Why can't I get the gas line off my keg?

[HOP-HEAD]

I read about 5 sets of kegging directions before I just proceded to keg my first batch.... several of them said to introduce the first several rounds of C02 to the outlet side of the keg to allow the C02 to bubble up through the beer while purging any 02. The problem is, after attaching the line to the outlet side, the damn thing won't come off. It was tighter than expected going on, but not so much so that I didn't jam it on there anyway.... now when I try my other line on my other empty keg, I noticed that the gas only seems to fit easily on the "in" side, and the beer line only seems to fit on the "out" side. Am I missing something? And any pointers for getting the bastard off?

 

[wildwest450]

Because they are different, the gas side isn't made to be put on the out side. Be a man and rip it off, and don't do that again!

And don't believe everything you read, that was bad advice.

 

[boo boo]

Brute strength at this point. The QDs are a different size, so each has a proper fit on the keg. One for the outlet and one for the inlet. Jam one on the wrong post and it can be hard to remove, but it will come off. Pull the ring on the QD and force it with your hand.

 

[HOP-HEAD]

Because the posts are different, the gas side isn't made to be put on the out side. Be a man and rip it off, and don't do that again!

And don't believe everything you read, that was bad advice.

That was all the convincing I needed... pulled the mother f outa the thing and she finally came off. Won't be doing that again. Thanks.

....but, on the plus side, I've got the first keg in the new keezer...

 

[wildwest450]

That was all the convincing I needed... pulled the mother f outa the thing and she finally came off. Won't be doing that again. Thanks.

....but, on the plus side, I've got the first keg in the new keezer...

Good for you! In the future be patient with force carbing, all the shortcuts aren't worth it imo.

 

[david_42]

Claw hammer or gorilla bar. I put red or blue o-rings on the gas posts, black on the beverage.

 

[jds]

Well, i wouldn't say that putting gas through the liquid diptube is outrageously bad advice, but the giver should have been nice enough to tell you that if you're going to do it, to hook a liquid coupler up to your gas, so you can remove it.

Personally, I wouldn't bother. Pressurize and shake if you need carbonation soon, or just pressurize and wait if you can handle another couple of days to carb up.

 

[HOP-HEAD]

Good for you! In the future be patient with force carbing, all the shortcuts aren't worth it imo.

So.... aside from trying to push the C02 up through the dip tube, I just set the gas to about 11, filled it, purged it, repeated three times, then set the keezer to 40°, and plan to check it in a week, expecting only marginal results, with another week before she's "good". Reasonable?

 

[wildwest450]

Well, i wouldn't say that putting gas through the liquid diptube is outrageously bad advice,

No, just bad.
I am passionate when it comes to carbonation, I can't help it. I will never shake a keg to get it carbed faster, NEVER. And I will fight anyone who thinks different.

 

[wildwest450]

So.... aside from trying to push the C02 up through the dip tube, I just set the gas to about 11, filled it, purged it, repeated three times, then set the keezer to 40°, and plan to check it in a week, expecting only marginal results, with another week before she's "good". Reasonable?

Set it and forget it, BUT your psi setting depends on the volumes of C02 you want in your beer and the temp of the beer. Use the chart in my sig, it will take approx 2 weeks to fully carb(depending on temp). Half the fun is tasting it to see how it's coming along.

 

[boogyman]

in the future, you can just use a flat screwdriver and pry it off..

 

[jds]

No, just bad.
I am passionate when it comes to carbonation, I can't help it. I will never shake a keg to get it carbed faster, NEVER. And I will fight anyone who thinks different.

I have to agree here. I prefer to naturally carbonate my kegs. That way, they're ready to dispense as soon as they're chilled. So long as the pipeline stays full, it's easy enough to do.

 

[Catch-22]

I agree. I used to shake but personally noticed a difference in head retention. I could be completely wrong and have been in the past but....that's my opinion.

 

[JKoravos]

Shaking doesn't help carbonate faster. When you shake a bottle of soda, it gets hard as a rock because CO2 is coming out, not going in. Gently agitating the liquid is the most effective method. It's a combination of increased surface area and keeping the carbonic acid well mixed in the liquid without creating localized low pressure zones, which would allow the gas to come out of solution.

If you really want quick, proper carbonation, get your keg to serving temp, set your regulator to the desired conditioning pressure and give it a shot of gas. Then roll it, or turn it end over end, very gently without splashing the liquid. After a few turns, give it another shot of gas. Keep doing this until the keg won't take anymore gas. It might take a while, but it's a lot faster than just letting it sit and you won't overshoot your target like you can if you hit it with 30psi.

 

[JKoravos]

BTW, we need a sticky to tell people that the gas and liquid disconnects are different. It seems like this comes up every few days/weeks.

 

[keithsipa]

I have done the CO2 to outlet many times for initial carbonation, what you didnt read, and if you pay attention to the color of the couplers in the tutorial, you would see that they used the liquid coupler on the liquid outlet to pressurize the keg. The couplers are different sizes and only meant for their respective valves. I believe I ran across the tutorial on the aussiehomebrew website.

I find that that the keg carbonates a little more efficiently because the CO2 is forced through the beer in order to reach the headspace.

 

[HOP-HEAD]

.....what you didnt read, and if you pay attention to the color of the couplers in the tutorial, you would see that they used the liquid coupler on the liquid outlet to pressurize the keg.

I went back and read two of them... this is one:

http://www.homebrew.com/articles/article12018101.shtml

Down the page a ways, it reads:

"...and connect your gas line to the black liquid out disconnect."

And, Step 3 of this one:

http://www.ehow.com/how_4850634_carbonate-keg-home-brew-beer.html


Reads, in part:

"Attach co2 hose to the outlet of the corny keg."

Maybe I'm an idiot, but I even know, knowing better, I can easily see why I did what I did.... they aught to specify the difference to us dumb kegging noobies.... not to mention, what kind of an idiot Engineer made two different couplers so similar that one will fit the other. Would it have hurt to make them a tad more different....?

Oh, and to clarify, I had no intention of rushing the carbonation process. I just read this was how to do it... I planned to set it to 10-12psi and forget it, no shaking, no 30 psi blasts, etc.

 

[bendavanza]

10-12-14 (depending on style, temp and taste) psi, serving temp, wait 1 week and sample, should be close, 1 more week and it's perfect.

 

[springer]

Shaking doesn't help carbonate faster. When you shake a bottle of soda, it gets hard as a rock because CO2 is coming out, not going in. .

while I don't force carb I have to disagree with your statement. If you have 30 PSI in the keg no CO2 will come out of the beer when you shake it even if it has started to carb. When the head space and liquid are in balance then yes if you shake it the co2 will leave the solution like a soda bottle but will go back into solution as the two equalize . Now if you took that same soda bottle and put a carb cap on it and hit with greater pressure than was in solution the soda would absorb the CO2 as it was shaken just like a keg.

if it didnt work then why when you shake a keg do you hear the CO2 going into the keg?