Keg is Carbonated, But No Head? (with pics)

[spaceyaquarius]

This is my 3rd kegging experience and I screwed up the 1st two.

Shock Top Clone, vented the O2 out of the head space to make sure, put in mini-fridge at 39 F at 10 PSI. Went out of town, now 9 days later the beer is carbonated for a little while, but has zero head, and the taste is just not right. It doesn't have the acidic (Carbonic) taste - it just tastes flat. There are a nice amount of CO2 bubbles coming out of the beer at first, but then they don't continue to come out of solution for very long. Should I keep waiting?

I didn't try any type of force carbonation. Just set it and forget it.

I see bubbles at the top of the beer (Sanstar bubbles?) but no head at all.
.

 

[Britinusa]

It looks like some oily film on top of the beer in the second pic, that may be killing the head.

 

[241]

9 days at 10 psi? I usually do 12-14 for 14 days at about the same temp. I think it needs more time. Here's a pale ale I'm drinking now...

 

[BrewWorm]

If you're not using priming sugars you should be force carbonation using higher pressures. Purge keg with CO2, with keg below 40 degF put about 25 lbs on it, give the keg a shake and let sit for 24-48 hours, then you can lower the pressure to 5-10 psi to serve.

Also, the closer to 32 you get the more CO2 will dissolve in the beer

 

[spaceyaquarius]

If you're not using priming sugars you should be force carbonation using higher pressures. Purge keg with CO2, with keg below 40 degF put about 25 lbs on it, give the keg a shake and let sit for 24-48 hours, then you can lower the pressure to 5-10 psi to serve.

Also, the closer to 32 you get the more CO2 will dissolve in the beer

I've had one disasterous experience with force carbonating, so I will wait longer. The fridge was at 39F, I am turning it down to about 37 F now. Also turning the CO2 tank up to 12 PSI. If there is an oily surface at the top, I don't know what it is from. Hmmmmm.

 

[Bobby_M]

Nit picky: You are force carbonating by virtue of applying external CO2 pressure. The carb charts put 39F x 10psi at about 2.3 volumes. 9 days doesn't quite get you to equilibrium. It's more like 18 days though the last few days add very little gas.

Wheat beers tend to taste better around 3 volumes, so kick that thing up to at least 15psi and wait another week.

 

[spaceyaquarius]

Nit picky: You are force carbonating by virtue of applying external CO2 pressure. The carb charts put 39F x 10psi at about 2.3 volumes. 9 days doesn't quite get you to equilibrium. It's more like 18 days though the last few days add very little gas.

Wheat beers tend to taste better around 3 volumes, so kick that thing up to at least 15psi and wait another week.

OK, I see the carbonation chart, 40 F at 18 PSI = 3.1 carbonation by volume. It doesn't say for how many days. I guess you just set it there and check it once a day until it's ready and then turn down to serving pressure?

I'm turning it up to 15 PSI now.

 

[cluckk]

Before going any further clean your glass to make sure that is not most of the problem. Then let it ride. If you want to "Crank and shake" that is an option. However, how many procedures do you know in homebrewing that are improved by going fast and hard? I can't think of any--including carbonation.

 

[spaceyaquarius]

It looks like some oily film on top of the beer in the second pic, that may be killing the head.

Good call cluckk & Britinusa! It was a wine glass that apparently was not cleaned 100%. It was killing the head.

Now we have nice head and carbonation at the pour, then the head drops after 2 minutes and the off gassing slows from 10 bubbles per second, down to 1 bubble a second, and then after 3 more minutes, less than 1 bubble a second.

Just a few more days I am thinking.

 

[Bobby_M]

OK, I see the carbonation chart, 40 F at 18 PSI = 3.1 carbonation by volume. It doesn't say for how many days. I guess you just set it there and check it once a day until it's ready and then turn down to serving pressure?

I'm turning it up to 15 PSI now.

Based on the charts, it will take around 2-3 weeks to reach the volumes of CO2 but it will be pretty close by 2 weeks. See, it's a log scale where most of the carbonation happens in the first few days and then new co2 is being dissolved slower and slower as it reaches equilibrium.

You shouldn't be turning the pressure down at all until the keg is kicked but you probably will want to get yourself some long lines if you plan to serve 3 volume beers.

 

[spaceyaquarius]

Based on the charts, it will take around 2-3 weeks to reach the volumes of CO2 but it will be pretty close by 2 weeks. See, it's a log scale where most of the carbonation happens in the first few days and then new co2 is being dissolved slower and slower as it reaches equilibrium.

You shouldn't be turning the pressure down at all until the keg is kicked but you probably will want to get yourself some long lines if you plan to serve 3 volume beers.

OK so if I have the CO2 tank set at 18 PSI (39 F and wanting 3.1 carbonation by volume), then it should take 2 weeks? And then I should never lower the CO2 PSI until the keg is empty? I thought that serving pressure was 6-12 PSI.

 

[Bobby_M]

There is no such thing as serving pressure, only unbalanced lines. If you drop the pressure so that you can pour through a line set that is too short, the beer will lose carbonation over time.

 

[spaceyaquarius]

There is no such thing as serving pressure, only unbalanced lines. If you drop the pressure so that you can pour through a line set that is too short, the beer will lose carbonation over time.

OK, so Bobbo, if this was your keg, would you set a wheat beer at 18 PSI at 39 F at let it set for 2 weeks?

 

[Britinusa]

Now thats a nice looking beer!

 

[spaceyaquarius]

Yes, one of the two problems that were happening were was that the beer line length was incorrect.

I now have 10 foot long, 3/16" inner diameter vinyl beer lines. Now that cuts out one problem. CO2 issue is the only one left.

Thanks everyone!

 

[spaceyaquarius]

Resolution:

The keg was NOT carbonated. At least not long enough. I was a victim of impatience, and I now wait at least 2-3 weeks with the 'set it and forget it' method (for wheat ales).

I have also seen a video posted somewhere here on HBT that while carbonating, you will see: no head, low head, 1 inch of head (still not finished carbing), too much head, way too much head, then the head lowers, and finally comes back down to 1-2 inches of head. Now it's time to drink the keg. Some kegs/styles of beer could even take a full 4 weeks to carbonate properly. Wow.