Help!
I am kegging for the first time and after a week my beer is still undercarbed and the kegerator is pouring 90% foam (which will ultimately settle into half of a drinkable beer). I've read a million different suggestions on both matters, and I'm officially stuck.
AND..I'm getting my beer professionally canned on Saturday evening (5.11.13) at a local event put on by a canning company. (You are required to bring the beer in a keg - beer must be cold and between 2.4-2.6 vol co2). Thus, I'm quite concerned about getting it ready in time.
Here are the details...
I recently got this kegerator for an insane deal on craigslist:
http://www.foodservicewarehouse.com...rce=googleps&gclid=CKjM_9qQiLcCFep7QgodMg4ABg
It didnt come with a keg, so I got a used one from a friend who brews a lot. He claimed the keg was good to go. A cursory inspection from myself agreed..but then again, what do i know.
I changed the gross old lines and in/out attachments (it was sankey style - changed to corny) and also replaced a defective fan motor. It now cools the beer in the keg to 39.5 degrees. The 1/4 inch line is 4 ft long. The thing works great (accept the whole undercarbing and foamy beer thing).
I initially followed Northern Brewer TV's instructions (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEMxBPxb1vE) and let the keg carbonate at 20 psi over 2 days (the beer was initially room temp, and after applying the pressure I put the keg in the kegerator, it has been there since). It wasn't ready (undercarbed, with tons of foam) so I checked it again the next day. Still wasn't ready so I let it go another day. Still wasn't ready. Every time it was undercarbed and poured mostly foam.
Thinking my beer was undercarbed, I then followed this guys instructions () and put the beer nozzle on the gas line and attached it to the beer out pop-it, set the regulator to ~30 psi, and rocked the keg for 4 minutes. One day later - still not carbonated, still tons of foam.
Following yet again another internet instruction, I set the psi to 10 and let it sit for a day. One day later - still foamy and undercarbonated. 3 days later (using this method) it is still undercarbed and foamy. I will say it tastes slightly more carbed, but is still not 2.4 (more like ~1.6 or less)
Using soapy water I checked for leaks (all connections and big o-ring) - no leaks. HOWEVER - when I pull the gas relief valve thingy to release the head pressure before pulling a sample, lots of bubbles bubble out of the o-ring. But I make sure to seal the keg with pressure (40 or more) before setting the desired carbing temp - so supposedly I'm sealed during the carbonation process.
Also, all of my connections are as tight as can be (via wrench).
Also, I've made sure that the last few times I poured a sample that the keg was not disturbed prior to pouring the sample.
I've heard that my beer may be so overcarbed that its actually flat - but this doesn't make sense as the beer wasn't carbed 2 days after 20 psi.
Does anyone have any ideas? I'm running out of time! Thanks!
I am kegging for the first time and after a week my beer is still undercarbed and the kegerator is pouring 90% foam (which will ultimately settle into half of a drinkable beer). I've read a million different suggestions on both matters, and I'm officially stuck.
AND..I'm getting my beer professionally canned on Saturday evening (5.11.13) at a local event put on by a canning company. (You are required to bring the beer in a keg - beer must be cold and between 2.4-2.6 vol co2). Thus, I'm quite concerned about getting it ready in time.
Here are the details...
I recently got this kegerator for an insane deal on craigslist:
http://www.foodservicewarehouse.com...rce=googleps&gclid=CKjM_9qQiLcCFep7QgodMg4ABg
It didnt come with a keg, so I got a used one from a friend who brews a lot. He claimed the keg was good to go. A cursory inspection from myself agreed..but then again, what do i know.
I changed the gross old lines and in/out attachments (it was sankey style - changed to corny) and also replaced a defective fan motor. It now cools the beer in the keg to 39.5 degrees. The 1/4 inch line is 4 ft long. The thing works great (accept the whole undercarbing and foamy beer thing).
I initially followed Northern Brewer TV's instructions (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEMxBPxb1vE) and let the keg carbonate at 20 psi over 2 days (the beer was initially room temp, and after applying the pressure I put the keg in the kegerator, it has been there since). It wasn't ready (undercarbed, with tons of foam) so I checked it again the next day. Still wasn't ready so I let it go another day. Still wasn't ready. Every time it was undercarbed and poured mostly foam.
Thinking my beer was undercarbed, I then followed this guys instructions () and put the beer nozzle on the gas line and attached it to the beer out pop-it, set the regulator to ~30 psi, and rocked the keg for 4 minutes. One day later - still not carbonated, still tons of foam.
Following yet again another internet instruction, I set the psi to 10 and let it sit for a day. One day later - still foamy and undercarbonated. 3 days later (using this method) it is still undercarbed and foamy. I will say it tastes slightly more carbed, but is still not 2.4 (more like ~1.6 or less)
Using soapy water I checked for leaks (all connections and big o-ring) - no leaks. HOWEVER - when I pull the gas relief valve thingy to release the head pressure before pulling a sample, lots of bubbles bubble out of the o-ring. But I make sure to seal the keg with pressure (40 or more) before setting the desired carbing temp - so supposedly I'm sealed during the carbonation process.
Also, all of my connections are as tight as can be (via wrench).
Also, I've made sure that the last few times I poured a sample that the keg was not disturbed prior to pouring the sample.
I've heard that my beer may be so overcarbed that its actually flat - but this doesn't make sense as the beer wasn't carbed 2 days after 20 psi.
Does anyone have any ideas? I'm running out of time! Thanks!
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