Beer Forum

I just kegged my first beer. I had more beer than I thought I would, it almost filled the keg to the top, and left probably 1 to 2 inches of head space. I have a dual gauge regulator, from what I understand the one on the left hand side reads tank pressure and the on top of the regulator reads the keg pressure.
The problem: When I turn on the gas, I haven't noticed the gauge on the left move at all. The gauge on the top just keeps going up unless I turn it off. I've tightend the screw all the way down, I've tried playing with it loosening it and tightening it, and still as soon as I turn the gas on the top gauge goes above my desired psi. So I've turned it on till it hit 30 psi and turned it off a few days in a row, and now even though the gas is off it shows about 10 psi, and when I draw off the keg from the picnic tap it seems like it's carbonated ok. I get a nice head and the beer seems good.
Any ideas? Or could someone direct me somewhere I can find regulator specific answers. I've looked through the "Brand spanking new to kegging" thread but not come accross this issue.

Well, tightening the adjustment screw will raise the psi set point. You want to back the screw off until its almost completely out (if it comes out, it automatically shuts down the valve). Bleed off the excess gas in the head space of the keg, turn on the gas, and slowly turn the screw to bring it up to your deisred psi. You should hear CO2 flowing. If your screw is out (or almost out) and your presure is still high, you may have a bad regulator.

Hope this helps, let us know-

In addition to what he said, you want to do a few bleeds to make sure all O2 is purged from the keg. Pump it full of 10ps, bleed, fill, bleed, fill, bleed. Then set it to carbonate.

Good luck!

I have the same problem sometimes too. The gauge that ready keg pressure just keeps rising until the safety relief releases the pressure and it starts rising again (and again, and again). I didn't notice the problem the first time it happened and ended up losing a 20lb tank of CO2 (now I check often). Mine also did this regardless of what I set the pressure to. I think it may be a bad regulator. I keep the CO2 tank in the fridge with the kegs, and I've noticed that if everything is chilled it doesn't happen. Don't ask me what this means or how to fix it. Maybe someone smarter than I will respond.

BayouBrew wrote:I think it may be a bad regulator.

+1. It's a paperweight now.


Mylo

Thanks for the responses. I'll try loosening the screw and see if I can get it too work. Otherwise, paperweight.

Bewm I've been watching your avatar for the last 5 minutes. What were we talking about?