Mini keg woes

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bquiggerz

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Hello everyone,
Last night I tapped my mini keg for the first time. The beer dispensed great, but it was almost flat, I don't know what I did wrong but I'm rather annoyed because its my first all grain. I think I'm going to bottle from the kegs and prime the bottles.
 
How much priming sugar did you use? Can only be that or not stored warm enough to carb really. If there was a pressure leak somewhere, it wouldn't dispense I wouldn't have thought.

If you only recently kegged, i'd leave it warm for another week and try it again. Might just not have finished carbing up.
 
bquiggerz said:
The beer dispensed great, but it was almost flat, I don't know what I did wrong but I'm rather annoyed because its my first all grain. I think I'm going to bottle from the kegs and prime the bottles.
Click to expand...

EXACTLY my experience. It was my second AG brew and I bought a brand new mini-keg starter kit from ebay. Primed it on the high side of the recommendations and after four weeks I pressed the lever and it literally piddled out and stopped with about 50cc delivered. Totally flat. I put some co2 in and it came out fine and lively, but in a couple of hours, and no more delivery there was no more gas left. It has been like that ever since. I complained and the seller refunded me the total price and declined to have me send the stuff back. Said he couldn't sell it once used so it was no good to him. I have tried again to re-seal all the parts and check the washers. Put a smear of vaseline on the 'O rings' and plugs. Re-primed - waited - just the same again. The set up leaks gas and I am on my second keg now so I can't see them as much use unless you are going to drink the whole keg pretty soon like with your pals or something. Useless and disappointing.
 
Just so everyone knows by mini kegs I mean the small, metal 5 litre kegs. It dispenses fine but it just isn't carbonated. I think I've left too much head space to be honest. Oh well lesson learned. It's not totally flat. Just not as fizzy as it should be. I'll just call it a mildly hoppy ale. Then its fine ;) haha thanks guys
 
Oh and I used 13 grams of sugar. I'm not fully aware of the priming rates for these kegs yet
 
bquiggerz said:
Oh and I used 13 grams of sugar. I'm not fully aware of the priming rates for these kegs yet
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I used 14g in the same system. The gas generated, just leaks away. There was literally nothing in it when I tried. I carbonate 5 gal Young's kegs all the time and they can blow out at least 4 gallons with 85grams. The last one blew out all but 2 pints without re-priming (38 pints). The mini-keg, properly primed lost all its gas and delivered about an egg cup full. If I blow it full of co2 it will deliver a pint or so, but if there is any time between blowing it full of gas and delivering the beer - say overnight or a few hours, and all the pressure has gone. Hopeless. If I hadn't been refunded, I'd be hopping mad. If I could fix it, I'd happily send him the money back. I'll try and submerge it in a bath of water and see where the co2 is escaping. It is certainly getting out somewhere.

EDIT: Corrected typo - primed with 14gr NOT 24 as previously mistyped.
 
I think I'm going to check the dip tube if that's what it's called for flashing as I can hear a tiny leak. Overall they're good I just think I have to get the hang of them. My advice would be don't cheap and and get the cheapest tap. Go for the more expensive one. I hear they're better.
 
Personally iv had nothing but great results from my 5 litre kegs. I prime at 3 heaped tea spoons and left for 1 week at temps above 20c. Perfect carbonation every time. Works for me chaps
 
RobsHomebrew said:
Personally iv had nothing but great results from my 5 litre kegs. I prime at 3 heaped tea spoons and left for 1 week at temps above 20c. Perfect carbonation every time. Works for me chaps
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I'm sure that many people get your experience Rob. That's what my supplier said, and I believe him, but you can google the subject and find other people like me and bquiggerz - numbers of them who find their system won't hold any pressure and just wastes the natural carbonation and the co2 bulbs we use. I will try and sort out mine - I already have - took the thing completely apart, vaselined the washers, checked the dip tube, set it up again and exactly the same. Total wash out as far as I am concerned. Others may find they get a working system. I just didn't. It will certainly dispense when I shoot a co2 bulb into it, but I can pressurise it now at 22.15, leave it alone, and by the morning, it is empty of gas. Quality control maybe? I don't know, but it doesn't hold pressure. Very disappointed I was.
 
Tony1951 said:
I'm sure that many people get your experience Rob. That's what my supplier said, and I believe him, but you can google the subject and find other people like me and bquiggerz - numbers of them who find their system won't hold any pressure and just wastes the natural carbonation and the co2 bulbs we use. I will try and sort out mine - I already have - took the thing completely apart, vaselined the washers, checked the dip tube, set it up again and exactly the same. Total wash out as far as I am concerned. Others may find they get a working system. I just didn't. It will certainly dispense when I shoot a co2 bulb into it, but I can pressurise it now at 22.15, leave it alone, and by the morning, it is empty of gas. Quality control maybe? I don't know, but it doesn't hold pressure. Very disappointed I was.
Click to expand...

uhmmmmm. very frustrating im sure. have you tried turning the gas off after each pour??? give it a try if not
 
Hi guys, new here but your problems caught my eye. Try pressurizing an empty keg and leak test it with slightly soapy water or place it into a bath or tub full of water, any leakage should show up. Any gas escaping should be easily spotted and will at least show you where the problem/s are.
 
Thanks for the tip.

I think I might have got to the bottom of my problem. I think it might have been a problem of how the rubber bung sealed around the opening of the keg. I took a previously leaking keg, put some more sugar syrup in it (dosed to the identical level as before) rubbed Vaseline around the grove that mates with the keg, sealed it and left it a month. Result..... Great pressure and it holds the gas now. If I can replicate that on the next fill, I will send the money back to the supplier.
 
Resurrecting this thread as I know a few of you have these.

What are your overall impressions with them?

Has anyone used Nitrous Oxide in these? I've a Guinness Clone brewing and wondering will the pints come out creamy like draught Guinness.
 
ManseMasher said:
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-s...-legal-and-what-are-the-effects-10174982.html



Are you sure you mean Nitrous Oxide mate? Might have some 'interesting' results!!
Click to expand...

I thought that was the ingredient :D Maybe it's Nitrous Dioxide or just Nitrogen in those little bulbs.

I still plan to go down the Corney Keg route but I think these would be handy for smaller batches, refridgerating and transporting. They also seem a cheap and easy way to get Nitrogen into the beer for a creamy stout.

Just wondering if anyone has tried N bulbs with these and how they feel about the mini keg system in general.
 
http://www.homebrewwest.ie/nitrogen-bulbs-8-grm-heimo-10-per-box-894-p.asp


GlentoranMark said:
I thought that was the ingredient :D Maybe it's Nitrous Dioxide or just Nitrogen in those little bulbs.

I still plan to go down the Corney Keg route but I think these would be handy for smaller batches, refridgerating and transporting. They also seem a cheap and easy way to get Nitrogen into the beer for a creamy stout.

Just wondering if anyone has tried N bulbs with these and how they feel about the mini keg system in general.
Click to expand...

Try these mate.
 
Just wondering, but can this tap system be used with normal mini kegs that I've bought commercial beer in?
 
Antony said:
Just wondering, but can this tap system be used with normal mini kegs that I've bought commercial beer in?
Click to expand...

Some you can re-use, I think it was [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tA9ZLNQhrgg"]this video [/ame]that showed but these mini kegs only cost £5.99 empty while around £16 with a branded beer so I'm not sure you'll get any value out of re-using (unless you actually like the beer).

If you brew your own (and we all do!) then £5.99 isn't much to fill it with beer that will cost maybe £4, that makes more sense.
 

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