Do I have a faulty pressure barrel valve?

[walker0611]

Hope someone can save me from further heartbreak! After bottling my first few brews I invested in a pressure barrel with an S30 valve for my Christmas brew. Took extra care with temperatures and everything and was really excited about cracking it when my beer loving step-father arrived on Christmas Eve. The moment duly arrived, opened the tap, got about a pint and a half then it dwindled to a trickle and a big glug of air went up through the tap. Now I am a novice, but I knew this was not good. First reaction was to inject some CO2 - just a quick one second shot as strictly instructed by the very helpful proprietor of Cheers in Cheam. Was a bit perturbed with the hissing gas coming out under the little plastic ring on the valve but assumed I had put too much gas in a more or less full keg. Left it a few minutes then tried again. Same again - less than a pint then that glug of air going in. Carried on like this for the evening injecting more CO2 every time I poured a pint. Beer (Wherry) got a bit fizzy but was still pretty good. But by Christmas day it was already starting to 'turn' and by Boxing Day, not worth drinking and could have cried when I poured about 30 pints down the sink. Did I doing something wrong? I have now got another brew and think I will have to return to bottles, which are a bit a fiddle. But I would rather stick with the keg if there is an easy solution. Assuming it is the plastic ring that retains the gas and vents it if it gets too great, it is hard to see what can really be wrong with it. I would be very grateful for any advice.
Mark

 

[RobWalker]

is it in the cold? if so that might be your problem - its hard to force carbonate cold beer.

 

[walker0611]

Ah, that's interesting. It had been outside for a few days to help it clear and only just brought in, so, iirc correctly, probably 7-8 degrees. But it had been inside for around 24 hours when I tried again on Christmas day and the gas still seemed mostly to leak out of valve when I injected some more CO2.

 

[eggman]

I'd check the tightness of the valve on the lid if it's the first time you're using it, they tend to come only finger tight and just need a slight tighten with a wrench.
Also i'd check that the rubber on the gas relief valve is seated ok, it should be covering a small hole.
Did you put vaseline on the seals of the keg? If not have a read up on setting your barrel up properly before next time
:

 

[stu brew]

You may need to put some vasilen around the seals before you refit the cap mate then put more co in and retest by mixing 2 parts washing up liquid with 1 part water then fill your keg with co then spay / brush mix around the the cap and keg if it's leaking then it will bubble up

 

[walker0611]

Thanks guys. Yes, I tightened the valve and vasolined the seals. Pretty sure its coming from the hole under the silicone(?) collar as it stops if I put my finger over the little hole. Wondered about tying a bit of string round the collar covering the hole to increase the pressure needed to blow gas out - reckon the pressure needed to stretch the string to vent excess gas would still be considerably less than needed to blow the keg?