HELP! Keg Carbing!

[Lunarpancake]

Ok.....i have been having issues carbing my kegs. My fridge is at a constant 40* so I put my keg at 12psi and let it sit for 2 weeks. Taste and it seems under-carbonated.


I have also tried this same method using 20psi ....still seems under-carbed.



I am using 5 feet of 3/16 at 5psi to serve and get loads of head.


what am i doing wrong!?


also...what are the characteristics of over-carbing ?

 

[Bobby_M]

Getting loads of head means that some of the CO2 is being knocked out of solution. Are you using picnic faucets or mounted? If picnic, hold the faucet up high to increase the pour resistance and see how it pours. You shouldn't have to drop your pressure to serve. If you carb to 2.5 volumes or so with 12psi @ 40F, you should be able to pour at 12psi. If not, you need longer lines.

 

[Lunarpancake]

i use picnic faucet currently

 

[Jipper]

If you force carb at 12 then turn it down to 5 and serve you will have lots of head, as the pressure going into the beer is not enough to keep the 12 PSI in solution.

You had your beer on at 20 PSI and it was UNDER-carbonated? Could be that you have a gas leak?

 

[Bobby_M]

I suspect your serving line is 1/4" ID instead of 3/16. I could be wrong.

 

[malkore]

i'm with bobby. you have insufficient tap line to balance your system. the pour is too fast, so CO2 falls right out of solution in the glass. huge head/foam, and not enough CO2 volumes left to taste carbed (the fact it pours foam tells you it WAS carb'd and not flat as a pancake)

I require about 10feet of tap line to balance my 12psi keezer. Turn off the CO2, vent a bunch of the pressure, then pour a pint. it should take more than 10 seconds to fill your glass, and I bet this quick fix gives you a good pour. if it does, longer tap lines (or more resistance somehow).

 

[Shooter]

You could also play around with these. I use five foot line with picnic taps at 12psi and one of these in the out tube restricts the flow nicely.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/cure-your-short-hose-troubles-100151/