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Author Topic: one keg flat others fine same conditions  (Read 1332 times)

Offline abastard

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one keg flat others fine same conditions
« on: October 15, 2020, 07:17:44 pm »
I have been kegging my beer for 20 years or so. I currently have a kegerator with 8 cornys, 6 on tap at a time. All at same pressure and same temperature. Two levels. Every now and then I get a beer that just tastes flat. All the other beers pour perfectly and are perfectly carbonated. Right now, two are flat. One has been on gas for 6 weeks, the other 2-3 weeks. I made up a tester with pressure gage connected to a ball lock, measured pressure in kegs. Same (15 PSI) for both good and flat beers. Temp is 45F. One flat beer is on top level, one on bottom. All lines are 3/16, vary in length from 8' to about 12', but no correlation to carbonation. I have four regular Perle faucets, 2 with flow control. One of the flat beers is on flow control, one on regular. FC is set to about full on. This is driving me crazy! Can there be something different about the beer? Or is it perception? Very little bubbles coming up, no head, tastes flat. Others are just what you would expect for a perfect pour.

Offline joe_meadmaker

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Re: one keg flat others fine same conditions
« Reply #1 on: October 16, 2020, 08:45:24 am »
That's a strange problem.  It definitely sounds like you've covered most of the bases.

I have no idea what the problem is, but I can tell you what I would do next to continue investigating.  I would pick out a keg in the kegerator that's working normally and is almost empty.  Start drinking that one and get it kicked.  Clean it up and move one of the beers that's having trouble to that keg.  This way you know with basically 100% certainty that the keg itself isn't contributing to the problem in some way.  Hook the keg back up to a known working line and faucet, again this could be the same one that was working with the previous beer.  Give the (problem) beer a while under pressure on the new line and faucet, then give it a test.

If the problem continues, my suspect would be something about the beer.  Maybe something about the nature of it requires a higher PSI.  If the beer is okay after the keg switch, then the problem has to be before the keg.  But you mentioned that you checked the keg pressure, so I would think that unlikely.

Offline abastard

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Re: one keg flat others fine same conditions
« Reply #2 on: October 16, 2020, 09:46:57 am »
Thank you, Joe. I will try that. I guess I better have a party because none of my kegs is very low.

Offline Kevin

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Re: one keg flat others fine same conditions
« Reply #3 on: October 16, 2020, 07:35:17 pm »
plugged gas poppet or plugged gas line?
“He was a wise man who invented beer.”
- Plato

Offline joe_meadmaker

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Re: one keg flat others fine same conditions
« Reply #4 on: October 16, 2020, 10:12:14 pm »
Thank you, Joe. I will try that. I guess I better have a party because none of my kegs is very low.

If you're anywhere near western PA, I'm game.  :D

Offline abastard

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Re: one keg flat others fine same conditions
« Reply #5 on: October 17, 2020, 09:46:51 am »
Kevin, thanks for your response. I considered that and that is why I tested the pressure in the keg. Disconnected the gas line and hooked up a pressure gage instead. It read the same pressure as the other kegs in the fridge.

I am thinking that it may be perception. The two beers that I think are flat are both malty, and ESB and an Oktoberfest. I also have a Doppelbock on tap which I think is well carbonated but my wife thinks it is undercarbed. All my other beers are less malty, more dry. Maybe I need to boost the pressure on malty beers. I do have a dual pressure system, but normally keep them all the same.