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Kegerator Community Home  »  Draft Beer Dispensing at Home » Kegerators & Kegerator Kits » Worried about ruining my first keg
Posted:  14 Feb 2011 20:53   Last Edited By: CKO

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Ok so recently I converted an old fridge using a complete keg kit setup i bought online I got my 5 lb CO2 tank filled this morning and went right to the liquor store and bought my first 1/4 barrel of Fat Tire and brought it home. After getting sprayed a little i got it tapped and set my pressure around 10. It has poured nothing but foam and I'm worried about ruining the entire keg. Was I too fast to pour? Should I let it sit until tonight? Its pouring way too fast so I'm pretty sure the pressure is too high.  I have a couple of concerns, the dual gauge regulator reads the pressure properly but the psi gauage reads low or time to refill. Any one able to answer some of my questions?
Posted:  15 Feb 2011 03:05

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Shouldn't have to wait at all. If everything is working properly you should get instant beer pour after the first quarter to half glass or so to get air out of lines.

Check your temperature first off. 90% of beer problems is caused by temp.

After that go through the entire system and double check everything is connected properly. Hearing that you got sprayed a little makes me wonder about the tavern head itself. Wondering if it was engaged while you were tapping it or if you have the wrong coupler. It should be a D style coupler for domestic I believe.

Top gauge should be the one that is set at 12-14PSI IMO and left side gauge should be how much CO2 you have left. 100PSI to run a 1/2 barrel about.

If you have any other info go ahead and post I'll see what I can think up.
Posted:  15 Feb 2011 16:49

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I'm thinking temperature was the problem. The keg was on the warmer side when I brought it home, and and CO2 tank had just been refilled so it was ice cold, because by the evening time after sitting in the fridge all day it was pouring great. I still notice some air in the beer line after letting it sit between pours. I have to clear it out with a little sputtering and foam loss before it pours consitent, is that normal? the sputtering and foam is very minimal and then its pouring great just wondering why the beer line isnt all beer in between pouring.
Posted:  15 Feb 2011 16:52

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Oh and you were right about the getting sprayed part. The D coupler was engaged...I'm a rookie what can I say.
Posted:  15 Feb 2011 22:12

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If you don't use it for a while it can get air in the lines a little, but I usually don't get a lot. You're first pour after it sits usually is a little foamy, but clears fast after.

Go over your system again and make sure all the connections are tight and you have no leaks. Might have something loose.

I figured that's what the spraying was. I'm the draught tech for a distributor and I've had plenty of beer baths on the job.
Posted:  25 Mar 2011 16:04

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the best way is to buy a keg and let it settle in the fridge for 24 hours before tapping it then connect her up and it should be fine if you get gaps in the beer line just increase the pressure slightly