Newbie question - no beer coming out of kegs to taps

[Jimboscott]

Hi all, this will likely end up being a daft question but I've looked around the forum and can't find a specific answer to this.

I've got 2x9.5l reconditioned corny kegs (a BKT 2 keg starter kit) with a tower tap.

So around 8 days ago I kegged my first beer, hooked up the gas, measured the beer lines (have approx 2m of 3/16 line from kegs to tap). The kegs are under pressure and showing a steady 12/13 PSI on the regulator and the bottle is dispensing gas (can hear it when turned on/off, plus regulator readings and have purged the kegs for upon filling and they're nicely pressurised).

The problem comes that when I have gone to pour a sample, beer isn't coming up through one of the lines, and the other is coming out of the tap as a very slow pour (likely around 2 minutes for a pint) I'm pretty certain I don't have a gas leak and the disconnects are connected to the right posts etc, but does anyone have any ideas?

I'm wondering if the beer out disconnect on the one that won't pour could be the issue? The one that does, albeit slowly, is probably just awaiting full carbonation?

 

[hoppyscotty]

I've got about 3m of 3/6 line at something like 4 degrees and 12 or so PSI and the flow is pretty slow. I keep meaning to shorten the line a bit but haven't got around to it.

It could be your keg liquid line is blocked. It doesn't take much to block one...a bit of dry hop that has got through or some trub thats dropped out of suspension and settled at the bottom of the keg. I've been slowly converting all my serving kegs to floating dip tubes as I'm not filtering as I transfer to keg so inevitably suck up a bit of trub or dry hop from the fermenter as I try to suck up the last drop of beer, so that settles to the bottom of the keg.

 

[Rwilts]

Hi all, this will likely end up being a daft question but I've looked around the forum and can't find a specific answer to this.

I've got 2x9.5l reconditioned corny kegs (a BKT 2 keg starter kit) with a tower tap.

So around 8 days ago I kegged my first beer, hooked up the gas, measured the beer lines (have approx 2m of 3/16 line from kegs to tap). The kegs are under pressure and showing a steady 12/13 PSI on the regulator and the bottle is dispensing gas (can hear it when turned on/off, plus regulator readings and have purged the kegs for upon filling and they're nicely pressurised).

The problem comes that when I have gone to pour a sample, beer isn't coming up through one of the lines, and the other is coming out of the tap as a very slow pour (likely around 2 minutes for a pint) I'm pretty certain I don't have a gas leak and the disconnects are connected to the right posts etc, but does anyone have any ideas?

I'm wondering if the beer out disconnect on the one that won't pour could be the issue? The one that does, albeit slowly, is probably just awaiting full carbonation?

I am.sure it's not the case but having made this mistake last week! Do the taps have flow control? I couldn't work out why my beer wasn't flowing in a very similar system to your to find out that the tap had what I assume is a flow control which was completely closed

 

[Jimboscott]

I am.sure it's not the case but having made this mistake last week! Do the taps have flow control? I couldn't work out why my beer wasn't flowing in a very similar system to your to find out that the tap had what I assume is a flow control which was completely closed

Thanks, no - they don't have flow control. It appears as though the beer simply isn't coming up through the lines and given I didn't dry hop this one, I don't think the beer out post is blocked either. Best guess right now is it's the disconnect. Am going to give the old screwdriver trick a go on the beer out post outside and either get showered or find out if it's the keg!

 

[Jimboscott]

I've got about 3m of 3/6 line at something like 4 degrees and 12 or so PSI and the flow is pretty slow. I keep meaning to shorten the line a bit but haven't got around to it.

It could be your keg liquid line is blocked. It doesn't take much to block one...a bit of dry hop that has got through or some trub thats dropped out of suspension and settled at the bottom of the keg. I've been slowly converting all my serving kegs to floating dip tubes as I'm not filtering as I transfer to keg so inevitably suck up a bit of trub or dry hop from the fermenter as I try to suck up the last drop of beer, so that settles to the bottom of the keg.

Thanks, this is really useful, I do wonder if it's the tube that's blocked but because I didn't dry hop, I'd be relatively surprised. I'll get to the bottom of it one way or another!!

 

[Rwilts]

Thanks, no - they don't have flow control. It appears as though the beer simply isn't coming up through the lines and given I didn't dry hop this one, I don't think the beer out post is blocked either. Best guess right now is it's the disconnect. Am going to give the old screwdriver trick a go on the beer out post outside and either get showered or find out if it's the keg!

What happens if you swap disconnects. Do they swap behaviour?

 

[Jimboscott]

What happens if you swap disconnects. Do they swap behaviour?

Interesting, hadn't thought of trying that! Is this feasible to give a try? If so I'll do it later on..

 

[Rwilts]

Interesting, hadn't thought of trying that! Is this feasible to give a try? If so I'll do it later on..

Reading your initial post I think you have two separate kegs with different issues. If so swap liquid out disconnects over and see if the slow one moves ! Then you will know it's an issue with the disconnects and lines. If it is still not flowing at all and the other is still slow you know it's the kegs

 

[Jimboscott]

Reading your initial post I think you have two separate kegs with different issues. If so swap liquid out disconnects over and see if the slow one moves ! Then you will know it's an issue with the disconnects and lines. If it is still not flowing at all and the other is still slow you know it's the kegs

Ok cool, that makes sense. I'll give this a try over lunch and see where I get to!

 

[Rwilts]

Ok cool, that makes sense. I'll give this a try over lunch and see where I get to!

I thought of something else ... What temp are the kegs at? Is it possible that the beer is frozen ? (Don't ask me how I know this can happen)

 

[Jimboscott]

They're at 2c according to my inkfish probe which is at the side of the keg... I hope they're not frozen

 

[Rwilts]

They're at 2c according to my inkfish probe which is at the side of the keg... I hope they're not frozen

Inset my temp at 5 last week and it froze the beer , at least sufficient to stop dispensing, raised a few degrees and itvfreed up

 

[Jimboscott]

Inset my temp at 5 last week and it froze the beer , at least sufficient to stop dispensing, raised a few degrees and itvfreed up

So.. the plot thickens. Still have issues but can identify where the issue is now.

So I removed the beer out disconnect and swapped them over, everything still the same, have one tap doing a tiny bit and the other nothing.

So then i Removed the disconnects and pushed down on the beer out valve/posts and beer sprayed out (had a slight shower!) so the kegs all good.

I've then pushed down on the disconnect pins that connect to the keg valve and they threw some beer out too.

So that must mean, it's the John guest fittings that connect between the disconnect and the beer line, right? Would explain why the lines are empty even when the taps are on so somehow the beer isn't making it from disconnect to beer line

Not sure on next steps but a start...

Edit... No, I'm thinking it may be the tap? So... I took the plung and just popped the beer line out of the disconnect and while it p**sed everywhere, it shows that for some reason the line isn't drawing fluid through it. Bizarre...

 

[Rwilts]

So.. the plot thickens. Still have issues but can identify where the issue is now.

So I removed the beer out disconnect and swapped them over, everything still the same, have one tap doing a tiny bit and the other nothing.

So then i Removed the disconnects and pushed down on the beer out valve/posts and beer sprayed out (had a slight shower!) so the kegs all good.

I've then pushed down on the disconnect pins that connect to the keg valve and they threw some beer out too.

So that must mean, it's the John guest fittings that connect between the disconnect and the beer line, right? Would explain why the lines are empty even when the taps are on so somehow the beer isn't making it from disconnect to beer line

Not sure on next steps but a start...

Sounds very odd. Do you have different JG fittings you can swap out?

 

[Jimboscott]

Sounds very odd. Do you have different JG fittings you can swap out?

I've just edited my post, apologies.. working my way up and it's something at the line/tap end, I just don't understand what could cause it not to push the beer up the line?

 

[Rwilts]

I've just edited my post, apologies.. working my way up and it's something at the line/tap end, I just don't understand what could cause it not to push the beer up the line?

Lol was just about to edit my post. If the tap isn't opening perhaps it won't allow the beer to flow as it's a sealed hose.

Can you attach some spare hose to the taps and blow through? See if they open .

I know you already said no, but it does sound like flow control being closed. Can you upload a pic of the taps?

 

[Jimboscott]

So... A confession (I did say I was a newbie!). Turns out I'd followed the beer lines incorrectly and it was the wrong keg I was investigating

Having done exactly the same with the other keg, there was a blockage in the beer line right near the disconnect so trimmed 3/4 inches off the line and with the cleaning out/poking around of the first keg, I now have two fully working taps!

However... It's probably best not to mention the huge beer shower I've just had as a result of removing the beer line from the actual problem keg without taking the disconnect off. My room smells like a drip tray and sure the other half will shout at me when she's back - but well worth it!

Thanks for your help @Rwilts - appreciate it and it was useful to help me troubleshoot top to bottom.

 

[Rwilts]

So... A confession (I did say I was a newbie!). Turns out I'd followed the beer lines incorrectly and it was the wrong keg I was investigating

Having done exactly the same with the other keg, there was a blockage in the beer line right near the disconnect so trimmed 3/4 inches off the line and with the cleaning out/poking around of the first keg, I now have two fully working taps!

However... It's probably best not to mention the huge beer shower I've just had as a result of removing the beer line from the actual problem keg without taking the disconnect off. My room smells like a drip tray and sure the other half will shout at me when she's back - but well worth it!

Thanks for your help @Rwilts - appreciate it and it was useful to help me troubleshoot top to bottom.

Well done. Worked it out and as always a lesson learnt that you won't do again...next you will be connecting gas lines to beer posts

 

[Jimboscott]

Well done. Worked it out and as always a lesson learnt that you won't do again...next you will be connecting gas lines to beer posts

Yeah, it's been quite a steep curve in all fairness, including a leak emptying my first CO2 canister but everything up and running now and will post properly once my first kegs are lagered and ready to serve. Thanks again.