Keep the co2 Connected or No?

[ThatGuyMike]

Hey Everyone. I've been searching around the site for an answer but been unable to find it, so apologies in advance if it's been asked to death.

Been homebrewing for a year now and just kegged for the first time yesterday. I've got it (keg & co2 tank) in a spare fridge at 40 degrees at 11PSI (i used Kegerator.com's chart).

My question is: am i supposed to keep the co2 tank open this whole time, or am i supposed to close it? Right now I've had it open in there since last night, and I just checked it this morning & noticed the regulator is almost in the red. Makes me wonder if I either have a leak somewhere or if i should be turning the tank off and only hitting it with a specific amount of CO2 for a specific amount of time.

Oh, and it may be obvious from what I mentioned, but I planned on doing the slower set-and-forget-it method over the faster carb method. Just wanted to keep it as simple as possible for my first go-round. Thanks!

 

[LB2015]

You might have a leak, so i would get a spray bottle with some soapy water and check all the connections. If you see bubbles you know you have a leak. However, with the co2 tank being inside the fridge, the tank will read a lower pressure, causing you to think you are running empty.

You will always keep the co2 tank open when you have it hooked up to kegs. I also usually carb my kegs the same way, low and let it wait 2 weeks or so.

 

[ThatGuyMike]

Ok, thanks for the info! I'll go get some soapy water and test the connections. Much appreciated.

 

[devilishprune]

That gauge is totally useless. If your tank is in the fridge then it always shows a really low reading. The only time it's correct is if there is no gas in the tank at all, when it will show 0 PSI.

And no, you can just leave the tank open at all times. As long as you have no leaks the gas isn't going anywhere.

 

[brewmonk]

i do NOT leave my tank hooked up - i put air compressor qds on it and a gas whip.
i've never lost a tank, and had to drive an hour to get it refilled. My mileage may vary.
i just hit it with gas, and i'm good for a while.
a big party is a different story.

 

[LakewoodBrew]

My tank is always connected. As mentioned before - if the tank was in the fridge the tank pressure will show nearly red. My tank now sits outside the fridge, and runs to a manifold inside the fridge and has 1-5 kegs attached to it at all times.

 

[muse435]

That gauge is totally useless. If your tank is in the fridge then it always shows a really low reading. The only time it's correct is if there is no gas in the tank at all, when it will show 0 PSI.

And no, you can just leave the tank open at all times. As long as you have no leaks the gas isn't going anywhere.

That is not true.

If there is liquid CO2 in the tank then the pressure will remain constant dependent on temperature. Once all of the liquid is evaporated then the pressure will decrease, that is when you know you need to get a refill.

 

[Jewrican]

i dont leave mine connected until i am positive that there is no leak (leaving it disconnected for a while and still have a pressured keg.

 

[LakewoodBrew]

i dont leave mine connected until i am positive that there is no leak (leaving it disconnected for a while and still have a pressured keg.

Ooo, good point! Forgot to mention that all of my kegs have been pressure and leak tested by the time they hit serving pressure - thanks to my carbing regimen.

 

[muse435]

ooo, good point! Forgot to mention that all of my kegs have been pressure and leak tested by the time they hit serving pressure - thanks to my carbing regimen.

+1

 

[Spreadhead]

I've found that the gauge is not accurate when kept in the keezer. My 20# tank always reads low even if completely filled, and no leaks.

I like to hook up my just-kegged beer in the keezer to the particular desired pressure, leave it connected and the tank open, and it will typically take 3 weeks to become fully carbed, sometimes in 2 weeks. This ends up doubling as the perfect conditioning time for most of my ales.

Maybe someone with more experience could comment on the practice of some keggers who initially hook up CO2 to the beer out disconnect in the hopes of having CO2 bubble up thru the beer from the bottom.

Sent from Spreadhead's iPhone.

 

[Ace_Club]

I've found that the gauge is not accurate when kept in the keezer. My 20# tank always reads low even if completely filled, and no leaks.

Are you sure it is a gauge accuracy issue? Are you aware that the lower temperature affects the pressure inside the tank? Check the gauge reading against this chart, I'm guessing that it is still accurate and you are just seeing the lower pressure reading due to the lower temperature.

 

[devilishprune]

Are you sure it is a gauge accuracy issue? Are you aware that the lower temperature affects the pressure inside the tank? Check the gauge reading against this chart, I'm guessing that it is still accurate and you are just seeing the lower pressure reading due to the lower temperature.

Why have I never seen this before? This thing should be a sticky! (if it is then I just feel dumb). I checked the gauge in my keezer a minute ago and sure enough it was around 500PSI (its at about 43*F). The precision of the needle isn't all that great, but apparently it's enough to give a general idea.

 

[Spreadhead]

You're right Ace. Thx for re-educating me.

Sent from Spreadhead's iPhone.

 

[LakewoodBrew]

As someone else mentioned on this thread, it's not the absolute value you need to pay attention to, it when it starts dropping. Once the liquid has all disolved the pressure starts to fall at a givent temp. That tells you to stop pouring beer and that you need to get a CO2 fill in the next day or two.

 

[LakewoodBrew]

I wonder if anyone makes a temperature compensated high side CO2 gauge that just says "OK", "Refill", "Empty".

 

[BaldManBrew]

I wonder if anyone makes a temperature compensated high side CO2 gauge that just says "OK", "Refill", "Empty".

I'd buy one if reasonably priced

 

[muse435]

I wonder if anyone makes a temperature compensated high side CO2 gauge that just says "OK", "Refill", "Empty".

That's what they do. If it's out of the red its "OK", if its in the red "refill" and if its on zero its "empty".

I know that is kind of a smart ass answer and i don't mean it to be. There is no way for a pressure gauge to tell you how much liquid CO2 there is in the tank, only if all of the liquid has evaporated. I know they make strips you can put on the outside of a propane tank to visualize the liquid level, I assume they would work on a CO2 tank as well.

 

[LakewoodBrew]

That's what they do. If it's out of the red its "OK", if its in the red "refill" and if its on zero its "empty".

I know that is kind of a smart ass answer and i don't mean it to be. There is no way for a pressure gauge to tell you how much liquid CO2 there is in the tank, only if all of the liquid has evaporated. I know they make strips you can put on the outside of a propane tank to visualize the liquid level, I assume they would work on a CO2 tank as well.

The strips only work when the liquid is evaporating off fast enough to cool the liquid a few degrees more then the bulk of the tank. You don't flow that much CO2 under normal operating conditions.

Anywhoo, no offense taken. Temp compensation would allow the needle to always point at the same location when "OK" rather than the huge range depending on temp. Unless my tank is fairly warm it's not in the green.

 

[muse435]

The strips only work when the liquid is evaporating off fast enough to cool the liquid a few degrees more then the bulk of the tank. You don't flow that much CO2 under normal operating conditions.

Anywhoo, no offense taken. Temp compensation would allow the needle to always point at the same location when "OK" rather than the huge range depending on temp. Unless my tank is fairly warm it's not in the green.

My gauge must be different, even when i kept my tank in the fridge with my keg it never went in the red (my gauge only has red and white). The red starts at 500 PSI so as long as the ambient temp is above freezing white = good.