Problem with my keg, leaky or...?

[size]

So I've just got a 5 gal corny keg w/CO2 tank setup, and it usually does the trick just fine.

But the problem is I usually set it around ~8-10psi after initial carbonation. it'll stay that way for a few days, but eventually the psi will drop to 0, and i'll have to reset it to ~8-10.

first of all i'm curious if anyone else has had problems with this, or any ideas what it could be?

secondly, will it hurt to beer to carbonate it, then let the pressure die off, carbonate it, die off, etc...

any ideas?

 

[BierMuncher]

Hmmmmm.

Much as I'd love to take a crack at an answer...your question(s) are not elementary enough for this time of night, (read...we're druck, and you're not making sense.)

Try again in the morning and try to be more specific.

 

[RogerMcAllen]

Sounds like you probably have a leak. Which things are connected, and which valves are open when the pressure drops?


For quick and easy leak checking get ~8oz of water in a cup, and put in a few squirts of hand soap. Swirl the water around a bit to mix, but not enough to make it foam up. Pour a bit of solution over your connections one at a time. When you see bubbles, you found your leak.

 

[Yooper]

Well, maybe the beer is just absorbing the co2? I mean, as it carbonates, the co2 will go into the beer, or it uses co2 to push the beer out. Do you leave the tank turned on? If it's on, then maybe you have a leak!

 

[size]

Well, that's what I would have thought too. But the CO2 tank has plenty left in it, and if it were a leak, you'd think the beer would stay carbonated and the CO2 tank would slowly go down. But it's just the PSI level of the keg that goes down. And yeah, I leave it on.

 

[JesseRC]

Sorry, but how can you have th co2 on set at a certain psi and the keg pressure goes down. THe keg only has as much pressure as the reg reading. How are you measuring the keg pressure. How exactly do you reset it. When you say this, it kinda implies that your are hitting it with 10 psi, then disconnect it. Most of us leave all valves open and set to serving pressure all time. If you pour a beer, any head space is immediately filled with co2 because our valves are open.

 

[size]

It's turned on to serving pressure all of the time. The problem is that that pressure decreases over time, and I can't figure out why.

 

[Yooper]

It's turned on to serving pressure all of the time. The problem is that that pressure decreases over time, and I can't figure out why.

Faulty regulator? I mean, I'm sure that all of us have pressure that would decrease over time. I pour a beer, for example, or the co2 is absorbed into the beer. So, more co2 is released into the keg to fill it back up to the same psi. Does that make sense? I mean, the set psi should allow the co2 to fill the keg to the set pressure, whether the psi is 5 psi or 30 psi. So, if the tank is "on", there is no way for the pressure to drop.

 

[78kombi]

But the problem is I usually set it around ~8-10psi after initial carbonation. it'll stay that way for a few days, but eventually the psi will drop to 0, and i'll have to reset it to ~8-10.

It's turned on to serving pressure all of the time. The problem is that that pressure decreases over time, and I can't figure out why.

sounds like the regulator

 

[78kombi]

But the problem is I usually set it around ~8-10psi after initial carbonation. it'll stay that way for a few days, but eventually the psi will drop to 0, and i'll have to reset it to ~8-10.

It's turned on to serving pressure all of the time. The problem is that that pressure decreases over time, and I can't figure out why.

sounds like the regulator.

 

[McKBrew]

Could be a regulator.

Could also be a very slow leak in the line somewhere.

I had this happen. Pressure was normal for days and then all of a sudden BLAM! Empty tank. In my case, my leak was on the beverage side and I ended up having a beer wading pool in my kegerator.

 

[JesseRC]

Could be a regulator.

Could also be a very slow leak in the line somewhere.

I had this happen. Pressure was normal for days and then all of a sudden BLAM! Empty tank. In my case, my leak was on the beverage side and I ended up having a beer wading pool in my kegerator.

Yup I agree that he could have a leak, but how do you get the tank at one pressure and the regulator at a different pressure. If its hooked up and on, they're equal pressure.