Dispensing Issue

[Wesjmc]

After bottling for a few years, I just kegged my first batch a week ago. It's a Mission St Pale Ale clone from the CYBI show. I used the "set and forget" method of carbing. I set the pressure at 12psi and temp at 40F. I decided to tap it a week into carbing to troubleshoot my system and taste how it's coming along.

With 7' of 1/4" ID tubing the beer sprayed out like a jet releasing most of the C02 from solution. So I disconnected the beer line and ran down to the HBS to get 10' of 3/16" ID line. From every calculation and thread I can find this seems like more line than I need, but I planned on cutting it back until it was perfect. I started off with all 10' and it still dispenses pretty fast. It fills a pint in about 1-2 seconds. Can anyone spot a hole in my method? What am I missing?

in addition to that problem, the cheap picnic tap leaks like crazy. It even sprays a tiny stream once I close it until I jiggle it around to reduce it to a slow drip. I've tightened the crap out of it by hand and even disassembled it to clean it a few times. The rubber gasket looks to be seated right and in perfect condition. The only thing I can think of is that the spring inside it is simply too weak. Is this common? I'm not ready to build a collar and mount a nice metal tap handle on my chest freezer yet. Do I just need to keep buying taps until I find a good one or what?

Thanks for all the help! This is only my second post, but searching this forum has helped me tremendously over the last couple years.

 

[Golddiggie]

I almost never use the picnic taps anymore. I did for part of my first kegs, but then had enough with all the issues and just installed Perlick faucets in my brew fridge door. I would go with a Perlick 525 or 575 faucet if you can mount on in/on the fridge/freezer you're keeping the kegs in. Also double check the pressure coming from the CO2 regulator. You can get a setup to do that from Williams Brewing if you don't want to make one. I have one from them, plus I made one and bought another from a different vendor.

BTW, how much pressure did you use to seat the keg lid o-ring?

 

[CButterworth]

With the picnic taps, I found that tightening the screw-on "front" of the tap help prevents leaking. I got mine hand tight and now I don't seem to have any problems with them.

As for the beer line, in a previous thread, I got recommendations of 15' lines at 3/16" and these are working for me: serving temp 54F, 14psi.

I am new to kegging myself, so please take my experience as being extremely limited.

Charlie

 

[Wesjmc]

Thanks for the responses. Golddiggie, not sure what you mean about seating the lid. I clamped down the lid and then slowly turned the regulator valve up to 12 psi. I assumed as the pressure increased it would "seat" the lid. Should I be doing this with pressure BEFORE I clamp the lid down to "seat" it properly?

 

[Golddiggie]

Thanks for the responses. Golddiggie, not sure what you mean about seating the lid. I clamped down the lid and then slowly turned the regulator valve up to 12 psi. I assumed as the pressure increased it would "seat" the lid. Should I be doing this with pressure BEFORE I clamp the lid down to "seat" it properly?

Once you've used a keg a couple of times, you figure out if it seats/seals at 10psi or needs more. Most of mine seal/seat at ~10psi. I have one (maybe two) that need to be hit with about 20psi before they seat properly. I can then purge and hit them with a lower pressure level. Those are ones with red lids.

If you have any doubt, a spray bottle of Star San will help you to hunt down any leaks.