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Author Topic: What am I doing wrong?!  (Read 1904 times)

Offline Wheat_Brewer

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What am I doing wrong?!
« on: October 23, 2010, 10:38:39 am »
I just got into kegging and at first thought it was the best idea ever!  I checked all my kegs for leaks like I was supposed to, was gifted a brand new regulator, tubing, and a CO2 canister (a small one but still).  Got everything hooked up and running like it was supposed to be and dispensing perfectly.  A couple of weeks later with the same beer, about half gone, my CO2 canister is completely empty and the beer is barely being pushed out.  It's still under some pressure because it is being slightly pushed...and when I pull the relief valve there's an escape of gas, but how am I completely out of CO2 already?  Am I doing something wrong?!
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Offline cheba420

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Re: What am I doing wrong?!
« Reply #1 on: October 23, 2010, 12:15:59 pm »
Doesnt sound like you're doing anything "wrong" providing you dont actually have any leaks. Sounds to me like you just have a very small co2 tank. Whats the size? Was it full when you started using it? Remember, each time you pour a beer, gas is pushed into your keg to displace the beer you pulled. Each time you release the pressure in the keg the same thing happens again. If you carbonated your beer with the co2, that accounts for quite a bit as well. I started with a small tank as well but moved to a larger one as soon as I could. I always keep the little one full so I have a back up when I blow the larger tank. Check for leaks and get a bigger co2 tank!
Matt
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Offline euge

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Re: What am I doing wrong?!
« Reply #2 on: October 23, 2010, 12:29:44 pm »
Is it a 5# tank? And how many kegs?
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Offline bluesman

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Re: What am I doing wrong?!
« Reply #3 on: October 23, 2010, 12:36:34 pm »
Did you use a teflon gasket on the CO2 Tank/regulator connection and did you leak test the setup?
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Offline bluedog

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Re: What am I doing wrong?!
« Reply #4 on: October 23, 2010, 01:01:17 pm »
Unless you have a CO2 tank for a paintball gun, you have a leak somewhere - even a 5 lb canister should last you way longer than a couple of weeks. You can check by spraying a little Starsan solution on the connections, it will foam up. Check the o-ring on the lid of the keg and the posts. Make sure it's not leaking between the canister and the regulator. I have lost a couple of full CO2 canisters to leaks and it's very frustrating not to mention expensive.

Offline timmyr

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Re: What am I doing wrong?!
« Reply #5 on: October 24, 2010, 07:00:55 am »
Been there, done that.  Go mix up some StarSan and fill a spray bottle and spray all your connections.  It will bubble if you have even the smallest leak.  Good luck.  I've sacrificed at least two 5# containers in my early kegging days.
Cheers,

Timmy

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