Im looking for some info or a 'how to' for the correct way to set and sort regulator and gas pressures - I can look up the required gas pressure for types of beer but having not used a regulator before I was just wondering if there was some step be step info on how to go about it.
Have searched on dispensing but its mostly info on what reg to get
Setting gas pressure and regulators for beginners
-
Gastronaut
- Steady Drinker
- Posts: 76
- Joined: Fri Jun 01, 2007 1:15 pm
- Location: Godalming
Re: Setting gas pressure and regulators for beginners
Hi,
With my reg you connect it all up with the regulator control knob turned off (counterintuitively this is as far anti-clockwise as possible), then turn the knob clockwise until the dial reaches the required PSI level. You will hear the gas hissing into the keg, and want to balance it so that the sound stops when the needle is on the correct number on the dial. It's worth keeping an eye on it to make sure it's staying at the right level and making slight adjustments if needed.
Andy
With my reg you connect it all up with the regulator control knob turned off (counterintuitively this is as far anti-clockwise as possible), then turn the knob clockwise until the dial reaches the required PSI level. You will hear the gas hissing into the keg, and want to balance it so that the sound stops when the needle is on the correct number on the dial. It's worth keeping an eye on it to make sure it's staying at the right level and making slight adjustments if needed.
Andy
The Tantalus Brewery
Re: Setting gas pressure and regulators for beginners
Does it matter on the order I open the bottle /reg?
Ok, so say if I wanted to set the pressure for 30psi for example to force carb (I just picked this an example number really) I would turn on the gas bottle and then open the reg until 30psi is on the reading - once 30psi reached, how do I ensure that this is maintained at 30psi (or whatever value I use for either for carbing or serving? -
Do I leave the reg open at that and gas bottle open, or can I turn off the gas bottle and leave the reg open or vice versa.
Having read some threads it seems that some folks turn off the gas bottle to avoid loss of gas - when do they do this - is this between serving one evening to another after carbonation pressure is achieved and the pressure then is really just to serve etc and so some pressure is again needed for this purpose.
Ok, so say if I wanted to set the pressure for 30psi for example to force carb (I just picked this an example number really) I would turn on the gas bottle and then open the reg until 30psi is on the reading - once 30psi reached, how do I ensure that this is maintained at 30psi (or whatever value I use for either for carbing or serving? -
Do I leave the reg open at that and gas bottle open, or can I turn off the gas bottle and leave the reg open or vice versa.
Having read some threads it seems that some folks turn off the gas bottle to avoid loss of gas - when do they do this - is this between serving one evening to another after carbonation pressure is achieved and the pressure then is really just to serve etc and so some pressure is again needed for this purpose.
-
IronBlue
Re: Setting gas pressure and regulators for beginners
Wind the valve on the reg all the way 'out' which shuts off the air. Connect reg and gas lines to gas bottle, open the valve on the gas bottle. Turn the valve slowly 'in' on the reg to set the pressure. Confirm there are no leaks etc.. Leave the gas bottle valve open all the time. (Unless you aren't using it at all, or disconnecting!) You can shut the gas off again by winding the reg back out.
The gas needs to be 'on' as the bottle will replenish the CO2 that the beer absorbs during carbonation (and serving), the reg will keep the system at the pressure setting - drawing CO2 from the bottle when the pressure dips .
Also, serving pressure and carbonation pressure should be the same - ie. don't change the pressure until you have drank all the beer. I gas most of my beers at 10-12psi, and serve at the same pressure, using beer line length to control the tap flow. If you were to reduce the pressure to a few psi to serve, the CO2 will start coming back out of the beer until pressure is equalised. You will also waste gas venting the pressure and/or re-carbing the beer.
Sometimes people 'force carb' the beer at a higher pressure to start with, and rolling the keg etc. You shouldn't need to do this unless you are in a real hurry, and the system should always end up at the target carb pressure for the long term anyway or the beer will keep 'adjusting'. If you just rig it up normally at say 12psi, it takes about 3 days for a drinkable level of fizz, a week for a good carb and head, and 10 days for a real smooth carb. (I start drinking it from day 1
)
The gas needs to be 'on' as the bottle will replenish the CO2 that the beer absorbs during carbonation (and serving), the reg will keep the system at the pressure setting - drawing CO2 from the bottle when the pressure dips .
Also, serving pressure and carbonation pressure should be the same - ie. don't change the pressure until you have drank all the beer. I gas most of my beers at 10-12psi, and serve at the same pressure, using beer line length to control the tap flow. If you were to reduce the pressure to a few psi to serve, the CO2 will start coming back out of the beer until pressure is equalised. You will also waste gas venting the pressure and/or re-carbing the beer.
Sometimes people 'force carb' the beer at a higher pressure to start with, and rolling the keg etc. You shouldn't need to do this unless you are in a real hurry, and the system should always end up at the target carb pressure for the long term anyway or the beer will keep 'adjusting'. If you just rig it up normally at say 12psi, it takes about 3 days for a drinkable level of fizz, a week for a good carb and head, and 10 days for a real smooth carb. (I start drinking it from day 1
)Re: Setting gas pressure and regulators for beginners
"The gas needs to be 'on' as the bottle will replenish the CO2 that the beer absorbs during carbonation (and serving), the reg will keep the system at the pressure setting - drawing CO2 from the bottle when the pressure dips"
Ok having just tried this while sterilising with stars I set the reg until the gauge read 10psi but I could still hear gas going into the keg - will it eventually stop when an actual 10psi is reached when liquid absorption is considered - I was just worried about it continuing and getting a pressure build up but I suppose that what the release valve is - a safety device also?
Ok having just tried this while sterilising with stars I set the reg until the gauge read 10psi but I could still hear gas going into the keg - will it eventually stop when an actual 10psi is reached when liquid absorption is considered - I was just worried about it continuing and getting a pressure build up but I suppose that what the release valve is - a safety device also?
-
IronBlue
Re: Setting gas pressure and regulators for beginners
Hmmmm, not sure what specific issue you have. You could try the following:
- Disconnect the CO2 disconnect from the corny, you should now have: gas bottle - reg - gas line - grey disco;
- Wind the reg out to the off position;
- Purge the line by pushing the 'button' in inside the disco, gauge should now read zero;
- Slowly turn the reg in until you get 10psi on the gauge (this will be quick as you are just pressuring the line);
- Seal the corny (could contain starsan or beer);
- Push the grey disco onto the corny - it will now pressurise the keg to the pressure level you have just set and then the gas flow will stop. This could take >10 seconds to pressurise that volume.
- Leave everything (when it's beer in there!) that should be it, the reg will keep it at 10psi. You can use the vent valve to reduce the pressure if have put too much in and to vent the keg when empty;
- The pressure should push the lid up from the inside and seal it, you can check it's not leaking by spraying starsan around the lid...
- Disconnect the CO2 disconnect from the corny, you should now have: gas bottle - reg - gas line - grey disco;
- Wind the reg out to the off position;
- Purge the line by pushing the 'button' in inside the disco, gauge should now read zero;
- Slowly turn the reg in until you get 10psi on the gauge (this will be quick as you are just pressuring the line);
- Seal the corny (could contain starsan or beer);
- Push the grey disco onto the corny - it will now pressurise the keg to the pressure level you have just set and then the gas flow will stop. This could take >10 seconds to pressurise that volume.
- Leave everything (when it's beer in there!) that should be it, the reg will keep it at 10psi. You can use the vent valve to reduce the pressure if have put too much in and to vent the keg when empty;
- The pressure should push the lid up from the inside and seal it, you can check it's not leaking by spraying starsan around the lid...
Re: Setting gas pressure and regulators for beginners
Yeah I think I might have leak - used JG fittings throughout but I came down to look at it today and the reg has gone back down to 0psi so either I turned off the reg too far and the pressure reading what was in the pipe and since then it has absorbed hence lowering the pressure at the reg or I have a leak despite putting some soapy water on the fittings - the kegs still burped though so it might be a slight leak from the fittings side rather than the regs maybe?