Beer Forum

so, I'm trying to keg a batch of beer through a closed transfer and am about to just trash the entire thing and start buying beer again.

I have 5 gallons of beer in a glass carboy. I have a carboy cap on it with my racking cane in.

I have a satitary air filter in one of the carboy cap outlets and to that I have my CO2 hooked up to.

The racking cane comes out the other carboy cap outlet and to the end of that I have a piece of tubing that goes to a beer out connector on the beer out side of the keg. On the other post I just have a gas in connector to vent the keg as it fills since the keg lid doesn't have a PRV.

When I turn the CO2 on nothing happens....the carboy cap starts leaking and when I seal it, no beer is transferred into the keg. If I vent through the carboy cap, there's a loud woosh as the CO2 in the carboy escapes.

so, what the fuck am I doing wrong?

yey, pictures!

Try putting the carboy up on a table higher than the keg. At least you'd have gravity working for you.

Nice VeeDub toys, BTW.

give up. start buying beer again.

San_Diego_Matt wrote:the carboy cap starts leaking and when I seal it, no beer is transferred into the keg

I think you just answered your own question.

Push E sets his CO2 pressure pretty low, like 2 psi, so as not to explode the glass. And having the carboy above the keg will help. Or you can hold your breath, and right before you pass out, blow into the sanitary filter to get it started, then connect the CO2.

Let us know when your equipment is up on Ebay. Obviously Jesus doesn't want you to brew anymore.

The Fool

San_Diego_Matt wrote:so, what the fuck am I doing wrong?

Trying to pressurize a glass carboy.

Seriously, it is a BAD idea. Exploding glass will ruin your day.

Having said that... get the carboy higher than your keg, start the siphon, and then shove the tube on the disconnect. There is more restriction in those disconnects than you may realize, especially when you are trying to transfer beer.

A friend just blew up his carboy on himself and his wife trying this - both went to the hospital (he had 8 or so stitches on one of the cuts) - he is now using Better Bottles. Be very careful pressurizing glass carboys.

+1 on elevating the carboy. I flush the keg with CO2 and leave the center cap off when transferring from the carboy with a hose all the way to the bottom of the keg - have not tried going through the small keg ports as you are doing, but don't know why that should not work.

The more I see posts like this, the more I love Better Bottles!