CO2 buildup in the Keezer?

[KhunSpoon]

So I just got my freezer for my upcoming keezer project the other day. I won't have time to mess with it until the holiday weekend, but to save space I loaded three kegs into the freezer (currently unplugged) and started the CO2 going. About an hour later I checked on it to make sure everything was in order. I didn't hear anything that sounded like air escaping from anywhere, but I got my head low enough that when I inhaled it was like I was suddenly stabbed in the nose and lungs. I've never heard anyone mention this before, but I believe this is probably a buildup of CO2. But again... I can't hear a leak anywhere and I don't seem to be losing any pressure at the tank. I did have the freezer plugged in & running for a short while to make sure it was working. I checked about 12 hours later and the stabby-death-smell was still there, and there was no major drop in the CO2 tanks pressure.

So, is this normal? It doesn't seem normal... what would be causing a CO2 buildup around the bottom of the freezer?

 

[MaxStout]

Yep, sounds like CO2. It's heavier than air and will settle in there. In high concentrations, it has a sharp, acrid odor. I get that in my ferm chamber. Maybe test your gas fittings for leaks with some soapy water.

 

[ubnserved]

+1 on the leak.

 

[ryan_george]

It's leaking somewhere. This is not a problem with a system that is working correctly.

 

[chocotaco]

Slow leak.

Quick checks:
1. Did you fully unscrew the CGA valve handle on the tank? Turns out it can leak if you only partially unscrew it. This bit me once.
2. When you connected the kegs, did you give them a quick hit with like 30 PSI to make sure they were sealed? Sometimes they won't seal if you only hit them with 10-12 PSI.
3. When you connected your regulator, did you put a washer in between the CGA valve and the regulator? Did you tighten it real good?

 

[YeastMode]

Add me to the list of people who think there is probably a leak. Spray some StarSan liberally on all joints and the kegs to see if you can track it down. sometimes you can have a leak from the poppet which is somewhat difficult to detect, so take your time.

This happens to me every so often when I purge a few kegs in the keezer. Unless you purged a bunch, its a leak. Good luck.

 

[nitz146]

Its a leak. This same thing just happened to me last week. I would stick my head down in the chest freezer and couldnt breath. After about 3 days my co2 container was all empty. Expensive lesson to learn.

 

[KhunSpoon]

Okay! After work today I'll definitely try to see if I can find the place of the leak, spray it down with star sans and check the CGA valve (didn't unscrew, but wouldn't hurt to check). I'll also definitely try the 30 PSI blast - I did start out at about 20, but lowered it to about 11 pretty quickly so that may help in finding whatever part is leaking. Thanks, I'll report back later once I've gotten another look at it.

 

[zachattack]

Remember that CO2 is stored as a liquid, and the gauge reads the vapor pressure above the liquid. So as long as there's some liquid, the pressure in the tank will stay the same as long as temperature is constant. So tank pressure is not a good way to leakcheck.

 

[Beer-lord]

I get this in my fermenter chiller when I have to buckets in there going at the same time. I've got a cheap computer fan in there to move the air around and just opening the door a few minutes helps rid it of all the gases.

As an aside, I went to a regional brewery tour one day and they had some beer in their large fermenters going gung-ho and a blow off tube in a bucket of starsan. Stupid me I went to smell the good hop aroma, taking care to keep about 2 feet away but that wasn't nearly far enough. I almost passed out and I think I saw Jesus. Actually, a huge whiff of that, especially for unhealthy people, can kill you.