No carbonation in King keg

[mak]

Hi guys

I have recently done 2 brews, Coopers Draught and Coopers Real Ale, both of which I have put into King Kegs.

I mixed up the dextrose with water and put that into the keg prior to filling, and then left the kegs in my spare room with a blanket over them for 2 weeks.

They have now been in the garage for 3 weeks and neither seem to have carbonated at all. There is pressure at first, I got about 3 pints off before the flow turned into a very small dribble, I was expecting to get half the beer out before needing to add CO2....

Is my spare room perhaps not warm enough do you think? Since I have no airing cupboard I'm not sure how else to acheive the carbonation, anyone got any ideas that could help me? Am I going to have to create some form of "hot box" or use a heat pad for 2nd stage? Not really sure what temperature is required to get carbonation either....

Hope someone can help!!
Cheers! :

 

[eggman]

Ideally you want it at 18-20 deg for at least a week for good carbonation. It sounds like yours have not been warm enough, i stand mine off the floor and wrap them up in an old duvet. If you haven't got a warmer room to store them maybe an aquarium heater and water bath might be the best solution
:

 

[mak]

Thanks for the reply. I think the room is between 16-18 so that will explain my problem I guess?

Do you know of any way of carbonating the kegs now that they have been settling?

I thought the 2nd fermentation process produced co2 and that then when you put into colder storage (garage) the cold temperature helps the liquid absorb the co2 therefore carbonating.... so if I inject co2 into the kegs and leave in the garage without pulling out beer, will that not carbonate?

Not great understanding on the science or brewing parts - newbie alert! Just trying to work out how to rescue my 80 pints :whistle:

 

[BarnsleyBrewer]

Check your seals, did you smear Vaseline on the O ring?

BB

 

[mak]

Yes I smeared it I have had to add gas after the 3rd pint and it seems to have held that ok + they're both new kegs so hopefully it's not a seal....

Any feedback on the carbonation by adding more gas?

 

[eggman]

Don't worry it'll be fine, i had the same problem when i first started and didn't take into account the temp drop during the night. It needs 18-20 deg constant for 7 days to carbonate properly.
You can either get them somewhere warmer for another week to try and build the pressure up or you can add some gas now and you're good to go :thumb:
:

 

[mak]

Ah thanks, thats good to know. So do you think if I belt in some more gas then leave for a week it'll be carbonated?

 

[RobWalker]

Sounds like pressure is okay but it might be a very slow leak. Gassing is fine, just costs more than sugar - it gets the same result.

 

[mak]

I'll get some soapy water and check for leaks then, if I find one am I stuck or is it ok to screw off the top, vaseline it up again and refit, then re-gas?

Does anyone know the temperature range it which the beer absorbs the co2?