Keg wont' hold pressure!

[Homercidal]

I kegged my Biermuncher's Centennial Blonde, and I can't seem to get it to keep pressure! I kegged an IPA on the same day and it seems to hold up well, and is carbing nicely.

I've checked the top of the keg with starsan and can't see even the tiniest amount of bubbles forming around the O-ring, or the poppets on the disconnect fittings, nor around the fittings where they screw in. I've also sprayed the relief valve down good and looked there and can't see anything there.

I'm pretty sure (but not certain) that this keg was recently used and held up pretty good. Strike that. I KNOW it was good last time because it had either some Belgian wit or an IPA from MBC in it. I only recently emptied both of those and filled again on same day with these beers.

I've been hitting it with 22 lbs. of CO2 like nearly every day. Normally I'd have the CO2 bottle in the fridge and just keep it on all the time, but I don't want to run out of CO2 and it in the way in there while I'm working on getting a new shelf that will support 2 full kegs. So I just hit it with gas and then take the gas line off.

Any ideas? How much gas can this beer hold?

 

[BierMuncher]

If you're just blasting the keg with gas and then shutting it off...that gas is getting absorbed into the beer and you won't have any pressure.

If you don't hear a leak or see bubbles while the gas is on...you're fine. You just need to give the keg constant gas until it is carb'd up.

 

[JesseRC]

How do you know its not being absorbed by the beer. Were both beers at the same temp when you put them in the fridge? How many days we talking about and home much pressure are you setting them to?

 

[Homercidal]

Well, that is what I was wondering. I've done this before, but with a keg that had less beer in it, so that would mean a larger volume of gas and less beer to absorb it. Just wanted to make sure I didn't miss a location for leaks. I've had my bottle go dry on me before and it's kind of an expensive mistake IMO.

I should remeasure my fridge and try to get the SS shelf cut and bent at work very soon. They have some leftover sheets from a recent job and I think I might try to use that, rather than wood. I'm dying to get my IPA back in there and give it a try again.

 

[Ol' Grog]

22 psi? that's a lot of pressure.

 

[Homercidal]

Yeah, I like to crank it up and shake to get it started. Turn it down when it hits about right. I'm new to this so I'm trying different things.

 

[david_42]

If there is only 2 quarts of space in the top of a cornie and you want 3 volumes of CO2, you'll have to hit it 30 times.

One way to totally check a cornie for leaks. Wrap some duct tape around the handle so you can fill the area with water.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

If there is only 2 quarts of space in the top of a cornie and you want 3 volumes of CO2, you'll have to hit it 30 times.

One way to totally check a cornie for leaks. Wrap some duct tape around the handle so you can fill the area with water.

Ha. This is one of those simple, slap your forehead "why haven't I thought of that" tips-n-tricks.

For the big leaks the StarSan spray works excellent but, occasionally, I come across a pinhole leak that is hard to determine if the bubbles are from the mere act of spraying or, if I do actually have a small leak. Doing this should settle the question once and for all.

Brilliant!