Keg wouldn't pour last night

[Lodovico]

I am new to kegging and I'm still going through my first one. The experience has been awesome so far:rockin:

So I go down to pull a Special Bitter off the tap last night and.... nothing. Just a really small drip of beer coming out. My first thought was, "Oh god, I couldn't have gone through this keg already (but knowing this is possible)

I gently lift on the keg and there is clearly beer left in there. I try to pour again and now I get a ton of foam coming out and some beer. I let it sit awhile and then it poured a half way decent beer but there was sediment from me lifting the keg and checking what was left.

What could cause this pouring problem I was having?? Do you have to adjust the pressure when you get low on a keg? When a keg kicks, doesn't it sputter or does it just trickle out of a picnic tap??

 

[david_42]

Since you got sediment out, I'll go with a clog.

 

[Yooper]

It sounds like you've got something stuck in the poppit in the "out" post. If there is beer in there, and gas going in, something also might have clogged up the diptube. Moving it might have dislodged it. I'd release the pressure, and gently take out the "out" diptube and clean it, resanitize it and but it back. Sometimes I've had some very hoppy beers that had some hops particles go up and block a part of my diptube, even though I am careful about not transferring sediment to my keg.

When a keg kicks, you know it! It pours fine, then sputters and blows a little yeast. If you stop when it sputters, that last glass is about the best of the entire batch. It's usually the clearest, most beautiful and tasty beer of the entire keg.

 

[JesseRC]

I'll go with partially frozen. In fact I got money on it.

 

[Yooper]

I'll go with partially frozen. In fact I got money on it.

Oh, yeah! That's probably more likely! That happened to me last summer, with a new mini-fridge. If the beer is partially frozen, the symptoms are just like you describe.

 

[Lodovico]

Oh, yeah! That's probably more likely! That happened to me last summer, with a new mini-fridge. If the beer is partially frozen, the symptoms are just like you describe.

AHHH. That sounds very likely to me. So as the amount of beer in the keg goes down, I may want to crank the temp of the fridge down a little??

You guys (and girl) are so smart

 

[JesseRC]

Well let me tell you something: A few months ago, I accidentally left the temp probe out of the keezer for 24 hours. Some of the kegs had just been placed in the keezer after racking. They didn't completely freeze, so I thought raising the temp would be enough to thaw them out. I went through 2 weeks of hell, before I finally just pulled the kegs out into room temp for about 8 hours to thaw.

***Now here's the other issue with kegs partially freezing, they are quitely like now over carbed. So after they defrost, I had to release pressure a few time over the next few days to bring the carbonation down and prevent foam pours.

 

[skibumdc]

I'll go with partially frozen. In fact I got money on it.

Definitely frozen. In-laws wasted half a keg of Paulaner Hefe this summer b/c they froze it and it never thawed before they replaced it.

 

[airmek]

its possible that the beer line was too close to the cold plate and just froze what was in the line. thats happened to me before. check your beer line routing.

 

[Lodovico]

Definitely frozen. In-laws wasted half a keg of Paulaner Hefe this summer b/c they froze it and it never thawed before they replaced it.

So, dumb question, but how do you keep it from freezing? Just turn fridge to the warmest setting and start from there??

 

[Lodovico]

its possible that the beer line was too close to the cold plate and just froze what was in the line. thats happened to me before. check your beer line routing.

Cold plate of the fridge? Sorry, I'm a real noobie with the keg terms here. I have a picnic tap inside the fridge and I just hang the tap on the keg when I'm not using it.

 

[Yooper]

So, dumb question, but how do you keep it from freezing? Just turn fridge to the warmest setting and start from there??

I have a cheap fridge thermometer. They're about $2 at the grocery store. You could stick it near the bottom of the keg and check the temperature. My kegerator is 39 at the bottom, so my beer is ok! If your beer is freezing, you could gradually turn up the fridge, but it's best to have a thermometer in there anyway. Knowing the temperature can also help you balance the system, too.

 

[skibumdc]

Well....since their kegerator just had a dial type of thermostat I wound up using an external temp controller that used a separate probe and thermometer setting. That way I can keep the beer, not air, at 36-38*.

Otherwise, start higher testing a glass of water you keep inside the kegerator, and lower as necessary until desired setting is achieved.

Beer has to be lower than 32* to freeze, so your fridge las likely in the 28* range.

 

[Lodovico]

I have a cheap fridge thermometer. They're about $2 at the grocery store. You could stick it near the bottom of the keg and check the temperature. My kegerator is 39 at the bottom, so my beer is ok! If your beer is freezing, you could gradually turn up the fridge, but it's best to have a thermometer in there anyway. Knowing the temperature can also help you balance the system, too.

Yeah, good call. Do you think a standard refrigerator would really get to freezing if set on level 4 with 10 being the coldest? I didn't think about the whole being on the bottom of the fridge thing though. That probably makes a big difference.

So maybe I should take the keg out when I go home for lunch and let it sit out for a few hours to thaw?? My only option at this point, right?

Thanks for all the insight.

 

[JesseRC]

Depends, what kind of kegerator do you have, is it a freezer with add on thermostat. If it is , you need to place the probe close to the bottom area of keg, I place mine in between 2 kegs. Others find a way to waterproof it and place in gel or water. Keep the temps above 32F.

Also keep in mind most thermostats have a differential of a few degrees, some digital ones are configurable.

 

[Lodovico]

My keg is just in a standard refrigerator. They can't get that cold, can they??

28 degrees? I don't think so. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Lodovico]

Just kind of looking for confirmation here. If my keg is in a standard refrigerator, it wouldn't be able to freeze, would it?

 

[JesseRC]

There's alot of guessing going on here, you really just need to check the keg for ice. It may not even have ice in it and we're all jumping to conclusions, all fridges are different.

 

[Lodovico]

There's alot of guessing going on here, you really just need to check the keg for ice. It may not even have ice in it and we're all jumping to conclusions, all fridges are different.

I realize what you are saying but my general question before opening this keg is can a normal refrigerator get to 28 degrees??

I've read several times that people here have trouble even Lagering in their fridge because it doesn't get the beer below 40, so getting down to 28 degrees seems impossible and would rule this out as an option of what's going on.

So my real question is: Has anyone had a keg freeze in a regular refrigerator?

Not a kegerator and not a keezer. A normal full sized refrigerator.

 

[JesseRC]

I realize what you are saying but my general question before opening this keg is can a normal refrigerator get to 28 degrees??

I've read several times that people here have trouble even Lagering in their fridge because it doesn't get the beer below 40, so getting down to 28 degrees seems impossible and would rule this out as an option of what's going on.

So my real question is: Has anyone had a keg freeze in a regular refrigerator?

Not a kegerator and not a keezer. A normal full sized refrigerator.

Yeah, I hear yah, but the question can easily be solved by placing a thermometer in there. I can tell you my normal fridge will freeze my beer cans in the bottom vegetable bin. Probably cuz the vent is close to there, but no one knows you fridge. You've got to start with the least invasive actions.

If its pouring fine now, well then let it be. If not take a look in under the lid or first make sure co2 is getting to the keg, pull the relief valve if co2 comes out and you hear the reg buzzing , then its gettting co2. Next would be to check the dip tube and corny post.

 

[wildwest450]

I realize what you are saying but my general question before opening this keg is can a normal refrigerator get to 28 degrees??

Yes, my house fridge is capable of freezing temps. 90% of small keg fridges, no.