tank is bad.

*shrug*, if you say so. I've heard many times, and read a few times, that the valve is rear seating, (like in a Corneilus PDF, "Open (turn counterclockwise) CO2 cylinder valve slightly to allow lines to slowly fill with gas, then open
valve fully to back-seat valve (back-seating valve prevents leakage around valve shaft)."....a quick google search also turns up a lot of industrial forums, diving forums, beer forums, and aquarium forums...but not a lot of hard facts). Maybe It's one of "those bits of advice" that just gets passed around, but has no basis. Regardless, I'd think that if I had any leak, my CO2 tank wouldn't be around after being used for months and months...but I know when I shut off the reg, the pressure will slowly drop. I've also read that industrial gas cylinders have "packing" around the valve stem to help stop leaks, (when the valve is only partially open), so maybe some valve stems leak more than others... I'm sticking with my picture, but never said I was an expert. YMMV

 

[AnOldUR]

*shrug*, if you say so.

*shrug*, not just me. Read step 5 below.

"NOT" is emphasized in all caps.

But, I'll cry "uncle". Back-seating is an excepted practice.