Pressure keeps creeping up

[jmart84]

I kegged an apricot ale a couple weeks back, setting the PSI to 13.5. It has remained that pressure since then. However, today when I checked, it was sitting at 16. I have tried resetting the pressure to 13.5, however, it still climbs to 16 regardless of how much I adjust the knob. Any help troubleshooting this issue would be appreciated. Thank you.

 

[day_trippr]

You need to release the pressure downstream of the regulator when you lower the pressure setting, otherwise the gauge still sees the higher pressure. And if you don't have an anti-backflow valve in your gas line between reg and keg, you'll be releasing the head pressure on the keg as well.

Finally, if you don't have an anti-backflow valve, and your beer is now carbonated to 16psi, you'll see the pressure creep up every time you release it, until the carbonation settles back down to your lower setting...

Cheers!

 

[jmart84]

I have just been releasing it with the pressure release valve on the regulator itself. Where should I be bleeding pressure from?

 

[actech]

Pressure relief on keg

 

[jmart84]

I thought about that.. I just hate to do that but you gotta do what you gotta do I suppose. Thanks for the input

 

[DrunkleJon]

Sounds like regulator creep to me. New regulator/kegging system? Try this, disconnect your gas lines from your kegs, or shut off your manifold. Purge pressure in your regulator and set to whatever you want your serving pressure to be. Does the pressure still creep up? If so, you may have some schmutz (highly technical term, you wouldn't understand) in the housing of the regulator at the diaphragm which is messing up the seal.

Up the pressure setting to something higher (30 or so psi) and then pull the pressure relief pin a couple times to attempt to blast out any debris from the inside of the regulator. Lower pressure again, release pressure and set to serving again and see if it still creeps up. This can fix it if there is debris in there. Otherwise you may have some sort of regulator problem such as a bad diaphragm in there and a disassembly(and possible rebuild/diaphragm replacement) may be in order.

But yes, relieve pressure on the keg as well as the regulator. Isolate first though to make sure where the problem is.

 

[jmart84]

I turned off the valve on my distributor and made the adjustment on the regulator.
It didn't creep. I just bled some pressure off of the keg and opened the line. Hopefully this does the trick

 

[DrunkleJon]

I turned off the valve on my distributor and made the adjustment on the regulator.
It didn't creep. I just bled some pressure off of the keg and opened the line. Hopefully this does the trick

You probably have the beer carbonated at higner volumes of CO2 for the temperature and serving pressure. You may want to just have pressure stopped to the keg for a day or three and bleed some pressure off whenever you pass by (or pour a glass). The beer will need to come to equilibrium at the lower serving pressure.

Otherwise, leave it set at serving pressure and dont worry about the creep. It will equalize at the pressure in the keg and as you drink the beers it will balance itself out. Pours may be slightly foamy to start though.

 

[jmart84]

I considered that possibility.. I was just uncertain as to how that happened. I'm fairly meticulous when it comes to volumes of co2 based on beer style and temperature

 

[DrunkleJon]

Occasionally fermentation restarts. Otherwise may have had some one off regulator creep, or temperature fluctuation or something.

 

[ferm.adventures]

I found this thread researching my own problem. I happened to check my regulator this morning and it was reading like 50 psi. I was shocked and thought that I must have set something wrong. And that something is the regulator. I purged the excess from the keg and regulator and reset to 12psi. Go back a little later and back to 30psi. Regulator is dead I guess.

 

[day_trippr]

May be a bad diaphragm. If you can obtain a rebuild kit it's not hard to replace...

Cheers!

 

[ericbw]

Mine have always done that a little bit. Not going from 10 to 30, but from 10-14 sometimes. I try to aim a little low, knowing that it will balance out a little higher. It's not perfect, but it works.

Are better regulators (like Taprite) less likely to creep?