Overcarbed Keg? Here's an INSTANT SOLUTION!

[seatazzz]

I cannot wait to get home and try this with my very first keg. I regret to say I've wasted a lot of my precious Dead Guy clone trying to get the foam to stop, after reading this I know it's overcarbed. I went by what my LHBS told me to force carb, lots of shaking and pressure as high as my gauge will go (25psi) for 3 days. Can't wait to get home and have some of my best! Thanks OP!!!

 

[seatazzz]

And it worked! Fast too! Currently enjoying my now perfectly carbed Dead Guy clone. Now I just need to kill this keg so I can keg my new IIPA.

 

[Gusmedic]

Does hooking gas up to OUT, or just flipping keg risk getting beer into the gas lines? I do have one-way valve by regulator so I'm not concerned about wrecking that, just getting beer to sit and rot in my gas lines after this. Once I was pressurizing a water can fire extinguisher that was filled with water too high and I got water in my air lines. Thoughts?

 

[jmcd105]

Just want to say this worked great thank you!

 

[StewMakesBrew]

With no head pressure in the keg, you are essentially agitating the beer with co2 (important as you won't oxidize the beer) and the beer vents the co2 to the head space as it degasses. By venting the excess pressure each time, the head space returns to atmospheric pressure.

Wouldn't it be just easier to agitate the keg, vent it and repeat until the carbonation gets under control?

 

[Sergeim105]

First time kegging and I overcarbed, didn't know what to do, but this fix it really easily!! Great tip!

 

[OldDirty]

Dead Thread Revival!

The OP just saved my day with this one amazing trick!
Do not over think the method!! Just apply as instructed then enjoy your brew!

 

[Nebraskan]

What if you don't switch out the posts on he keg? What if you put your white gas "IN" disconnect on the "OUT" side and same with the beer (black) disconnect fitting on the "OUT" side?

 

[dsaavedra]

What if you don't switch out the posts on he keg? What if you put your white gas "IN" disconnect on the "OUT" side and same with the beer (black) disconnect fitting on the "OUT" side?

You run the risk of getting your disconnects stuck on the posts if you swap them like this - they are very slightly different sizes. Spend a couple bucks on MFL fittings and your life will be much easier!

I just tried the instructions from the OP... I have MFL fittings on all of my disconnects (gas and beer) so it was easy for me to unscrew them and then screw the gas line onto the beer disconnect, and screw the beer line onto the gas disconnect. After a few blasts of CO2 through the beer disconnect and venting with the release valve I started getting foam through the valve. That's when I realized I could open the tap to vent and drain foam. Of course, getting foam through the gas post and disconnect means I have to take them apart and clean them good now (didn't think of this when I started!)Next time I'll probably just take the gas disconnect off entirely instead of connecting the beer line to it.

I'm currently letting things settle for a little while and will report back with results!

EDIT: seems to have worked for my two beers that got over carbed. One of my beers was still pouring a bit foamy so I had to go back and repeat the process another 3 times or so. Less foam during the venting and now its pouring good.

 

[Wort67]

Hulu ihas

 

[beto998]

I tried both the shake and vent method and this upside down CO2 bubbling method. The CO2 bubbling method works faster as some poster mentioned - you are creating nucleation sites.

I remember some years ago I was transferring beer from one half-keg to another half keg, and I did this by connecting the two "outs" together with a valve in between and pressurizing one keg with CO2. I had the lid off the receiving keg to watch the level, and everything was perfect and calm until the first keg ran dry unexpectedly and bubbles of CO2 entered the bottom of the second keg. I had a mentos bomb of beer - I estimate it shot out about 3 feet above the keg and there was no stopping it. Once it was all said and done, I had 1/6 of a keg left. It was much more dramatic than simply shaking the keg.

 

[passedpawn]

[moved to bottling/kegging, and stickied]

Thanks, me (I stickied this thread 6 years ago, and knew that some day I'd need it). Ready to use it for the first time. Somehow, due to carbonating at different temperatures, I've got a pilsner that is very overcarbed and shooting nothing but foam. Gonna give it a try in a few minutes...

 

[Smudgey]

I just bottled 15x 750ml from a 19L corny, as I have before (using Biermunchers counter pressure method), was planning on just drinking the rest from the keg. I just bought a .5um carb stone, and carbed up (about an hour!) @ 12psi. Was a perfect head for 'Gladfields ESB'.
But... as I bottled at a lower psi, and didnt change the connection off the carb stone to gas port, same result. The head pressure in the keg dropped (as the carb stone limits CO2 flow), I de-carbonated my beer to 3/4 flat. Same principle, a tonne of tiny bubbles at low pressure. So, if you're using a carbonation stone, it's easier just to purge pressure and blow CO2 through the stone. It's a very quick dissolved CO2 reduction without up-ending your keg!

 

[CantWinThisGame]

Not trying to be a smartass, but I just try to be careful not to overcarb in the first place.

Knock on wood!

 

[hootowl]

I use a liquid (black) ball lock and attach my 30 psi co2 to the liquid post when I force carb. That way the co2 comes in at the bottom and bubbles up through the beer. If it gets overcarbed I do the same... Just slowly pull the relief valve and pour beers without it being hooked up to gas.

 

[Brewer_Dad]

I literally JUST DID THIS AND WORKED LIKE A CHARM.

you're a life saver.

I cannot thank you enough.

 

[GreenEnvy22]

This just ended weeks of frustration. I had 8' semi rigid lines, 5 taps, in my kegerator. I kept getting an inch of beer and 5" of foam. I swapped out all the lines to 3/16 beer line, now 10', and no improvement. Fridge holds 1-2C, so temp wasn't issue.
I think at some point I had overcarbed, 4 of the 5 kegs are on a manifold and share the same regulator set at 12psi pressure. 5th is for sparkling water at 25psi, on another regulator. Maybe at some point I set the regulators wrong and had overcarbed. I had tried simply shutting off the co2, and opening the blow off valves a few times, but that didn't help much (I realize now it would take a really long time to do it that way).
This immediately solved them, thanks!

 

[passedpawn]

Worked like a dream. I have a fridge for carbonating and I think the regulator for it is FUBAR. IPA that I moved to serving fridge is super-overcarbed. Put off the "medicine" for a week or two, but finally got around to applying the remedy described in this thread and it was immediately successful.

Woot!

 

[day_trippr]

I used this procedure once myself years ago and it was as effective as advertised.
Just have to be prepared for the potential volcanic reaction, particularly when applied to a full keg.
Guessing as much I ran a vent line from the gas post to a bucket

Cheers!

 

[lablover]

Wow, great idea, worked well.

 

[seatazzz]

And yet another post! Overcarbed a blonde a few days ago, and used this very same method again; only had to do it twice before perfect pours. This works so well, as a matter of fact, that I am currently overcarbing a NEIPA ON PURPOSE so I can have it on tap today, as my kids are here for a visit, and the daughter is keen to try this one. Got my spunding valve at the ready, I'm sure it will work again as it has twice in the past. Life/Beer saver!!!

 

[grampamark]

Well, I got to find out how well the One Weird Trick works.

I kegged a Weissbier on Friday and set the regulator to 30 psi, as I've done for years, intending to leave it for 24 hours. We went to our grandson's football game the next day and I forgot to shut the gas off. With a 4 gallon batch there was a lot more headspace so, when I tried the beer the next day it was way over carbed.

The One Weird Trick works as advertised.

 

[hootowl]

What's the trick?

 

[Jayjay1976]

What's the trick?

Its in post #1.

 

[hootowl]

Its in post #1.

Funny. That's how I force carbonate

 

[Jayjay1976]

Funny. That's how I force carbonate

10-4 there rubber ducky.

 

[Broothru]

Something no one has addresses is how to perform this procedure if you’re using a floating dip tube and have a foaming pour.

Asking for a friend (yeah, right).

 

[day_trippr]

"FDT's need not apply"

 

[Brewer dad]

Another win for this fixing my Saison! I gave it a total of five bursts and it is pouring great now(it was bad and I use faucet adapters). Will pour another this evening might give it one more depending on how it looks.

I did forget to vent after sampling and got a little beer in my gas line. That’s my fault but I immediately caught it so think it’ll drain out as it didn’t get far.