Weird Kegging Issue?

[stewart194]

So this is my first time kegging. I've received a lot of really good advice from everyone at HBT, YouTube, BN, NB, and other sources before doing it. Also, after almost 2 years of brewing and plenty of batches under my belt, I also feel like I'm starting to get a good grasp on that and my beers are turning out better and better all of the time.

But kegging my first batch, I did 5 gallons of Coconut Stout and 5 gallons of a Winter Warmer of sorts...an Imperial Stout with Christmas spices. Both brewed the same day and also kegged on the same day.

Here is the strange part, today is day 13 for both of them. Neither of them are carbed up as much as I'd hoped at this point, but I'm patient and know that it can take up to 3 weeks to get fully carbed. I did the "set and forget" method with 12 PSI on both of them from the same CO2 tank. They have both been progressing exactly the same...until today.

Today when I tried a sample of both, the Winter Warmer was pouring at a MUCH faster rate than the lower gravity Coconut Stout. Neither one of them has much head yet, but the flow rate was noticeably much better than the other.

Why would this be happening? Both pour fine, but one is pouring MUCH slower now all of a sudden compared to the other...and they were both pouring at the exact same flow rate yesterday.

Thanks!

 

[stewart194]

Just now, the Coconut Porter has all but stopped flowing completely, while the Winter Warmer is still flowing perfectly fine.

 

[CB_in_Tokyo]

Is it possible your line is clogged on the Coconut porter?

My kegging setup is the same, I have one CO2 tank serving two kegs. I can only guess that either your beer line or the tube in the keg is somehow clogged. Do you by any chance have actual toasted coconut floating in your porter?

 

[stewart194]

So I just did a little troubleshooting, and the coconut porter keg has ZERO pressure on it when I pressed the pressure release valve. BOTH valves on the splitter are wide open. How could one be clogged and not the other on the gas side?

 

[stewart194]

Is it possible your line is clogged on the Coconut porter?

My kegging setup is the same, I have one CO2 tank serving two kegs. I can only guess that either your beer line or the tube in the keg is somehow clogged. Do you by any chance have actual toasted coconut floating in your porter?

Thanks for the reply! No, I added Malibu Coconut Rum though...which I know as plenty of sugar in it. But I switched the serving lines and it appears to be coming from the gas side. I'll look at it closer in a few minutes and report back.

 

[CB_in_Tokyo]

Careful when playing with fully charged kegs! I have had it rain beer in my kitchen

If you pull the pressure relief valve on the porter keg briefly does it hiss? You may want to turn the regulator off before trying it, but a brief pull should let you know if the keg has pressure. Whoops just saw the above post where you tried this.

 

[CB_in_Tokyo]

So I just did a little troubleshooting, and the coconut porter keg has ZERO pressure on it when I pressed the pressure release valve. BOTH valves on the splitter are wide open. How could one be clogged and not the other on the gas side?

If you used the CO2 to carb the keg, then it must have been flowing at one point, and then stopped...or it kept femernting in the keg and that is what gave you pressure and a slight carb.

Do you have one-way valves in your CO2 lines? is it possible that the line going to the porter has a one-way valve in it and it is backwards and blocking the flow?

 

[Hoppity]

Swap gas lines and test release valve. Could isolate problem

 

[stewart194]

Thanks guys. I did swap gas lines and I instantly heard the gas flowing into the problem keg. Seems like there is a problem with that one particular gas line into the Coconut Stout keg. Why would this happen? Especially after 13 days without any problems?

 

[CB_in_Tokyo]

Thanks guys. I did swap gas lines and I instantly heard the gas flowing into the problem keg. Seems like there is a problem with that one particular gas line into the Coconut Stout keg. Why would this happen? Especially after 13 days without any problems?

You can't assume 13 days with no problems. I would expect the beer to be fully carbed after 13 days.

As to what the problem is, I need to understand your setup more. Do you have the gas coming from a regulator to a splitter and then to each keg? When you changed thegas lines, did you change the line connection to the valve, or did you remove the entire valve from the lock and change that way?

 

[Hoppity]

Use a screwdriver and depress the center post of the gas line ball lock connector (plastic part connected to gas line) . Make sure gas is on. If no gas escapes, your problem is upstream. Turn off gas to connector, remove connector. Turn on gas. If it flows, replace connector with spare or new. If no gas, test gas splitter.

 

[stewart194]

So it turns out that I'm an idiot. My 3 way splitter piece, when the valve handles are turned all the way to the right they are "Off". When they are straight down they are "On". But when they are turned all the way to the left side they turn "Off" also. Discovered this this morning.

I was also drinking a little too much last night, and by the time I was done messing with everything neither keg was getting CO2!! That's when I called it quits.