Regulator/Kegging Problem

[WeaponTheyFear]

So I kegged my first 2 beers yesterday, I siphoned them into the kegs after purging them with co2 then putting a blanket of co2. I put them in my kegerator overnight and then hooked them up to carbonate them. When I hooked up and turned on the gas, even with the slightest turn of the regulator knob it read at least 15 PSI. Is my regulator broken or am I somehow doing something wrong?

 

[AussieBrewerInColorado]

Congrats on going kegging. It will read whatever PSI you put on it, whether it is done or not. There are a few trains of thought on kegging, if you have a splitter and a few kegs, you can do a psi that is good for all. Or you could carb one at a time depending on the beer. Or you could shoot a crap load of c02 into it in the beginning and then relax it after if you're in a hurry.

Anyway, the PSI is how much pressure you're putting into it not what is in it.

Hope that helps.

 

[WeaponTheyFear]

That's what I figured but does that mean that my regulator is broken if it won't put out any PSI lower than 15?

 

[JesseRC]

No not broken, and sure it will. You must release pressure on keg for regulator to adjust properly, otherwise it will read the pressure you applied/or is left at the keg/line. If you put a blanket of co2 on the keg at 15psi, then that's what it will show. Eventually some of the co2 will go into solution and the pressure will start normalizing to whatever the reg is set to.

Adjust regulator, release some pressure from keg, wait a few seconds for reg dial to normalize. Repeat if necessary

 

[WeaponTheyFear]

I stopped by my local brewery and they told me the same thing, that I needed to vent the pressure of the keg for it to read properly. I did that and turned the regulator to 9 PSI then hooked it up to the kegs. The regulator now reads 10 PSI, is that normal for it to increase or should I release the rest of the pressure from the keg again and redial in the pressure or leave it?

 

[JesseRC]

You want to vent it after you make the adjustment too. Many things will affect pressure, such as temp changes. 1 psi is not that bad. You have to remember that you probably had the keg at 15 psi. Just because you vent it doesnt mean that the liquids co2 solubility has changed immediately. It will normalize after time. Do to the small headspace in a full keg, the co2 coming out of solution in the beer will affect it quicker. Just relax dial it in , vent the keg. Check it in another few days.

 

[WeaponTheyFear]

Thanks a lot for the help. I guess my understanding was that regulator just measured the amount of pressure coming out of the co2 cylinder but obviously I was wrong.