Problems with my first beer!

[gtfletcher]

would just like to start out by saying i am a noob so please be gentle!

i have been brewing my own wine for just under a year and i wanted to try brewing my own beer so recently purchase a king keg top tap and a better brew yorkshire bitter kit. successfully made the bitter and transferred it into my king keg and followed heating and cooling instructions to the letter! the first few pints were very frothy but it settled down nicely and got a cracking head on all the pints there after! the problem i am having now is the beer isn't coming out of the tap anymore so i have come to use my co2 capsules for the first time. i am using the ones that came with the keg (mosa 8g soda chargers combined with young's co2 holder) but when i attach them to the top of the keg there is a lot of hissing coming from the valve and i am able to pour approximately 1-1.5 pints from the keg before it stops. am i doing something wrong?! are these the wrong capsules!? is there a piece of kit i am missing?!

any help/tips/advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[RobWalker]

Are you keeping it cool? It's hard to carbonate at low temps, for a plastic keg to work the ale should be "cool" and not "cold."

The valve would be the pressure release. Do you have a LHBS? I'd personally take it up there for them to have a quick look at, see if anything's up. It's a bit strange that it's obviously holding pressure but won't release it through the tap..

 

[BarnsleyBrewer]

Hi, Welcome to THBF. :thumb:
When carbonating a keg with sugar you'll be lucky to get more than 3 pints out per session without the need for gassing up one way or another..
You might be better off investing in a small Hambleton Bard gas bottle and a S30 gas valve for the lid..
Gas bottle

S30 valve

BB :drink:

 

[Easy Peasie]

Have you checked the rubber band on the underside of the lid, sometimes while recharging it has a tendency to blow off if not fitted correctly(needs to be pushed above the lip) it might be swimming somewhere in your brew, they do float though.

 

[gtfletcher]

Are you keeping it cool? It's hard to carbonate at low temps, for a plastic keg to work the ale should be "cool" and not "cold."

The valve would be the pressure release. Do you have a LHBS? I'd personally take it up there for them to have a quick look at, see if anything's up. It's a bit strange that it's obviously holding pressure but won't release it through the tap..

yes its been kept at around 12-14 degrees in the pantry, i do have a LHBS so will pop down at the weekend and see if they can find anything wrong with it! gives me an excuse to start planning my next batch too!

Have you checked the rubber band on the underside of the lid, sometimes while recharging it has a tendency to blow off if not fitted correctly(needs to be pushed above the lip) it might be swimming somewhere in your brew, they do float though.

i'll have a quick look for this when i get home tonight!

Hi, Welcome to THBF. :thumb:
When carbonating a keg with sugar you'll be lucky to get more than 3 pints out per session without the need for gassing up one way or another..
You might be better off investing in a small Hambleton Bard gas bottle and a S30 gas valve for the lid..
Gas bottle

S30 valve

BB :drink:

another noob question! lol! whats the difference between that and the valve i have as they look identical!?

 

[gtfletcher]

just been keg fishing and it discovered that the top of the float had popped off so it was completely submerged. re-seated it and it seems to have done the trick! will have to pour several pints to test that theory however! shame! :drink:

 

[thejesmonddingo]

In answer to your question about the valve,the Sparklets type ones have a pin in the centre at the top to pierce the bulb,the S30s don't.Some valves can be dismantled and the pin removed,leaving you with an S30.HTH
Ian

 

[gtfletcher]

thanks for the clarification! might look into switching to an s30 valve once i have used up all my current bulbs! i am assuming they are relativley easy to swap over?!

 

[jonnymorris]

If the valve on your KK lid has a pin with a tiny hole in it you should be fine with the little bulbs. However, it could be that you already have an S30 valve which won't accept the bulbs.

Re your float... this happens to mine every time and is a real PITA. I'm using bottles at the mo but when I next keg I plan on strapping the float together with cable ties.

 

[gtfletcher]

Re your float... this happens to mine every time and is a real PITA. I'm using bottles at the mo but when I next keg I plan on strapping the float together with cable ties.

good to know its not just me that has had a problem with the float! if it happens again i will probably use a cable tie to hold it together!