Kegging Disaster

[Docod44]

Hi all, not really a question I just need somewhere to vent because my wife doesn't care or understand. I brewed an oatmeal stout () last weekend and had a perfect brew day where nothing went wrong (I should have seen this as a red flag!). I ferment in a corny keg and use a floating dip tube to transfer to a purged and sanitized serving keg. Samples were delicious, roasty and chocolate and I was really excited to get it carbed and chilled. I noticed my CO2 tank was near empty but I decided to risk it and hoped I had enough CO2 to do my transfer. I attached a spunding valve set to 2psi on the serving keg (ferm keg was already at 6psi which I added at the end of fermentation) and daisy chained the two and the transfer started flawlessly. I noticed it slowing down a bit so I re-carbed the fermentation keg to 6 psi and then shut off the regulator to try and use as little co2 as possible. My CO2 tank eventually kicked (it was at room temp and completely empty which I verified by weight) and I was only halfway through the transfer, so I hooked up a gas daisy chain from another kegged beer and used its co2 to try and finish my transfer. I noticed that it was still taking forever so I finally popped the lid on my serving keg and realized that I had accidentally swapped the two in my mess of lines and re-transferred everything back into the fermentation keg! I should have retrieved my tilt and just served from there, but no, I decided to just dump the beer into the serving keg using good old gravity, totally exposed to oxygen. I cold crashed it but didn't even have co2 to purge and pressurize the keg. What I learned:

• Always have a spare full co2 tank
• Don't do anything brewing related the day before leaving for vacation (I couldn't run out to refill my co2 tank, no time)
• If everything is going perfect with a brew, the thing that will go wrong hasn't happened yet
• RDWHAHB

 

[Transamguy77]

Oh man that sounds frustrating, shortly after I started kegging I bought another tank because I always ran out when I was having friends over or at night when I couldn’t even get a swap or fill from anywhere.

You cold just add some sugar and let it naturally carbonate while your away and deal with getting your tank filled when you get back. You could also get a paintball tank and adapter for those kinds of emergencies or use that for transfers instead of your big tank.

 

[Spundit]

Its always something. I feel your pain..

At least it's a stout. IME they seem less sensitive to oxygen as compared to hoppy beers lighter styles.

I did an old school open transfer a couple weeks ago because some of my equipment was tied up. It may have been the first time I did that in 18 months or so. Even though I have done open transfers a hundred times in the past It felt so wrong. The beer turned out good.

 

[Docod44]

Oh man that sounds frustrating, shortly after I started kegging I bought another tank because I always ran out when I was having friends over or at night when I couldn’t even get a swap or fill from anywhere.

You cold just add some sugar and let it naturally carbonate while your away and deal with getting your tank filled when you get back. You could also get a paintball tank and adapter for those kinds of emergencies or use that for transfers instead of your big tank.

I didn't even consider natural carbing, I was too frazzled -_-

Already gone so we'll see what happens! Great idea with the paintball canister and adapter to spare my big tank.

 

[Docod44]

Its always something. I feel your pain..

At least it's a stout. IME they seem less sensitive to oxygen as compared to hoppy beers lighter styles.

I did an old school open transfer a couple weeks ago because some of my equipment was tied up. It may have been the first time I did that in 18 months or so. Even though I have done open transfers a hundred times in the past It felt so wrong. The beer turned out good.

This is reassuring. I figured the roasty and chocolatey notes would hide some oxidation issues. If it was an APA or an IPA it would probably be a dumper but I'm willing to give this one a chance!

 

[lablover]

You'll be fine with a stout. A little oxidation probably won't be noticed and may even be a little on style.

 

[Beermeister32]

I just need somewhere to vent because my wife doesn't care or understand.

Time to find a more beer loving wife.