Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: Most frustrating waste of beer ever  (Read 5146 times)

Offline Wheat_Brewer

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 240
  • Bad Bunny Brewing
Most frustrating waste of beer ever
« on: June 05, 2014, 08:32:49 am »
Just needed to vent as it's been killing me ever since I discovered it last night.

I kegged 5 gallons of my Belgian Blonde and started the forced carbonation process. When I shut the chest freezer lid all was well, but apparently the 50 cent beer tap for dispensing my beer had the smallest of leaks...between the pressure for force carbonation and 24 hours of me not checking it the tap leaked about 2 gallons of beer one drip at a time into the bottom of my chest freezer...and drained my CO2 tank (which was close to being done anyways).

Again, just needed to vent and cry on some virtual shoulders.
AHA Lifetime Member

Offline Stevie

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 6858
Re: Most frustrating waste of beer ever
« Reply #1 on: June 05, 2014, 08:36:03 am »
Happened to me once as well.


Note to self - do not attach a picnic tap with the pressure turned way up.

Offline chumley

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1212
Re: Most frustrating waste of beer ever
« Reply #2 on: June 05, 2014, 08:47:11 am »
That's why I pretty much stick to the rock'n'roll method of force carbing anymore.

Or, if I am in no hurry, I hit the keg with maximum pressure for a couple of seconds, then walk away.  After a week of that, it will get to the right level (as checked with a pressure gauge).

Offline Jimmy K

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 3643
  • Delaware
Re: Most frustrating waste of beer ever
« Reply #3 on: June 05, 2014, 09:19:38 am »
Picnic tap? You probably shouldn't trust those to hold force carbonating pressures. That's too bad.  :(
Delmarva United Homebrewers - President by inverse coup - former president ousted himself.
AHA Member since 2006
BJCP Certified: B0958

Offline denny

  • Administrator
  • Retired with too much time on my hands
  • *****
  • Posts: 27129
  • Noti OR [1991.4, 287.6deg] AR
    • Dennybrew
Re: Most frustrating waste of beer ever
« Reply #4 on: June 05, 2014, 10:03:19 am »
Picnic tap? You probably shouldn't trust those to hold force carbonating pressures. That's too bad.  :(

FWIW, I use nothing but picnic taps and force carb and there's never been a problem.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline redbeerman

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1849
  • On the banks of the mighty Susquehanna in MD
Re: Most frustrating waste of beer ever
« Reply #5 on: June 05, 2014, 10:26:26 am »
Picnic tap? You probably shouldn't trust those to hold force carbonating pressures. That's too bad.  :(

FWIW, I use nothing but picnic taps and force carb and there's never been a problem.
Ron lost 5 gallons of RIS force carbing at 30psi I believe with a picnic tap attached.  There is a max pressure for the tap, 15 psi comes to mind, although it's not in stone and I have had mine up to 30 psi before with no problems.
CH3CH2OH - Without it, life itself would be impossible.

[441, 112.1deg] AR

Jim

Offline morticaixavier

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 7781
  • Underhill VT
    • The Best Artist in the WORLD!!!!!
Re: Most frustrating waste of beer ever
« Reply #6 on: June 05, 2014, 10:46:34 am »
Picnic tap? You probably shouldn't trust those to hold force carbonating pressures. That's too bad.  :(

FWIW, I use nothing but picnic taps and force carb and there's never been a problem.

+1, except once when the tap had a hairline crack. That was thankfully quite minor ( < 1 pint)
"Creativity is the residue of wasted time"
-A Einstein

"errors are [...] the portals of discovery"
- J Joyce

Offline Wheat_Brewer

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 240
  • Bad Bunny Brewing
Re: Most frustrating waste of beer ever
« Reply #7 on: June 05, 2014, 10:55:09 am »
Picnic tap? You probably shouldn't trust those to hold force carbonating pressures. That's too bad.  :(

FWIW, I use nothing but picnic taps and force carb and there's never been a problem.

+1, except once when the tap had a hairline crack. That was thankfully quite minor ( < 1 pint)

I took the picnic tap apart after I discovered the leak and found the spring inside of it was sticking. I assume it stuck just enough to leave a small gap that, with the pressure, slowly leaked :(
AHA Lifetime Member

Offline Joe Sr.

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 4467
  • Chicago - NORTH SIDE
Re: Most frustrating waste of beer ever
« Reply #8 on: June 05, 2014, 11:20:38 am »
I carb without a tap attached, so my picnic taps have never been a cause of lost beer.

I have had a poppet leak, though.  Didn't lose much, but had a sticky beer floor.

That was post-carbonating, though.  I think the poppet stuck slightly open after I removed a tap.
It's all in the reflexes. - Jack Burton

Offline denny

  • Administrator
  • Retired with too much time on my hands
  • *****
  • Posts: 27129
  • Noti OR [1991.4, 287.6deg] AR
    • Dennybrew
Re: Most frustrating waste of beer ever
« Reply #9 on: June 05, 2014, 11:25:18 am »

Ron lost 5 gallons of RIS force carbing at 30psi I believe with a picnic tap attached.  There is a max pressure for the tap, 15 psi comes to mind, although it's not in stone and I have had mine up to 30 psi before with no problems.

I wasn't aware that there was a pressure rating for the taps.  I've done hundreds of kegs at 30-35 psi, so I must have been lucky.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline Joe Sr.

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 4467
  • Chicago - NORTH SIDE
Re: Most frustrating waste of beer ever
« Reply #10 on: June 05, 2014, 11:30:09 am »

Ron lost 5 gallons of RIS force carbing at 30psi I believe with a picnic tap attached.  There is a max pressure for the tap, 15 psi comes to mind, although it's not in stone and I have had mine up to 30 psi before with no problems.

I wasn't aware that there was a pressure rating for the taps.  I've done hundreds of kegs at 30-35 psi, so I must have been lucky.

I have a picnic tap on my root beer, which is at 40 psi (IIRC).  Of course the dispensing line is REALLY long so the pressure at tap has got to be a lot less.
It's all in the reflexes. - Jack Burton

Offline klickitat jim

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8604
Re: Most frustrating waste of beer ever
« Reply #11 on: June 05, 2014, 11:38:13 am »
I want to thank you guys for reminding me that my Bing Quadsby has been force carbing at 33ยบ for a week. Probably time to take a sample and take it off co2

Offline gmac

  • Brewmaster General
  • *******
  • Posts: 2165
  • London, Ontario
Re: Most frustrating waste of beer ever
« Reply #12 on: June 05, 2014, 01:44:59 pm »
I shut the freezer lid once and I guess I jarred something and somehow got the tap pinched between two kegs and emptied one into the bottom of the freezer.  It was full so I had the pleasure of mopping out 5 gals of beer from the freezer. 
After that I stopped leaving the tap on when not in use for a bit but I went back to it until I got my keezer built.  Live and Learn I guess.

Offline bluesman

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8825
  • Delaware
Re: Most frustrating waste of beer ever
« Reply #13 on: June 06, 2014, 10:37:01 am »
Picnic tap? You probably shouldn't trust those to hold force carbonating pressures. That's too bad.  :(

FWIW, I use nothing but picnic taps and force carb and there's never been a problem.
Ron lost 5 gallons of RIS force carbing at 30psi I believe with a picnic tap attached.  There is a max pressure for the tap, 15 psi comes to mind, although it's not in stone and I have had mine up to 30 psi before with no problems.

It was actually 50 psi. In any event, I recommend NOT using a connected picnic tap or beer line to the keg at excessively high pressures. Another factor to consider is the integrity of the o-ring and keeping the post o-ring connection area clean and free of debris as this can potentially prevent a good seal to the post/connector interface.
Ron Price

Offline beerocd

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1429
Re: Most frustrating waste of beer ever
« Reply #14 on: June 08, 2014, 09:48:07 am »
Did it once, mopped it all up into a bucket and dumped it in the garden. Could be coincidence but I had an awesome crop that year.

Sent from my SM-P600 using Tapatalk

The moral majority, is neither.