Soon to be kegging, here comes the questions.

[Sherlock]

Also, keep in mind that the gas dip tube is REALLY short, so unless you are really looking for it you could miss it.

Thanks for the info guys. Yup Rob you are right on, I was just looking in the keg from the top and completely missed the gas in tube, felt around & it was there.

Got it all disassembled & cleaned then sanitized. Took some messing around with the lid & lid O-ring but finally got it holding pressure[crosses fingers]. Hoping to have it ready in another 1.5 days(Saturday night) so I racked into it & cranked up the psi to 30 and shook, took a break while it refilled, shook & repeated for... a couple times, disconnected everything & put keg into shower while I went to my pt time night job incase crossing my fingers for the seals didn't work.

And the reason for this ramble: I poured my 1st pint! (of my 1st AG IPA that wound up a double cause I planned on a horrible efficiency and got more)

Ok, 1st I dialed down the pressure to like 2psi and attempted to pour a glass. What I didn¡'t realize was that those picnic taps ends screw in & mine wasn¡'t... so yea... beer EVERYWHERE as i'm looking at the picnic tap thinking ¡t's not depressed why isn't it stopping? Then I scrambled to shut off the CO2 and that did nothing to stop the flow. Then I undid the liquid out disconnect and that stopped the beer hemorrhage. Another moment of my life I wish I had on video.

Bottom line, got myself a slightly undercarbonated glass(with plenty of foam) of an 8.6abv IPA in my and my attention span is little to none. Using my trial version of Promash I got the keg now set up at 62*f and a heavy 16psi to get it up to 2 volumes of CO2. Think it¡¦ll be go to go for Saturday night? The plan is to get it to location ~3pm, throw it on ice & dial down the psi to get a decent pour by 6pm. Unfortunately I¡¦m expecting to blow through all of it that night. Am I on the right track?

[Speyedr]

That sounds like a lot of the things I do for the first time. Beer all over me, and everything else!!

I'd up your pressure and shoot for about 2.5 volumes of CO2, which is pretty standard for US beers. 2 volumes is closer to British styles. If that's what you're going for then you're right on, but IMO most "normal" beer drinkers (read "drinkers of mass produced US beers") will find 2 volumes under carbonated the same way they find 42f "warm" for beer.

Whatever you do, have fun 'cause you're keggin' BABY!!

Rob

[Sherlock]

Yup, I did wind up bumping it up to 2.5vols. It went over well at the party.

Though I am going to get a guage cage or do something different before the next party as... well... the birthday girl wound up completely bombed and fell into the closet holding the co2 tank & regulator. I got lucky besides a small hole in the wall I think it's ok. I was able to pop the guage lense back in. We'll find out if that guage works or not when my CO2 runs out.

[beer_bear]

I have a question about the high pressure guage and a 5# cylander. It seems that you don't get much more than 600lbs in there from the start. I was wandering how low you let it get before you refill it. It shows the need to be refilled at 500lbs.

[Speyedr]

I have a question about the high pressure guage and a 5# cylander. It seems that you don't get much more than 600lbs in there from the start. I was wandering how low you let it get before you refill it. It shows the need to be refilled at 500lbs.

As I understand it, that gauge is pretty useless because the CO2 is in liquid form under high pressure, so it will read 600PSI until the all the liquid is almost gone and the pressure is low enough to allow the last of it to turn back to gas. Once it does, you will not have long to wait before you need a refill. I'd suggest that you refill it after the pressure starts to drop as there really is not much left in there at that point.

Of course, I may be wrong..

[Speyedr]

Yup, I did wind up bumping it up to 2.5vols. It went over well at the party.

Though I am going to get a guage cage or do something different before the next party as... well... the birthday girl wound up completely bombed and fell into the closet holding the co2 tank & regulator. I got lucky besides a small hole in the wall I think it's ok. I was able to pop the guage lense back in. We'll find out if that guage works or not when my CO2 runs out.

Sounds like you all had a blast!

You may want to pick up a portable CO2 solution just for dispensing at parties, like this one at B3 http://morebeer.com/product.html?product_id=18301.

My LHBS has the same thing. It's just a small CO2 injector like the use for bike tires, but with a connector for the gas disconnect. You'd go through 3-5 CO2 cartridges per 5gal keg if I remember correctly. It's much easier and safer than having to lug around a tank and regulator.

Rob

[Bugeater]

You may want to pick up a portable CO2 solution just for dispensing at parties, like this one at B3 http://morebeer.com/product.html?product_id=18301.

If you do use one of these at a party like the last, keep the injector in your pocket and just give the keg a shot when someone complains about the beer not pouring. Otherwise you sill get people giving the keg a blast of CO2 everytime they pour a glass, resullting in lots of foam and way too many empty CO2 cartridges. I have done research of this phenomenon.

You dispensing pressure will keep dropping low, but the keg will be pretty much empty before you start losing carbonation. Also by the time the keg starts losing carbonation, the guests will be in no shape to notice.

Wayne
Bugeater Brewing Company