Regulator gauge question

[jasonmo]

This is my first time kegging. I did a lot of research and thought I knew what I was doing. I have 2 kegs hooked up to my regulator using a splitter/manifold with valves. One keg has 5 gallons, the other 4 gallons. I set the PSI on the regulator at 12. Leak tested, everything seems sealed. Kegerator is at about 39 degrees.

Went away, came back after 4 days, and the gauge read "0" psi. Do I have a leak? I turned up the PSI back to 12, took a pull of beer, it was pretty flat but not entirely flat.

The other gauge (measuring the actual co2 tank) reads 500 which I think is normal.

I'm wondering if the fact my gauge went from 12 to 0 is normal, not normal, somehow due to the fact I have 2 kegs with different amounts in them, or a leak I have not detected, etc.

Sorry for the very basic question. I did try to resolve this on my own before posting.

Any advice? Thanks in advance.

Updated: this morning (12 hours later) the gauge is reading 10psi. It's dropping and I don't know why.

 

[CadillacAndy]

Was the gas turned on for 4 days and the bottle is empty? Or did you set it to 12psi and turn the bottle off and were expecting the overall pressure to stay at 12psi?

 

[jasonmo]

The bottle is not empty. I turned it on, set it to 12, and left it on. Four days later, the keg psi gauge (not the co2 can gauge) reads 0. Turned it back to 12 yesterday. This morning, it was down to 10. C02 still reads 500.

 

[masonsjax]

If the tank was warm when you set it, you'll have to adjust the knob a few times to get it settled after it cools.

 

[CadillacAndy]

Is there is co2 being supplied from the tank to the keg continuously? If the regulator is set to 12psi and there is gas being supplied to the keg, it should read 12psi too. If you shut the gas off to the keg so it started at 12, then went down to 0, it's hard to say. You probably have a leak. If it's holding pressure now, and only dropped a little bit, then the beer is probably absorbing the co2 in to solution.

 

[CadillacAndy]

If the tank was warm when you set it, you'll have to adjust the knob a few times to get it settled after it cools.

This too.

 

[jasonmo]

Thanks CadillacAndy and masonsjax. The tank was room temp when I set it. I just did another set of leak tests, and can't find any. I cranked up the psi to 25 and still no bubbles.

As beer absorbs the c02 is it normal for the regulator gauge to drop? Do I need to check it every day or so during the first few weeks using the 'set it and forget it' method? I thought I just had to turn it all on, set it at 12, and it would stay there. (12 is the appropriate psi for this beer at my temperature).

 

[CadillacAndy]

Thanks CadillacAndy and masonsjax. The tank was room temp when I set it. I just did another set of leak tests, and can't find any. I cranked up the psi to 25 and still no bubbles.

As beer absorbs the c02 is it normal for the regulator gauge to drop? Do I need to check it every day or so during the first few weeks using the 'set it and forget it' method? I thought I just had to turn it all on, set it at 12, and it would stay there. (12 is the appropriate psi for this beer at my temperature).

It's not normal for the regulator gauge to drop as the beer absorbs co2. If the pressure in the bottle drops as it cools, it would make sense that the regulator gauge drops. Try tapping on the gauge to make sure it isn't stuck. I'm at a loss with this one.

 

[masonsjax]

The diaphragm in the regulator body behaves differently at different temperatures. Let the whole rig acclimate to being in a fridge, then set your pressure. The needle may need another fine tune or two before stabilizing, but should stay fairly steady from then on. Any time you make a big pressure change, it could take a little time to settle.

To check for leaks, unhook all kegs (because they can absorb the co2 you're trying to test) set the pressure to 30 psi or so, close the tank and walk away. Check back a day or two later and if the gauge reads anything significantly lower than 30, you have a leak. If not, you should be good to go.

 

[jasonmo]

Update: tank is now holding pressure. Still not exactly why the gauge dropped from 12 to 0 over a span of 4 days, maybe it was the fact that it was warm when I put it in, as CadillacAndy and Masonjax have said. I appreciate your help! Crossing fingers that it continues to hold.

 

[jasonmo]

Another update: about 2 weeks in. Regulator holding pressure, both beers carbonated, and they are TASTY.