Help.

[Braufather]

All gone a bit pear shaped recently. After a couple years of it all going rather well everything has gone wrong. A combination of suspected infected kegs, flooding a regulator, and buying a new regulator that has wrong fittings to my untrained eye.

One brew ( not infected so this keg should be ok) clogged the out tube with hop debris and ended up sending beer up the line and out of the regulator. I took it a part and cleaned it and hoped it was ok.

Meanwhile I have a kegged a kit brew (mango jack us pale)into my two suspected infected kegs but can’t carb then, the regulator seems to fill it with gas and I can serve via it, but I think when I dial the regulator back down from carbing pressure most of the gas escapes through release valve at the same time as far as I can tell. At least that’s the only thing that makes sense to me.

Originally I thought it was a leak but I covered with leak detector and no leak, and it happening with all kegs.

I have attached a pic of my new regulator that I am about to send back, but first I thought I would check to see if anyone knows a simple adaption I could do?

It’s a twin but only came with one fitting and that barbed fitting doesn’t fit standard gas line.

Any advice anyone? Very close to giving up brewing! I’ve got a pipeline of brews waiting in fermenters for over five weeks now too.(cold crashing though at least)

 

[Sadfield]

If carbonation is your current sticking point, you could carbonate your corny kegs with sugar whilst you sort the regulator issue. Would keep the beer flowing.

 

[JonBrew]

Sounds to me like you need to slow down. Or maybe even pause for a short while. Packaging beer in kegs you suspect are infected seems a strange move. Maybe you should halt production until you've taken the time to deep clean all your equipment and in particular those kegs.

 

[Braufather]

If carbonation is your current sticking point, you could carbonate your corny kegs with sugar whilst you sort the regulator issue. Would keep the beer flowing.

not a bad idea. Better than bottling.

 

[Braufather]

Sounds to me like you need to slow down. Or maybe even pause for a short while. Packaging beer in kegs you suspect are infected seems a strange move. Maybe you should halt production until you've taken the time to deep clean all your equipment and in particular those kegs.

I have other kegs and the suspected ones have beer already in at the moment. Still a twang but flat and I am not sure if thats the kit or left over infection. Might carb them with sugar just to see.

Anyone any ideas about that regulator?

 

[An Ankoù]

Don't know squat about kegs, but I've never heard of an infection that makes your beer go flat.

 

[Braufather]

There are two issues. A suspected infection and the second issue of a faulty regulator and a new one with wrong fittings. Hence the images.

 

[Ghillie]

Kegs are stainless, very easy to disassemble and clean out - have you done that? Replace all o-rings and seals too. Seems a ballache, but they're not expensive. Would be difficult for any nasties to hide in a stainless keg that's been stripped and cleaned.

Carbonation - What temps and pressures are you running at? If you can hear all the gas escaping through the regulator when you dial the pressure back, that would indicate that the gas hasn't been absorbed into the beer. Could mean either of two things: it's not been left long enough and/or the beer isn't cold enough. How long are you leaving it before dealing back and what is the temperature? Have you filled an empty keg with gas? Your gas in tube might be clogged with *****, it happens. But it's not common. The flooded regulator my well be good for the bucket. It's very possible it's not actually reading the true pressure.

I'd be inclined to send that regulator back and get something both quality and sold by a reputable online retailer. This is an example of the one I have and it's never skipped a beat. It's extremely simple and it works. Malt Miller are out of stock but here it is on eBay:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ODL-Prem...865131&hash=item5b5048f033:g:-nQAAOSwCHBbGnc0
Don't give up pal, we'll get you through this! But keep it simple. One bottle of gas, one regulator, one keg. Get that right and start building up again. Good luck!

 

[Braufather]

Kegs are stainless, very easy to disassemble and clean out - have you done that? Replace all o-rings and seals too. Seems a ballache, but they're not expensive. Would be difficult for any nasties to hide in a stainless keg that's been stripped and cleaned.

Carbonation - What temps and pressures are you running at? If you can hear all the gas escaping through the regulator when you dial the pressure back, that would indicate that the gas hasn't been absorbed into the beer. Could mean either of two things: it's not been left long enough and/or the beer isn't cold enough. How long are you leaving it before dealing back and what is the temperature? Have you filled an empty keg with gas? Your gas in tube might be clogged with *****, it happens. But it's not common. The flooded regulator my well be good for the bucket. It's very possible it's not actually reading the true pressure.

I'd be inclined to send that regulator back and get something both quality and sold by a reputable online retailer. This is an example of the one I have and it's never skipped a beat. It's extremely simple and it works. Malt Miller are out of stock but here it is on eBay:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ODL-Prem...865131&hash=item5b5048f033:g:-nQAAOSwCHBbGnc0
Don't give up pal, we'll get you through this! But keep it simple. One bottle of gas, one regulator, one keg. Get that right and start building up again. Good luck!

haha. That’s the exact one i busted! Also from the MM. Worked a treat until then!

The new one was from geterbrewed, but all the wrong fittings. Gonna send that back and source another.

 

[Braufather]

Kegs are stainless, very easy to disassemble and clean out - have you done that? Replace all o-rings and seals too. Seems a ballache, but they're not expensive. Would be difficult for any nasties to hide in a stainless keg that's been stripped and cleaned.....cleaned to death but didn’t replace o rings.

Carbonation - What temps and pressures are you running at? If you can hear all the gas escaping through the regulator when you dial the pressure back, that would indicate that the gas hasn't been absorbed into the beer. Could mean either of two things: it's not been left long enough and/or the beer isn't cold enough. How long are you leaving it before dealing back and what is the temperature? Have you filled an empty keg with gas? Your gas in tube might be clogged with *****, it happens. But it's not common. The flooded regulator my well be good for the bucket. It's very possible it's not actually reading the true pressure.............................. some good points i think that’s it, I left it for 3 days At about 15psi, when I dialled it down pretty much everything escaped though the valve I think

I'd be inclined to send that regulator back and get something both quality and sold by a reputable online retailer. This is an example of the one I have and it's never skipped a beat. It's extremely simple and it works. Malt Miller are out of stock but here it is on eBay:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ODL-Prem...865131&hash=item5b5048f033:g:-nQAAOSwCHBbGnc0
Don't give up pal, we'll get you through this! But keep it simple. One bottle of gas, one regulator, one keg. Get that right and start building up again. Good luck!
[/QUOTE]

I have a new keg that I will rack half into tommorrow and put half in a suspect keg. Not sure how will carbonate but sugar in the keg might work, or I can purge and leave until I have a new regulator.

thanks for input chaps.

 

[Sadfield]

Have you tried disassembling the ODL Regulator and cleaning it?

 

[BeerCat]

Are you saying after carbing you lower your pressure to serve and gas is escaping from the regulator? Mine would do this and i think its normal. If i want to reduce pressure after force carbing i turn the line off before lowering pressure. Some gas may escape then i turn the line back on and serve. I feel your pain, i have had a few fun times with liquid squirting everywhere and thought i had knackered my regulator when i first got it.

 

[Braufather]

Have you tried disassembling the ODL Regulator and cleaning it?

yes. Cleaned up nicely but still this problem