No pressure in king kegs

Nate

Hi, I have 2 king kegs filled with my first brews. One has been down for 2 weeks and the other 4 weeks. When I turn the tap on either I get nothing. Should I leave for longer or have I done something wrong? I am using Dextrose for the secondary, should I use another kind of sugar? I am quite sure the kegs are sealed tight, lid tight, tap tight etc. I am new to kegs, bottles are hard work . I hope someone can help. Regards.

HBO_Staff

Hi Nate, as long as you've primed the barrels with sugar, and dextrose is perfectly good, and the barrels are fully airtight which you believe they are then the barrels should pressurise. The temperature will affect how long it will take, ideally a good week in the warm, at around 20 degrees C or a little more, will help the sugars to dissolve and get the secondary fermentation going quickly.

There are a few things to check with the kegs, where air might be escaping, this link covers them;
 http://homebrewonline.vanillaforums.com/discussion/209/barrel-problemsco2-injector-capleaking-tap#latest

One thing you could do to test them is to perhaps inject a CO2 bulb into the barrels through the brass valves in the top which will give them instant pressure, and you should then be able to draw beer through the tap. The pressure should not reduce if left for a few days either. Because the same thing is affecting both barrels it is liekly to be something similar, the three most likely things to check first would be the airtightness, that enough priming sugar was used (depending on the brew 80 to 100g) , and that it is warm enough to get the secondary fermentation going

spottydoggy1

Hi Nate, I had the same problem with my king keg...after a wasted brew that I could'nt get out of the stupid thing I investigated, I found it was the float that was the problem buy this one "http://home-brew-online.myshopify.com/collections/equipment/products/king-keg-float-system" it's only a couple of quid and the brew after worked fine...still enjoying it now Regards.

Nate

Hey Thanks Spotty! I have been pulling my hair out because I have 2 brews that have failed but mostly because my searches have found no one with the same problem. Homebrewonline have been great, the first barrel had a leak and they said for me to nip the tap up a little to stop the leak which was needed for both kegs. So I have been at a loss to know how I stuffed the second keg, maybe it was too cold for the secondary ferm. I have moved it next to the heater. So from the first keg the beer is fine (Flat but fine) I have gradually siphoned most of it off and reinjected co2 after putting cap back. I did notice each time I took the cap off the float was sitting on the bottom. I would set it up, floating back on the top but when taking the cap off to draw another few litres the float was back on the bottom. Not sure if this is normal but by the illustration on the link you sent me it shld be on the top...Also I shld ask you as a fellow KK implementer, when I inject co2 the valve makes a small noise after removing the screw-on thing. Comes from the o-ring. This hiss decreases and is finished after a few seconds, do you get this or shld I invest in new o-rings. The whole setup is new but maybe I nipped this thread up to tight at the start and ruined the ring. I have been thinking this maybe my pressure loss area. Anyway thanks for replying I am going to go ahead with the purchase of 2 of those floats you sent me. Also thanks HBonline for your advice above. Nate.

mozza

The float will sink when your beer enters the float. Could be a loose fit? I smear Vaseline around the transparent cylinder which you push in to make the float. I think this helps anyway!

Nate

Yeah I just finished the keg and found the clear plastic air holding float part on the bottom so yip that was my problem. Thanks I will use vaso for the next one.