Low Carbonation

[Tippy_Toes_Tom]

Does anyone know why a beer would have low carbonation when the co2 levels are reading normal? My new diy kegerator is on its second set of kegs. Everything poured as expected on round one. I cleaned the lines and tapped a double IPA on the one and left the second empty keg in there as I haven’t replaced it just yet. For weeks this beer has been pouring as if there is almost no co2 whatsoever. I checked the gauge and it read 10 psi. I bumped it to 15 psi a week ago and yet, still seeing the same result. What gives?

 

[skunkape]

How did you prime the keg to carbonate that DIPA originally? 10 - 15 psi isn't going to provide much more than serving pressure.

You gotta use higher initial CO2 pressure (30 -35 psi) for a week or so - or add priming sugar and give it a couple of weeks at room temp to get the foam going. Then you chill it, vent it, add 10 PSI and tap it. I'm assuming Cornies.

 

[mac_1103]

10 - 15 psi isn't going to provide much more than serving pressure.

You gotta use higher initial CO2 pressure (30 -35 psi) for a week or so - or add priming sugar and give it a couple of weeks at room temp to get the foam going.

"Set it and forget it" at 10 - 15 psi will give you 2.30 - 2.75 volumes of CO2 at 40F. You just have to wait a couple of weeks. But I'm not sure that the OP is even talking about homebrew.

 

[Tippy_Toes_Tom]

"Set it and forget it" at 10 - 15 psi will give you 2.30 - 2.75 volumes of CO2 at 40F. You just have to wait a couple of weeks. But I'm not sure that the OP is even talking about homebrew.

Correct. I am running a Great Lakes Double IPA.

 

[mac_1103]

Well I'm no kegerator expert, but have you tried unhooking the empty keg?

 

[skunkape]

"Set it and forget it" at 10 - 15 psi will give you 2.30 - 2.75 volumes of CO2 at 40F. You just have to wait a couple of weeks. But I'm not sure that the OP is even talking about homebrew.

Oh...well... That's very different then, isn't it?

 

[mac_1103]

That's very different then, isn't it?

Or maybe not. A keg of flat beer is a keg of flat beer after all. Maybe someone who has experience with sixtels of commercial beer will chime in to help him out.

 

[skunkape]

It's homebrewtalk. I never considered he was talking about a purchased keg of beer.

And do people really wait 2 weeks for a cold keg to reach carbonation? I realize cold beer carbs easier, but once that sucker hits the fridge it needs to fulfill its purpose like tomorrow.

 

[Tippy_Toes_Tom]

Well I'm no kegerator expert, but have you tried unhooking the empty keg?

No, but it was doing this before that second keg tapped out. (The other keg was fine - if anything it was over-carbonated)

 

[mac_1103]

I realize cold beer carbs easier, but once that sucker hits the fridge it needs to fulfill its purpose like tomorrow.

Two words - pipe line. OK, that's really one word, but you get the idea.

The advantage of "set it and forget it" is that you just, you know, set it and forget it. No overcarbonated beer if you forget to turn the pressure down for instance.

 

[Climb]

I wonder if the problem keg was under carbonated to begin with. If it was, it wouldn’t speak well of the brewery.

 

[wdavis2003]

I enjoy asking the the most obvious questions. I'm in IT. Comes with the territory.

Have you made sure the shut off valve on the regulator going to the that keg is not... shut?

 

[Tippy_Toes_Tom]

I enjoy asking the the most obvious questions. I'm in IT. Comes with the territory.

Have you made sure the shut off valve on the regulator going to the that keg is not... shut?

Haha always a good point. But yes, I checked that first.

 

[IslandLizard]

For weeks this beer has been pouring as if there is almost no co2 whatsoever.

Are you saying it's pouring very slowly?
Or is it pouring as the other 2 did before, but the beer is flat?

Under-carbonation is different from pouring speed, although they can be related.

 

[Tippy_Toes_Tom]

Are you saying it's pouring very slowly?
Or is it pouring as the other 2 did before, but the beer is flat?

Under-carbonation is different from pouring speed, although they can be related.

Speed is perhaps slower than normal, but not by much. The thing that concerned me was it looking flat with almost no head, even though it doesn’t taste flat…yet.

 

[IslandLizard]

Speed is perhaps slower than normal, but not by much. The thing that concerned me was it looking flat with almost no head, even though it doesn’t taste flat…yet.

That sounds like the keg was/is not properly carbonated to the level it should have been.
You could force-carbonate that keg, and see if it improves.
There are various methods for that, one is fast the other takes 1-2 weeks.

Another thought, there's no obstruction in the beer line, right? Are they standard thick-walled PVC kegerator lines?
Try tapping this keg on the other channel, see if it makes any difference?

 

[mac_1103]

You could force-carbonate that keg, and see if it improves.
There are various methods for that, one is fast the other takes 1-2 weeks.

It's been at 15 PSI for ten days, so maybe the question is has it improved at all in that time? Unless the OP turned it back down to 10 PSI after finding that 15 didn't help?