Two Kegs, 1 Regulator, pressure different in each

[slackerlack]

I have two kegs on one tank of gas with one regulator. I have a Y splitter coming off the regulator. One keg, has three gallons of beer, and shoots out like a firehose. The other tank, has 1 gallon of beer, and pours slowly. What gives? I have a tap handle on each tank instead of a beer line and picnic tap. The taps kept leaking (Gas & Beer). PSI is at 12

 

[Xalwine]

What is the legnth of the lines from each keg? it shouldnt make a difference but I dunno.... the longer the line the more resistance...

 

[slackerlack]

What is the legnth of the lines from each keg? it shouldnt make a difference but I dunno.... the longer the line the more resistance...

I have this type of tap. So no line.

 

[badbrew]

You have too much pressure in one keg. Could be a bunch of reasons, one being too much sugar fermenting after you kegged.

 

[slackerlack]

You have too much pressure in one keg. Could be a bunch of reasons, one being too much sugar fermenting after you kegged.

Both kegs were force carbed. Both have 12 PSI pushing to them.

 

[photogscott]

did you do the soapy water test to see if pressure is holding?

 

[badbrew]

Both kegs were force carbed. Both have 12 PSI pushing to them.

Did you gas up two 5 gal kegs with 1 and 3 gal beer each to a high level (30 psi) to force carb? Did you shake them?

 

[audger]

a simple test: vent the head pressure in both kegs. fill both kegs with the same regulator setting. if they flow differently, then the pickup tubes or poppets might be different, or one tube might be bent or closer to the bottom and is being restricted. one could also be partially blocked by hops or yeast. if pressure is the same, its not a pressure problem.

 

[slackerlack]

I remembered something. The keg that shoots out like a fire hose, was force carbed for two weeks at 30 psi. Not sure if that has something to do with it. I have released all pressure from the kegs and let them fill back up with the same results. I don't remember seeing any issue with the liquid tube.

 

[slackerlack]

Also, if any of them should be blocked, it would be the fire hose keg. That keg has hop chunks in each pour. I guess the dry hops did not get left behind entirely.

 

[Dan]

The one gallon force carbed at 30 psi for two weeks is a long time and will need more than one bleeding to reduce the pressure (I believe) CO2 will come out of solution and fill the empty head space over time but still be higher than 12. Probably need to bleed regularly, (CO2 inline disconnected) for a day or two and then try again.

What's sort of strange though, is unless there is a check valve somewhere in your system I'd expect the regulator to start reading higher as the pressure in the one gallon keg is higher than 12 psi and would drive the regulator up.

 

[slackerlack]

The one gallon force carbed at 30 psi for two weeks is a long time and will need more than one bleeding to reduce the pressure (I believe) CO2 will come out of solution and fill the empty head space over time but still be higher than 12. Probably need to bleed regularly, (CO2 inline disconnected) for a day or two and then try again.

What's sort of strange though, is unless there is a check valve somewhere in your system I'd expect the regulator to start reading higher as the pressure in the one gallon keg is higher than 12 psi and would drive the regulator up.

No, the keg with three gallons was force carbed at 30 psi for two weeks. The keg with one gallon was carbed for a few days at 30 psi then moved to 12 psi. The three gallon keg is the one that acts like a fire hose. I guess this does not matter, I am about to empty that one keg.

 

[Dan]

That seems to make even more sense. The beer at 30 psi for two weeks had more dissolved CO2 than the one at 2 days.

Do you always pressure carb at that high of a pressure for two weeks? What works for me is 25 psi for 2-3 days and then bleed off pressure; reset to 12 for 2-4 days and I get great carbonation. Some will say even that much initial pressure setting will result in overcarbed beer. For me it works pretty well.

 

[slackerlack]

No, I usually do how you do it. But this particular time I was out of town, and forgot to take it off before and after I got back for a while. Oh well, its not the end of the world. I will just need to drink more beer. That seems like a problem I have.

 

[Dan]

Being out of town?