my first kegging experience; help

[triplehops]

Ok all,
I have been brewing for a year now and love it all. I decided to purchase a 2.5 gallon keg. Awesome small set up. Bought the (small compact) regulator and co2 cartridges. Here is my issue:
I just transfered the ipa into the keg. When I tried to force carbinate it, i could hear it all going in etc....but the regulator never got passed 20 psi. I was trying for 30 psi.
Did i fill the keg with too much beer, hence leaving so little area for the co2 to get in? When I tried to shut it down by the gauge, beer came flying out.
What a humbling hobby. Just when I think I am getting a hang of craft beer, it hits my smack in the face. And I mean that
LB

 

[patthebrewer]

Hmmm......you couldn't get the reg to crank up to 30 psi?? As long as you have some head space, getting pressure in shouldn't be a problem. But you said that beer came flying out when you cranked the pressure down, did it come back in the gas line? That would seem to indicate that you either have beer covering the gas dip tube, or that you have the gas line connected to the liquid out tube. Some more details are required, so we can approach this scientifically.

 

[BigFloyd]

Are you trying to force carb using a CO2 tank or those little 12g cartridges?

If you've got a tank/reg, just chill the keg to 38-40*F, set it at 10-12psi and wait 10-14 days.

If using the little cartridges, you've got to sugar carb the batch at room temp a few weeks, then dispense using the cartridges to push the beer.

Filling a keg up full isn't going to keep the CO2 from getting in. It can result in beer coming back through the gas-in coupling and into the reg (not good).

 

[triplehops]

I definitely used the in not the out valve which has the tube. When i turned down the cartridge, beer came squirting out the regulator. This is what I have :

http://www.williamsbrewing.com/MINI-BALL-LOCK-C02-REGULATOR-P2072.aspx

 

[triplehops]

I used the smaller ones. I did not place sugar in it!! now what? this is what I have:

http://www.williamsbrewing.com/MINI-BALL-LOCK-C02-REGULATOR-P2072.aspx

 

[triplehops]

and btw: the cartridges are 45g not 12 so it should work...no?

 

[TNTgill]

While I don't have experience with that regulator I don't believe you can force carb with such a small amount of gas. It also states in the link that the regulator only goes to 25 psi and that it is for serving. It does not state anything about force carbing with this set up. I think you will need to carb with sugar (like priming a big bottle) and just use this to provide serving pressure. Sorry.

 

[triplehops]

dam. i actually spoke with the gentleman at that particular company and he was the one who suggested it for force carb. maybe it will just take longer? let er sit for 24-48 hours, then release gas and do it again? is it too late to through some sugar in?

 

[TNTgill]

Is it cold and in the fridge already? It will take several days even with standard regulator and tank to force carb at 30 psi, around 10 days to 2 weeks if you set and forget method (set at serving psi and leave it there). If its at room temp much longer. If its still at room temp then you can put sugar in and gently swirl to mix the yeast up to carb it. If its cold you need to warm back up to room temp and leave it at room temp. It will take 1-2 weeks. I do think you use roughly half the amount of sugar you would typically use to bottle carb. You may need to search here to find the amount needed.

 

[elpenoso]

My best advice would be to ditch that set-up. You might finally get the hang of it but not after a lot time and money spent in small co2 cartridges. That set-up is really just for dispensing.


If you want to keep it small consider this set-up

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/another-paintball-beer-dispenser-carbing-setup-238862/

 

[jhoneycutt]

Subbed for near future reference.

 

[BigFloyd]

You can dispense with that, but not force carb. You'll just have to first prime the beer with sugar solution and let it sit at room temp a few weeks before chilling. Plenty of people do that with those sorts of setups.