Possible Poppet Malfunction

[Razorback_Jack]

I was hesitant to enter the world of kegging for a reason. My first kegged beer is going fine, with absolutely no problem other than my brew (extract) was horribly inefficient and the beer (a Shiner clone) is only about 2% alcohol. It’s finished carbing and tasted good, at least.

Then, my pale ale, my first all grain, kegged two days ago and has been sitting with 30 psi for about two days. I removed the gas QD and bled the air. The poppet sticks up from the post which I’ve heard is common with universal poppets. However, the poppet gasket is sticking up through the post hole. I removed the gas post altogether and reset the poppet... still the gasket comes out around the poppet when screwed back in. I said “oh well” and reconnected, setting psi to 10 so I can get a taste. Nothing came out of the tap. I thought maybe a problem with the beer post so I tried removing it (after removing gas and bleeding pressure), and foam starts pouring out the beer line. Messy! So I put it back, reconnected the gas and then at least something came out of the tap. Doesn’t taste very good either. Pretty hazy. Is it possible I kegged too soon? Kegged at 14 days, adding dry hops on day 12. Or does this seem like an issue with that post/poppet? Kegging is complicated but I’ve researched a ton, for hours every single day for three weeks. I wonder if it is just the post, or the poppet?

 

[McKnuckle]

For one thing, getting hops in your keg without a means of restricting them (bag, filter) is a disaster waiting to happen. They will, absolutely 100% will, get clogged in your poppet at some point if even a single hop particle enters the dip tube. So lesson #1 is - never let hops get into the keg. This may not be your issue, but it bears stating.

The poppet gasket not sealing correctly indicates that perhaps it doesn't fit right. But there is an ironic caveat, which is that once you tap the keg, the poppet is kept in the open position anyway. So as long as beer is flowing, the poppet is open, and the seal doesn't really matter. Fix it once the keg is empty.

Another thought is to abandon the 30 psi quick carb, tap-it-ASAP concept. I know a lot of people do that, perhaps successfully, but it's an impatient person's method. A slower but arguably more reliable method is to allow for at least one week (two is better) of cold conditioning in the keg. For that, just set the regulator to serving pressure (10-12 psi) and simply leave it alone.

In one week it will be carbed enough to drink, although it won't yet have a fully satisfying head or thick, dense bubbles. In two weeks, you should be there. And the bonus is that the beer should be more clear and refined tasting after this relatively brief, but crucial period of post-fermentation conditioning. Kegging is a little complicated, but it's also easy to make it more so than necessary. And ultimately, flavor that you don't like is not going to be the keg's fault. It's just a big stainless steel container.

 

[Jayjay1976]

I had a leaking universal poppet that would spray beer when I removed the beer out disconnect. The gasket was bulging out of the hole because the piston itself was too small in diameter and shifted to one side. Luckily I was only using the keg for purging my other kegs with sanitizer so the small spill was no big deal, but I swapped the universals out for the old but still functional poppets that came with the keg. No more universals for me.

 

[Razorback_Jack]

Thanks for the advice, good people. McKnuckle, you mention getting hop particles stuck in the poppet. If I’m dry-hopping a few days before kegging, should I do so using a bag? If I do, since the beer is not being stirred or circulating at that time, will the hop flavor still carry throughout the beer?

 

[pigroaster]

Two things. I usually cut off one turn of the spring on my universal poppet springs creating less pressure and I always keg lube the poppet seals. I also use a plastic syringe that has slots cut in the tip with a box cutter. Fill with star san and push down on poppets on every empty keg top clean out that area on out poppet! Also works with water or beer if you have an IPA with poppet problems. Poor solution buy sometimes you are desperate to pour. Better to let beer settle at 55 degrees or cooler when you keg and put screen on racking cane as well.

 

[brew703]

Either use a bag to DH or cold crash to get the hop matter out of suspension.
I personally always use a hop bag to DH and I also cold crash (most of the time).
When I do those two things I never have issues. When I rush and either don't cold crash or use a hop bag it never fails that my out disconnect gets clogged.

 

[Jayjay1976]

I'm new to kegging but when I keg hop, it will be with whole cone hops to avoid all of the fine particulate.
My plan is to load the hops into a mesh bag which I will then vacuum seal into a sous vide pouch. I'll then open the bag with scissors and add to the keg through the walls of a large clear plastic bag "bubble" which I'll tape to the top of the keg then vacuum evacuate of air and partially inflated with CO2.

 

[Deadalus]

How many ounces of dry hops and were they pellets or whole hops?

You probably have some hop particulates clogging the liquid tube as mentioned. You might want to pull the tube and clear it, resanitize the tube, poppet, and post. I always dry hop in bags and have a screen for the dispensing tube which I use for heavily hopped beers. I lost a whole keg minus three beers fiddling around with a clogged tube. I pulled three beers off it but then brought the keg camping and never got it flowing. I tried multiple times to get the tube cleared and no luck. It went bad from the repeated handling. I was super disappointed because it was pretty decent.

 

[Razorback_Jack]

Well, it was only an ounce of pellets. Last time I tried to take the beer post off though, beer started gushing out even though I had relieved all pressure. So I’m not sure the beer line is clogged....

 

[McKnuckle]

Hop bits usually clog the poppet itself. So if you unscrewed the post, you gave the beer a path to freedom.

 

[Razorback_Jack]

Hop bits usually clog the poppet itself. So if you unscrewed the post, you gave the beer a path to freedom.

That makes sense, but my gas post was already taken off. Why wouldn’t the beer have tried to escape through there instead of waiting until I removed the beer post?

 

[S-Met]

was hesitant to enter the world of kegging for a reason. My first kegged beer is going fine, with absolutely no problem other than my brew (extract) was horribly inefficient and the beer (a Shiner clone) is only about 2% alcohol. It’s finished carbing and tasted good, at least.

1st issue: how do you get an inefficient extract? Only way for poor efficiency with extract is if you forgot to add all of the extract, or somehow you had a neutered yeast that could only eat 2%.

2nd:

That makes sense, but my gas post was already taken off. Why wouldn’t the beer have tried to escape through there instead of waiting until I removed the beer post?

You purged pressure but beer is still carbed and I thought you said 30psi for 2 days before reducing pressure to 10psi. Possibly have a piece of hop stuck in the dip tube causing a restriction and a nucleation site. When you release the pressure on the liquid side it creates an escape. You probably have to sacrifice a little brew and pull the tube. I have no idea on inline filters. Hopefully someone else can help.

 

[McKnuckle]

Gas post was taken off, but I assume there is headspace between the beer surface and the gas tube. If headspace pressure was already relieved (it was), the beer is not going to leap up to the tube and escape. However, the beer was all the way up the liquid dip tube, so yes, when you removed the liquid post, it was "right there" and was happy to seek freedom. Path of least resistance, always.

 

[Razorback_Jack]

Gas post was taken off, but I assume there is headspace between the beer surface and the gas tube. If headspace pressure was already relieved (it was), the beer is not going to leap up to the tube and escape. However, the beer was all the way up the liquid dip tube, so yes, when you removed the liquid post, it was "right there" and was happy to seek freedom. Path of least resistance, always.

Got it! Makes sense.

 

[Razorback_Jack]

1st issue: how do you get an inefficient extract? Only way for poor efficiency with extract is if you forgot to add all of the extract, or somehow you had a neutered yeast that could only eat 2%.

2nd:

You purged pressure but beer is still carbed and I thought you said 30psi for 2 days before reducing pressure to 10psi. Possibly have a piece of hop stuck in the dip tube causing a restriction and a nucleation site. When you release the pressure on the liquid side it creates an escape. You probably have to sacrifice a little brew and pull the tube. I have no idea on inline filters. Hopefully someone else can help.

Possible wrong word usage, forgive me as I’m still somewhat of a noob. An eager noob, but nonetheless noob. Before pitching the yeast in that extract kit, my gravity was a whole point lower than it should’ve been. So probably I used too much top-off water. Haven’t had that problem since I started sparging, of course.

 

[S-Met]

Possible wrong word usage, forgive me as I’m still somewhat of a noob. An eager noob, but nonetheless noob. Before pitching the yeast in that extract kit, my gravity was a whole point lower than it should’ve been. So probably I used too much top-off water. Haven’t had that problem since I started sparging, of course.

Not likely Unless you doubled your starting volume. Extracts kits are notorious for confusing new brewers. Incomplete mixing of extract and water gives a false reading. If it was a5 gal kit and you had 5gal in the fermenter, you hit your gravity.