Midwest regulator issue/co2 not making it into corney

[daveooph131]

I just received my keg setup from midwest. However, I am having trouble getting the c02 tank to connect to the regulator without leaking.

I know this sounds dumb, but seriously it won't work. Has anyone experiance this problem with this kit? The washer they've given me doesn't seem to seel it properly.

 

[Chello]

Try adding some Teflon tape on the threads for a better seal

 

[daveooph131]

OK so I finally got that part, but now I can't seem to get the co2 into the corny keg. The gage is reading 10 psi, but it isn't getting into the keg. How tempermental are the corny kegs at sealing the lid?

 

[daveooph131]

Any advice???

I have it all connected, gage reads 10 psi. But I can't get the c02 into the corny, how tempermental are the lid seals? Do you have to have lube to get it to seal?

I just got the kit from midwest brewing.

 

[nealf]

They can be pretty tough to seal sometimes. Find some keg lube to help the lid seal up a little better.

 

[daveooph131]

Ok well for today I don't have any lube, any other suggestions?

Also, I mean to make sure I am not missing anything. You attach the gas connect to the "in" on the keg. Once it's on, turn pressure up to 10 psi (or whatever psi you want) and instantly the c02 should go into the keg right? Furthermore, to check this you can pull the "o-ring" on top of the keg to purge.

FRUSTRATIONS IS KICKING IN HELP!!!

 

[daveooph131]

I've posted on the kegg form, but am not getting very many hits.

Let me make sure I have this right:

You attach the gas connect to the "in" on the keg. Once it's on, turn pressure up to 10 psi (or whatever psi you want) and instantly the c02 should go into the keg right? Furthermore, to check this you can pull the "o-ring" on top of the keg to purge.

FRUSTRATIONS IS KICKING IN HELP!!!

 

[svudah]

Yes, that's how it should go. You should also hear a sort of moaning sound as the gas moves into the corny.

 

[Cyprus]

Are you sure you have the ball/pin lock connector all the way on? If so are all of your valves open? they should point inline with the hose, all the way to the left or right is the off position.

 

[Yooper]

Yes, but if it was leaking, you'd be able to tell. Spray some soapy water around the lid, and turn the regulator up to 30 psi. Often the higher pressure "seats" the lid anyway. I always blast it with 30 psi, purge (pull the pressure relief valve), then do it twice more. That way you're displacing any oxygen in the keg, plus checking for leaks at the same time. Then you can purge one final time, and set it at 12 psi (or whatever your serving pressure is).

 

[BierMuncher]

Make sure your valves are open on the tank and on any regulator(s) you have.

 

[homebeerbrewer]

Ok well for today I don't have any lube, any other suggestions?

Also, I mean to make sure I am not missing anything. You attach the gas connect to the "in" on the keg. Once it's on, turn pressure up to 10 psi (or whatever psi you want) and instantly the c02 should go into the keg right? Furthermore, to check this you can pull the "o-ring" on top of the keg to purge.

FRUSTRATIONS IS KICKING IN HELP!!!

That's about right, but do you have a valve coming off the regulator? If so, is it open or closed? Usually, if the handle is pointing towards the line, it's open, but it could have been installed incorrectly. I have one like that, it confuses the **** out of me sometimes.

Edit: To make sure that everything is sealed, I turn the keg upside down for a few minutes. The pressure from the CO2 and the weight of the beer will force everything tight. I had a leaking IN port one time, and turning it upside down did the trick.

 

[RogerMcAllen]

Try adding some Teflon tape on the threads for a better seal

Teflon tape should only be used on NPT threads. On the regulator the nylon gasket should be making the seal.

 

[Yooper]

Is this a ball lock kegging set up? If it is, make sure the "gray" connector goes onto the "IN" spot. Do you have a picture or an explanation of the set up so we can picture it, and see what the problem may be?

 

[daveooph131]

Ya I've been doing that, everything is open. I can't get the "moaning" sound at all, does this imply a leak some where. I feel like maybe the lid isn't sealing tight enough, but I can't change that without getting c02 inside to help seal. Or with lube, which I don't have and can't get until tomororw.

When I got the setup the kegs came pressurized with air or something, b/c I was able to purge them.

 

[BierMuncher]

You would definitely know if CO2 were moving into the keg. Even if you had a loose lid...you'd hear hissing.

You might want to disconnect everything and open the main valve slightly on your tank to make sure you've got gas.

 

[Yooper]

What happens when you turn the psi up to 30?

 

[daveooph131]

Here is the equipment I have...

Brew Logic Dual Tap Draft System- with Reconditioned CO2 Tank :: Midwest Supplies Homebrewing and Winemaking Supplies

I turned it up to 30psi and still got nothing. Nothing seems to be going into the keg, I can't even get a hissing noise. And the c02 tank is full when I disconnect from regulator it hisses if I open it.

 

[Yooper]

Here is the equipment I have...

Brew Logic Dual Tap Draft System- with Reconditioned CO2 Tank :: Midwest Supplies Homebrewing and Winemaking Supplies

I turned it up to 30psi and still got nothing. Nothing seems to be going into the keg, I can't even get a hissing noise. And the c02 tank is full when I disconnect from regulator it hisses if I open it.

The co2 tank is full, so the problem seems to be the regulator. You mentioned earlier it was leaking- where exactly was it leaking?

Have you tried both regulators? It looks like you have two primary regulators. You've put the gray disconnect on the "in", and turned up the pressure?

I'm wondering if there is a problem with the check valves. It doesn't say that it has check valves in the description I see, though.

Edit- I see that you do have check valves in place. It seems weird though that no gas is going through. I'll wait until you have a chance to answer some of these questions before I get any deeper!

 

[daveooph131]

I have tried both regulators. The first leak came from the regulator not being screwed in tight enough to the cylinder coupling nut. (if that makes sense) Anyway, just tightened the nut to the c02 canister, then spun the regulator around a couple of times which tightend it, and the leak was gone.

Also, yes I am taking the red tubes from the regulator, they have gray ball lock caps and connecting them to the "in" side of the keg. Just to make sure that is hooked up propary...the "in" side is the one without the dip tube correct?

 

[BobOscarBob]

The in side has the short tube inside - also has the nut with a 'notch' in it.

Is the corny fully depressurized? When you have the gas connected to the corny and pressurized - can you pull the release valve on the corny and get gas escaping? If not - can you remove and examine your poppets to make sure they're not 'stuck'? Also make sure you're putting the ball lock on fully - I have in the past put one on I thought was locked and cocked - only to push a bit more and have it seat in place...

 

[Yooper]

I have tried both regulators. The first leak came from the regulator not being screwed in tight enough to the cylinder coupling nut. (if that makes sense) Anyway, just tightened the nut to the c02 canister, then spun the regulator around a couple of times which tightend it, and the leak was gone.

Also, yes I am taking the red tubes from the regulator, they have gray ball lock caps and connecting them to the "in" side of the keg. Just to make sure that is hooked up propary...the "in" side is the one without the dip tube correct?

Well, both sides have dip tubes, but the "IN" side has a very short one. That's correct, how you seem to have it hooked up.

I'm puzzled, so I'm thinking about the check valves. Check valves are really important- they are a "one way" valve, so that beer can't flow back into your regulator. Someone once posted that the check valve had a problem, so that's why I thought of it. But it wouldn't seem like BOTH regulators and check valves are messed up.

What does the regulator at the end say you have for gas left at this point? When the gas is turned on, what does it read? Can you pull the release valves on the side of the regulator and make the pressure drop on the regulator?

 

[daveooph131]

The in side has the short tube inside - also has the nut with a 'notch' in it.

Is the corny fully depressurized? When you have the gas connected to the corny and pressurized - can you pull the release valve on the corny and get gas escaping? If not - can you remove and examine your poppets to make sure they're not 'stuck'? Also make sure you're putting the ball lock on fully - I have in the past put one on I thought was locked and cocked - only to push a bit more and have it seat in place...

Yes there is no pressure in the keg. When I pull up the release valve nothing comes out. However, when I got the setup last night the company must have had them filled with air b/c when I pulled the release valve it definitely depressurized.

I believe the ball lock is on all the way. I pushed down like a mother trucker until it popped into place and was securily fixed.

In regards to the other post:

There is gas in the tank. The regulator reads 900 psi. Also, when I pull the relese valves on the actuall regulator....gas definitely comes out and there is the nice whhhiiishhhh sound (which I realy want to hear come from the keg )

 

[Yooper]

It sounds like the problem is with the check valves. I'm trying to remember who it was that had a similar problem. He took off the clamps and looked at the check valves, and it had "slipped" so that no gas went through it. I'll see if I can find the thread.

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

I agree with Yooper...it really sounds like it's the check valves. I would turn the pressure down to 10 psi or less...then carefully disconnect the hose right at the regulator (leave that fitting in the regulator body, just disconnect the hose). You should get flow...if you don't then it really seems like the check valves. But that's stange that both check valves are stuck.

Ball check valves, when over-pressurized in the reverse direction, can sometimes get the ball lodged in the seat and then nothing flows either way.

If that is the case, you may have to remove the check valve and see if you can poke the ball out of the seat (you'd poke it from the pipe-threaded end).

It's also possible but unlikely that they put the wrong check-valves in it (since the valve is directional and the threads at each end are different). A check-valve in the wrong direction would just stop any gas flow. Usually check valves have a flow arrow stamped on them...do you see a flow arrow stamped on these? Is it pointed in the correct direction (away from the regulator)?

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

I also feel compelled to remind you about safety here. When you're frustrated it can cause you to rush or not think things through clearly.

Take your time...be patient and triple check that the proper valves (mainly the tank valve) are closed before you put a wrench on anything. DO NOT work on that regulator assembly while it's got high-pressure on it. Close the tank valve at a minimum...better yet is to close the tank valve and remove the regulator assembly and then work on it away from the tank.

 

[BobOscarBob]

I'm wondering if there is a problem with the check valves. It doesn't say that it has check valves in the description I see, though.

Edit- I see that you do have check valves in place.

Didn't look like the unit came with check valves...maybe I'm missing something. If they do exist they're one of the usual suspects. Maybe not Kaiser himself...but I digress.

Seems if you have pressure registering on the low pressure side you'd have pressure to the ball lock - I may be assuming incorrectly (wouldn't be the 1st time). Having to crank down to seal might indicate trying to put the gas on the liquid out post... I've done that when daisychain cleaning multiple kegs - I get the crossover on the wrong post - but I've still gotten gas into the keg that way (oops).

Can you depress the poppets on the gas in post? With the ball lock disconnected and the pressure set to 5-10 psi can you depress the small button in the ball lock and release pressure from the bottle? If not the problem is upstream - between the ball lock and the regulator - or the regulator itself. If you can release pressure at the ball lock, I would say tear the gas in post down and check the poppets. Perhaps in 'reconditioning' it the wrong poppets were installed and the unit wasn't pressure tested afterwards...

Hope you get it squared away soon!

 

[GNBrews]

Dave,

To add to the confusion, is the regulator gauge showing that there should be pressure? They often come adjusted so that they are turned off. If the gauge reads 0psi, you'll need to turn the dial in and adjust to whatever serving pressure you desire.

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

Didn't look like the unit came with check valves...maybe I'm missing something.

Check the .pdf file at the link of his rig...it shows that the fittings (in the regulator outlet) are actually check valves.

 

[daveooph131]

SUCCESS - at 10:45am/ct

Thanks to everyone. So I called Midwest, they told me to try what one of the other posters said about checking the trigger inside the disconnect, it must have been getting lodged because after fiddling with that, it started to work.