Kegged beer has gone flat

[Ramsbottom_Brewer]

I have brewed my first beer and am about two thirds of the way through the keg. It's a cheap, bottom of the range keg, that I had to cool by wrapping ice packs round it.

But now it's flat. The CO2 that was naturally produced during conditioning is no longer presurising the keg enough to push out the beer. As such, I have had to open the top the allow gravity to push the beer out. This beer is now flat.

Am I correct in assuming that the space in the keg produced by me drinking the beer has simply allowed the CO2 the spread out and, therefore, reduced the pressure in the keg.

So my question is why would the beer go flat? I understand it not coming out but why go flat?

I can not force carbonate as the keg is too basic.

What's going on here and is there anything I can do now?

Thanks,

Mark

 

[killian]

what do you mean the keg is too basic?

 

[JuanKenobi]

It sounds like you just conditioned the beer and then dispensed it under its own pressure. If so, that is why the beer went flat. The pressure in the head space pushed out however much beer you got and then the CO2 in the beer came out of suspension in order to equalize the pressure in the head space, eventually resulting in flat beer. You need an external CO2 tank hooked up to the keg in order to keep the beer flowing as well as keeping CO2 in the beer. Otherwise all you have is a giant can of beer than you keep opening and closing.

 

[ajf]

Can you get a CO2 adapter for the keg that uses the small cartridges? I used to use those many years ago, and they provided enough CO2 to keep the keg nicely carbonated.

-a.

 

[Ramsbottom_Brewer]

Thanks for the advice. My keg is plastic and does not have any inlet for some CO2. I will probably buy a new lid that allows me to inject CO2. The only thing is knowing when to put some in. Thanks.

 

[david_42]

Is this something like a King Keg? You can re-pressurize by adding a little sugar.

 

[Ramsbottom_Brewer]

I'll have a got at that as well. I suppose it's all about experimentation. Although I think I will bottle my next lot.

 

[Ramsbottom_Brewer]

Just to post a result - I added some sugar, left it for a couple of days in a warmer room, recooled it and all was well.

 

[becksbolero2]

Just to post a result - I added some sugar, left it for a couple of days in a warmer room, recooled it and all was well.

well that sounds like it's only going to temporarily solve your problem, you may have re-carbbed the beer, but you still need c02 to push it out or youre going to have flat beer again in no time..........I think

 

[Ketchepillar]

well that sounds like it's only going to temporarily solve your problem, you may have re-carbbed the beer, but you still need c02 to push it out or youre going to have flat beer again in no time..........I think

Yep. Invite friends over, polish this one off. Rework strategy for next time.

 

[chumprock]

A true cask... I'd love to see what this plastic keg looks like?