psi keeps going up..

[Dgonza9]

I'm having a strange problem with my keezer. Whenever I set the psi, if I come back later it's much higher. I set my brown ale to 10-11 psi, but when I return later it's reading 15-16!

What's going on here? Is my CO2 cylinder about to kick or something?

Please advise, thanks.

 

[marzsit]

most likely you adjusted the pressure while the beer was in the process of absorbing a lot of co2 at once, giving you false pressure readings. best to set the pressure with the regulator outlet valve turned off or with the gas qd disconnected so you have no flow going into the keg, you get a more accurate reading that way.

otherwise, you could have a leaky regulator that isn't shutting off all the way. not likely though, since your pressure isn't jumping up as high as it would if it really was leaking.

 

[Dgonza9]

I'll give that a try. Hey, do most corneys have a purge valve? I got mine pretty cheap, but they don't have one. I have to take the gas valve off and push in the button to purge. Does anyone know if they sell replacement lids with a purge valve somewhere?

Thanks.

 

[marzsit]

most ball-lock pepsi kegs have relief valves, most pin-lock coke kegs don't. yes, there are several online homebrew shops that sell replacement lids with relief valves in them.

 

[Bean]

I have been having the same issue. I was talking to the guys at the local shop and they think that I might have an issue with moisture in my regulators. So, I am moving my O2 tank to the outside of the Keezer to see if that will help.


By any chance are placing your tank on its side when you have the regulator on it or do you stand it up?

 

[HeyNoPie]

I don't know if it applies here, but one of my rules with adjusting a regulator is to never move it more than 1 or 2 PSI and only touch it once per day because they can drift a little over time. How long are you waiting between readings?

 

[Dgonza9]

Probably less than a day, lately. I tried adjusting with the regulator valve turned off. when I open it, it rises. So if I set it to 10-11 when closed, when I open it, it rises to about 14. I'm thinking my kegs are pressurized at that level.

I may purge the co2 out of the kegs and start over. I haven't done it because I don't have a relief valve on my pin locks.

Thanks for the replies.

 

[chrispykid]

Probably less than a day, lately. I tried adjusting with the regulator valve turned off. when I open it, it rises. So if I set it to 10-11 when closed, when I open it, it rises to about 14. I'm thinking my kegs are pressurized at that level.

I may purge the co2 out of the kegs and start over. I haven't done it because I don't have a relief valve on my pin locks.

Thanks for the replies.

No need to purge all the C02. You can burp the keg once every few hours and draw off a pint or two and get the pressure back down a few PSI. It's generally easier to raise the pressure rather than lower it, but you can back it off a bit at a time provided you didn't wildly overshoot your target.

Just make sure that when you burp it that you're doing it on the gas post so you don't drench yourself in a beer shower.

 

[Dgonza9]

I pulled a few pints and had the keg at 12 psi, just where I wanted it. But then I kegged my IPA today, so I had to reset it.

I think that it probably got out of whack when I was force carbing and then I was playing around with it too much without letting it stabilize. Everything seems okay for now. I'll keep an eye on it. Most worrisome is the idea that I might have a leak. Long story short, my co2 tank got bumped off the hump. The valve that tells me how full my tank is got hit and now reads 1500 psi or something. It's not working. I've been considering replacing it but haven't found the time yet. It doesn't seem to be influencing my other gauges, but I'm not entirely sure. I was looking for a replacement gauge, but didn't find just the gauge. I've seen them before but I forget where.


Cheers. Looking forward to my IPA in a week or two.

 

[Bean]

That high pressure gauge is pretty much pointless. Co2 tanks are measured by weight and not pressure.

 

[marzsit]

That high pressure gauge is pretty much pointless. Co2 tanks are measured by weight and not pressure.

pointless on smaller tanks, but on the larger tanks you actually get a few day's warning before you completely run out due to the larger interior volume when the liquid boils off completely. the exact pressure on the gauge is useless but when the needle is in the red, that means something....

 

[Dgonza9]

So it doesn't leak through the gauge even though the gauge is broken? Can I take it off and cap it?

 

[petep1980]

If the regulator is new this will probably happen for a couple days. Keep checking and tweaking for 3 or 4 days, and you'll get it nice and tight after a few.

No worries. If anything you'll be carbed a little earlier.

 

[Bean]

So it doesn't leak through the gauge even though the gauge is broken? Can I take it off and cap it?

Yes, chances are you will need to us a left handed thread cap since it is on the high pressure side of the regulator.

If you don't have one they are like 2 bucks at northerbrewer