1st time kegging conundrum

[greg301333]

Hey guys, I just kegged for the first time a few weeks ago, and am somewhat baffled. I set the regulator based on the temp/pressure tables at 14 psi @ 40 deg to try and get roughly 2.5V co2. I have backed off the pressure to serve to approx 8 psi, and it pours fine. But it seems flat. Ii realize the set up is not properly balanced, since I assume it would store and serve at the same pressure if it was right, but I'm baffled as to why its flat at whats now 16 psi?

[theobrew]

How long did you let it sit at 14 psi? Did you let it sit for at least 2 weeks?

Knocking it down to 8 psi to serve isn't ideal but shouldn't cause it to go flat.

[brewinhard]

Did you purge the keg a few times after racking and replacing the lid to properly seal/seat the lid before gassing it? If not then you might have a leak.

[greg301333]

As of now, its been at 14 or more psi for maybe 6 weeks. I did purge several times prior to fully seating to lid. I did think about the leak possibility, but its a small tank and I would think would be empty by now if there was one. The tank pressure hasn't changed much, and it will still fly out the the tap at 14 psi, so I have to assume its still under pressure?

[captain carrot]

Turn the gas off and dispense using the pressure in the kegs. Carbonation will drop off eventually.
Adjust your regulator to 10 psi if you need pressure to push the beer.
Good luck!

[spiderwrangler]

Carbonation will drop off eventually.

Isn't his issue that it was coming out flat?

[theobrew]

Carbonation will drop off eventually.

Isn't his issue that it was coming out flat?

Yeah that sounds like his problem.

Have you used dish soap and water in a spray bottle to try and look for leaks?

Your tank pressure will read the same level until it is close to empty and then it will start dropping. Best way to see if the tank is losing air is to weigh it because the pressure stays the same as the liquid co2 turns to gas to equalize the pressure in the tank. That means the weight aka the amount of liquid co2 in the tank will go down while the tank pressure stays the same.

If its not a slow leak somewhere I'm not sure why 14 psi @ 6 weeks has an undercarbonated beer. I'm new to kegging myself but had some carbonation after only a few days.

[BeaverBarber]

kegged beer has a different carbonation to bottled beer. There are smaller and less bubbles in suspension in kegged beer compared to large amount of big bubbles in bottled beer. How flat is it? Are you getting a large head on the beer with some bubbles in the beer? If so, then that's probably all you'll get at those PSIs, which is what I personally like.