Overfilled fermenting keg and now can't depressurize it

[moreb33rplz]

I put too much wort in my keg to ferment it. It is day 5 and somewhere along the line I think the gas poppit got clogged (i have a QD to a hose to a bottle of starsan for airlock). When I open the prv beer just shoots everywhere. I hooked up a picnic tap and poured out a lot of foam (the keg is mega pressurized), tried PRV again, same story. Poured out more beer, tried PRV, same story.

This thing is dangerously pressurized probably, how the heck do I depressurize it without having my entire batch spill on the ground?

Update: I have probably poured out about 1/2-1 gallon of beer out the picnic tap. When I pull the prv slowly gas escapes, but eventually more bear/foam spills out. I cleaned it up and stuck it back in the fridge, guess I'll just manually use the prv to purge it every few hours

 

[day_trippr]

Cold crash it down to as close to freezing as you can get and cross your fingers it puts the yeast into a deep coma...

 

[moreb33rplz]

I can get it down to 40, which I've done now, but not very hopeful it will make a difference.

 

[DuncB]

You could depressurise it into another sanitised keg as a closed transfer, that will increase your headspace and should allow you to spund valve release the pressure slowly thru the other gas post. But you do need to turn the yeast off while you bleed off slowly otherwise you won't lose gas quicker than you make it.

 

[bracconiere]

i think i would have just use the bev out post and put it in a bucket to finish fermenting.....i think kegs have a 80psi rating, that would be one hell of a bomb...

 

[Miraculix]

I'd empty it slowly, drain into a second fermenter till it's depressurised, open it, clean the valve and then ferment in two vessels.

 

[Toxxyc]

Honestly, when it comes to safety, your beer should be last on your mind. I would simply take the keg outside, pull on the PRV and let it run until all pressure is out. Next time, try again. I wouldn't risk a keg bomb. I've had a bottle pop in my face and it left a pretty wicked scar, and I don't want to see the same if it happens with a SS keg.

 

[TheMadKing]

Honestly, when it comes to safety, your beer should be last on your mind. I would simply take the keg outside, pull on the PRV and let it run until all pressure is out. Next time, try again. I wouldn't risk a keg bomb. I've had a bottle pop in my face and it left a pretty wicked scar, and I don't want to see the same if it happens with a SS keg.

Agreed forget about your beer, they have a 120psi rating so this is a serious safety issue. Just get the pressure down and worry about the beer later

 

[moreb33rplz]

Well if anyone cares about my saga its fixed. I probably emptied close to a gallon of beer out, let it sit for several hours, and then I was able to bleed the pressure from the PRV without beer shooting everywhere. Removed poppit, unclogged it, replaced it, and put on a spunding valve.

 

[TheMadKing]

Well if anyone cares about my saga its fixed. I probably emptied close to a gallon of beer out, let it sit for several hours, and then I was able to bleed the pressure from the PRV without beer shooting everywhere. Removed poppit, unclogged it, replaced it, and put on a spunding valve.

Glad it worked out! Think about how violently a soda can explodes if it's over pressurized and dropped. Now imagine that with stainless steel and 120 PSI... No Bueno Amigo

 

[tracer bullet]

Off the top, what pressure does the PRV release at? It's sort of the built in safety valve, right? There's a chance it's super high, and also not reliable. Just wondering out loud, if anyone knows the answer. I'm not trying to imply it was indeed a safe situation or anything like that.

I put a pressure gauge on a post connector for various monitoring needs now and then. It'd have been interesting to actually measure the pressure in the keg. Could be a future consideration too.

 

[day_trippr]

fwiw, while corny keg shells are rated for as high as 150 psi, the PRVs are rated for around 65 psi...

Cheers!

 

[odie]

I think PRVs are around 80-90. I've hit my kegs with over 60 when carbing up and the PRV still takes a decent tug to pop.

You can buy PRVs between 10 and 30ish. I have several different low one I use as spunding valves for keg ferments. The 10s are perfect until close to FG, then I swap to a 25-30 for natural carbing. Once I cold crash to serving temps it ends up being close to desired PSI/volumes.