Kegging frustration.

[NHhomebrewer]

I used the directions from keg connection to force carbonate. They say cool the keg, put on 25lbs of co2 and rock it back and forth for 10 min, let sit for 2 hours and it should be ready. I waited two hours, went to pour it from the picnic tap and got all foam. Once the foam settled it turned into "beer" and it tasted flat. What did I do wrong?

 

[Pappers_]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/keg-force-carbing-methods-illustrated-73328/ is a sticky thread in this bottling/kegging subforum that is very helpful. The other sticky threads might be helpful too, including the kegging FAQ.

The way I carbonate is to put my keg in the cooler, hook up the gas and set it for around 10 psi or whatever carbonation level I want. Then I leave it for a week and usually its good at that point.

 

[NHhomebrewer]

How do I correct my issue ?

 

[Snowhere]

How do I correct my issue ?

Hook it up to the gas, and let sit for a week! (See above)

 

[masonsjax]

Read that thread, lots of good info there. Sounds like you over carbonated your beer. You'll probably need to vent the relief valve a few times to get it back to reasonable levels, then set it and forget it.

 

[beerman0001]

After you rocked it let it sit for 2 hours did you release the pressure and set the regulator back down to around 10 to 12 lbs? If it is still at 25 that is going to be bad.

 

[NHhomebrewer]

Yes I relieved all the pressure and then set it to 10 to try it. After it came out all foam I set the regulator to 15 psi, unhooked the gas and put it back in the fridge. Should I just let it sit that way or vent all the co2 from the head space, vent it a few more times and leave it hooked up to the co2 for a week at 12 psi?

 

[woodstone]

Yes I relieved all the pressure and then set it to 10 to try it. After it came out all foam I set the regulator to 15 psi, unhooked the gas and put it back in the fridge. Should I just let it sit that way or vent all the co2 from the head space, vent it a few more times and leave it hooked up to the co2 for a week at 12 psi?

No way will it carb up at 25psi after 10 minutes...all you did was make foam...see all above posts.

Vent all pressure, set at 12 to 15 psi, leave it for a week in your fridge....then tap it...I bet it will be fine (the beer, that is).

Of course dependent upon what you are using to dispense, that brings up other questions...a party tap with a foot of 1/2 tubing will make a perfectly carbinated beer into foamworks!!! Ha!

Good luck!

 

[NHhomebrewer]

You guys have been fantastic. Pardon my ignorance, so vent all the CO2 from the head space. Then put gas back on and set to 12psi. Take the gas off and let it sit for a week?

And yes I'm using a picnic tap that came with the kit...

 

[rack04]

You guys have been fantastic. Pardon my ignorance, so vent all the CO2 from the head space. Then put gas back on and set to 12psi. Take the gas off and let it sit for a week?

And yes I'm using a picnic tap that came with the kit...

Leave the gas connected during the one week.

 

[woodstone]

What rack04 said ^^^^^^ (leave the gas on and at 12 psi) and you've got it.........

 

[bmunos]

Ya force carbonating sounds like it takes 30 minutes but it doesnt. I know because I did the EXACT same thing you did haha. Ya it takes time to force carbonate. I just set mine at 12-15 PSI and forget about it for a week.

 

[NHhomebrewer]

I guess I'm just concerned because before I set it at 12 psi, I relieved all the pressure from the head space, and rolled it on the floor for 5 min and tried to relieve more pressure. Mostly foam just came out, so I let it settle for a bit and hooked it up to sit for a week. I'm just hoping enough pressure was released, and it won't be over carbonated when I try it next Saturday.

 

[Brewnoob1]

How long are your beer lines? Nobody has asked about those?

Leave it off gas, vent every time you think about it. Keep testing to see if it's coming down to an appropriate level of carbonation. Once there, then hook it up to gas and you should be good to go to serve. This is just my .02 and what I'd do to cure over carbed beer.

 

[TommyB]

You guys have been fantastic. Pardon my ignorance, so vent all the CO2 from the head space. Then put gas back on and set to 12psi. Take the gas off and let it sit for a week?

And yes I'm using a picnic tap that came with the kit...

I also use a picnic tap. In my experience, I only need about 2-4 psi to push out a non foamtastic beer. 12 psi is too much for my setup (fridge with a picnic tap and a 5lb CO2 with a regulator).

Try this, pull off the gas, and vent the entire keg of headspace. Turn your regualtor down to ZERO, hook your gas back up and SLOWLY turn you gas up a PSI at a time and try to pour a beer. Keep doing that until you get a decent pour, then back it off a bit. This is what I do and I seems to work with the picnic taps. If I wait 30 min or so between pours, I have to vent the keg a little or the first glass will foam pretty bad.....

Not sure if this is what everyone else does, but it may help........

 

[Brewnoob1]

I used picnic taps until I built my keezer. To ensure proper carb levels, 12psi is not out of the question. You will slowly decarb your beer doing the 2-3psi method because your beer will equalize to that pressure. The simplest and easiest fix is to balance your system with longer beer lines. I used 10' of 3/16 into a picnic tap and had my system set at 12-15psi and it was a slow perfect pour every time with great carbonation.

 

[Yooper]

I also use a picnic tap. In my experience, I only need about 2-4 psi to push out a non foamtastic beer. 12 psi is too much for my setup (fridge with a picnic tap and a 5lb CO2 with a regulator).

That's an ok "emergency" method, but not good for the long haul. First, you'll slowly decarb the beer, unless you return it to 12 psi after each time your pour a pint or two. Secondly, if you have more than one keg, you'd have to play with the gas to each keg depending on what you're drinking. That's a huge pain!

The easiest solution is the simplest. Get a 10' beer line. That's it. Set the psi in the kegerator to the proper carb level for your temperature (usually 11-13 psi) and walk away. That's it. No turning it up and down, shaking, foaming, and so it. if you balance the system in the first place, it will work perfectly each and every time.

 

[TommyB]

That's an ok "emergency" method, but not good for the long haul. First, you'll slowly decarb the beer, unless you return it to 12 psi after each time your pour a pint or two. Secondly, if you have more than one keg, you'd have to play with the gas to each keg depending on what you're drinking. That's a huge pain!

The easiest solution is the simplest. Get a 10' beer line. That's it. Set the psi in the kegerator to the proper carb level for your temperature (usually 11-13 psi) and walk away. That's it. No turning it up and down, shaking, foaming, and so it. if you balance the system in the first place, it will work perfectly each and every time.

Yea I have 3 kegs with a picnic tap on each. And after a few pints I usually turn it back up to 10-12. Im gonna go but 10' lines tonight..LOL

I thought my method might help the original poster get a good beer in the meantime......HAHA

 

[Brewnoob1]

Balancing your system will be the easiest in the long run. Set your guage, turn on the gas, and pour perfect pints each and every time. 10' of 3/16 seems to be the magic number for most setups. As I mentioned and Yooper did as well, way easier to do this than adjust the gas up and down and deal with all that. I'm lazy and want to set and forget and just pour perfect pints when I'm in that drinking a beer mood

 

[TommyB]

That's an ok "emergency" method, but not good for the long haul. First, you'll slowly decarb the beer, unless you return it to 12 psi after each time your pour a pint or two. Secondly, if you have more than one keg, you'd have to play with the gas to each keg depending on what you're drinking. That's a huge pain!

The easiest solution is the simplest. Get a 10' beer line. That's it. Set the psi in the kegerator to the proper carb level for your temperature (usually 11-13 psi) and walk away. That's it. No turning it up and down, shaking, foaming, and so it. if you balance the system in the first place, it will work perfectly each and every time.

Thanks Yoop and brewnoob! Ya know out of all the different balancing your systems posts I have read and sorta lost interest when the math problems started flying around.....I guess it never clicked to me to just get a 10' line. Got it. Did it. Pulled 4 pints tonight perfectly.....might do 5 Just to make sure

 

[Yooper]

Thanks Yoop and brewnoob! Ya know out of all the different balancing your systems posts I have read and sorta lost interest when the math problems started flying around.....I guess it never clicked to me to just get a 10' line. Got it. Did it. Pulled 4 pints tonight perfectly.....might do 5 Just to make sure

Well, I think anything we can do to make your beer flow better is a contribution to the greater good of society as a whole. Or, at least, it should be.

But I know what you mean! When I first set up my first kegerator, the math was overwhelming. A one foot rise to the tap, the amount of resistance, etc. So I just used the 6' lines I had and dealt with an occasional foamy pour. But now I have 10' lines and perfect beer every time.

 

[Brewnoob1]

Yeah, I'm in finance so math is my thing and I still didn't want to deal with resistance etc either....so I just bought 10' lines after a lot of research and said I'll adjust from there. Well, as so many others have mentioned, there is no need to adjust. It's a little slower pour but I get perfect head and pour each and every pint. I couldn't be happier.