Most frustrating waste of beer ever

[clyells (Wheat_Brewer)]

Just needed to vent as it’s been killing me ever since I discovered it last night.

I kegged 5 gallons of my Belgian Blonde and started the forced carbonation process. When I shut the chest freezer lid all was well, but apparently the 50 cent beer tap for dispensing my beer had the smallest of leaks…between the pressure for force carbonation and 24 hours of me not checking it the tap leaked about 2 gallons of beer one drip at a time into the bottom of my chest freezer…and drained my CO2 tank (which was close to being done anyways).

Again, just needed to vent and cry on some virtual shoulders.

[skatz (Stevie)]

Happened to me once as well.

Note to self - do not attach a picnic tap with the pressure turned way up.

[chumley]

That’s why I pretty much stick to the rock’n’roll method of force carbing anymore.

Or, if I am in no hurry, I hit the keg with maximum pressure for a couple of seconds, then walk away.  After a week of that, it will get to the right level (as checked with a pressure gauge).

[mtnrockhopper (Jimmy K)]

Picnic tap? You probably shouldn’t trust those to hold force carbonating pressures. That’s too bad. 

[denny]

@mtnrockhopper

Picnic tap? You probably shouldn’t trust those to hold force carbonating pressures. That’s too bad. 

FWIW, I use nothing but picnic taps and force carb and there’s never been a problem.

[redbeerman]

@denny

@mtnrockhopper

Picnic tap? You probably shouldn’t trust those to hold force carbonating pressures. That’s too bad. 

FWIW, I use nothing but picnic taps and force carb and there’s never been a problem.

Ron lost 5 gallons of RIS force carbing at 30psi I believe with a picnic tap attached.  There is a max pressure for the tap, 15 psi comes to mind, although it’s not in stone and I have had mine up to 30 psi before with no problems.

[morticaixavier]

@denny

@mtnrockhopper

Picnic tap? You probably shouldn’t trust those to hold force carbonating pressures. That’s too bad. 

FWIW, I use nothing but picnic taps and force carb and there’s never been a problem.

+1, except once when the tap had a hairline crack. That was thankfully quite minor ( < 1 pint)

[clyells (Wheat_Brewer)]

@morticaixavier

@denny

@mtnrockhopper

Picnic tap? You probably shouldn’t trust those to hold force carbonating pressures. That’s too bad. 

FWIW, I use nothing but picnic taps and force carb and there’s never been a problem.

+1, except once when the tap had a hairline crack. That was thankfully quite minor ( < 1 pint)

I took the picnic tap apart after I discovered the leak and found the spring inside of it was sticking. I assume it stuck just enough to leave a small gap that, with the pressure, slowly leaked

[jrdunne (Joe Sr.)]

I carb without a tap attached, so my picnic taps have never been a cause of lost beer.

I have had a poppet leak, though.  Didn’t lose much, but had a sticky beer floor.

That was post-carbonating, though.  I think the poppet stuck slightly open after I removed a tap.

[denny]

@redbeerman

Ron lost 5 gallons of RIS force carbing at 30psi I believe with a picnic tap attached.  There is a max pressure for the tap, 15 psi comes to mind, although it’s not in stone and I have had mine up to 30 psi before with no problems.

I wasn’t aware that there was a pressure rating for the taps.  I’ve done hundreds of kegs at 30-35 psi, so I must have been lucky.

[jrdunne (Joe Sr.)]

@denny

@redbeerman

Ron lost 5 gallons of RIS force carbing at 30psi I believe with a picnic tap attached.  There is a max pressure for the tap, 15 psi comes to mind, although it’s not in stone and I have had mine up to 30 psi before with no problems.

I wasn’t aware that there was a pressure rating for the taps.  I’ve done hundreds of kegs at 30-35 psi, so I must have been lucky.

I have a picnic tap on my root beer, which is at 40 psi (IIRC).  Of course the dispensing line is REALLY long so the pressure at tap has got to be a lot less.

[klickitat_jim]

I want to thank you guys for reminding me that my Bing Quadsby has been force carbing at 33º for a week. Probably time to take a sample and take it off co2

[gmac]

I shut the freezer lid once and I guess I jarred something and somehow got the tap pinched between two kegs and emptied one into the bottom of the freezer.  It was full so I had the pleasure of mopping out 5 gals of beer from the freezer. 
After that I stopped leaving the tap on when not in use for a bit but I went back to it until I got my keezer built.  Live and Learn I guess.

[bluesman]

@redbeerman

@denny

@mtnrockhopper

Picnic tap? You probably shouldn’t trust those to hold force carbonating pressures. That’s too bad. 

FWIW, I use nothing but picnic taps and force carb and there’s never been a problem.

Ron lost 5 gallons of RIS force carbing at 30psi I believe with a picnic tap attached.  There is a max pressure for the tap, 15 psi comes to mind, although it’s not in stone and I have had mine up to 30 psi before with no problems.

It was actually 50 psi. In any event, I recommend NOT using a connected picnic tap or beer line to the keg at excessively high pressures. Another factor to consider is the integrity of the o-ring and keeping the post o-ring connection area clean and free of debris as this can potentially prevent a good seal to the post/connector interface.

[beerocd]

Did it once, mopped it all up into a bucket and dumped it in the garden. Could be coincidence but I had an awesome crop that year.

[ynotbrusum]

Just had a leaky poppet this past weekend - about a pint in the chest freezer to mop up.  I attached a line with a picnic tap and disconnected the CO2 to that keg and - problem solved.  I’ve never had a problem with Cobra/picnic taps.  I use them whenever I am transporting kegs to a party or if I want more kegs available to serve than I have taps on my serving fridge (4).

[corkybstewart]

Twice I’ve lost full kegs due to old o-rings on the keg posts. People tell me I’m anal about it but I change the o-rings with every refill.

[deathlylost]

Sorry to hear the bad news. I don’t currently keg my beer as I don’t have the room for it, but losing beer like that is always a downer. Especially when it was so close to being consumed. I feel for ya.