10 Best Keg CO2 Regulators - Recommended by the Pros (2023)

FAQs

What is the best CO2 pressure for a keg? ›

For a keg refrigerator at 38˚ F, the recommend CO2 pressure is between 12–14 lbs for most domestic beers. This pressure will maintain the level of carbonation that the breweries specify. If the beer is dispensed with too low of a pressure, over time the CO2 that is dissolved in the beer will break out.

What pressure should my CO2 tank be set to? This will depend on the beer you are serving but most American breweries recommend a pressure between 10-14 PSI.

CO2 vs.

Nitrogen and CO2 regulators cannot be interchanged because Nitrogen regulators are designed to withstand higher pressures and have characteristics specific only to nitrogen systems, such as a male thread with conical fittings. If you plan to dispense beer using Nitrogen, you cannot use a CO2 regulator.

How many kegs can be dispensed from a CO2 tank? A 5-lb CO2 tank will last between 6-8 half barrels or full kegs before it needs to be filled. A 10-lb CO2 tank will dispense 10-13 full kegs per fill.

Typically, you'll hook up your co2 to the keg, set the regulator at serving pressure, between 8–12 psi, and let it slowly carbonate over the course of 2 weeks or so. Carbonation charts can be used to ensure you get the exact level you want, with allowances made for temperature.

The ideal serving pressure should be between 10 and 12 psi, though some styles demand lower and some higher. Typically, 12 psi works well. If your serving pressure is too high, it can pump excess co2 into the keg and lead to foaming.

Keg care basics for your bar or restaurant

Let the keg settle after moving it – If you move your keg, give it some time to settle down. If you don't, you'll probably experience excessive foaming when you tap it. Just like soda, beer is carbonated – and just like soda, it will foam when you shake it.

Incorrect Temperature – If the beer is too warm or too cold, it will be more easily disturbed and pour as foam. In most models, the beer line is not refrigerated so the first pour will usually be a bit warmer and a bit more foam. Most beers should be kept in the low 40 degree Fahrenheit range.

All you need to do is connect the coupler to the beer keg, turn on the CO2 supply, set the pressure, and start pouring. That's how to tap a keg in a kegerator!

A good basic rule of thumb is if the beverage has bubbles, it should be hooked up to CO2. If it's not supposed to have bubbles, then is should be hooked up to nitrogen. While both CO2 and Nitrogen do have bubbles, CO2 bubbles are smaller than Nitrogen bubbles.

How do I know which gas regulator I need? ›

How to choose a gas regulator. Check the appliance itself or the original paperwork for guidance. There should be a data plate outlining the required gas throughput and inlet pressure. Check the type of gas you're using.

The materials of construction for a regulator should be selected based on the properties and purity of the gas being used. Regulators are typically made from brass, aluminum, and 316L stainless steel. Brass is compatible with most of the non-reactive gases. A choice of forged body or barstock construction is available.

Since a picnic pump uses oxygen instead of carbon dioxide, a tapped keg will only last about 12-24 hours depending on the type of beer and how much oxygen was pumped into it. The oxygen will cause the beer to go flat and spoil quickly if you don't finish the keg within that time frame.

How Long Does a Keg Stay Fresh? For most beers on tap, dispensed with CO2, the rule of thumb is that non-pasteurized beer will retain its freshness for 45-60 days, if proper pressure and temperature are maintained. If you are serving up pasteurized draft beer, the shelf life is around 90-120 days.

Typically a beer over carbonates because it is stored in too warm of a location for too long. Yeast will continue to ferment if left to its own devices. Once a beer is carbonated (typically 2 -3 weeks) make sure to move the beer to a location below 55 °F for storage.

Once you get your keg set up in your kegerator, we would recommend letting it sit for at least an hour or two before drinking from it. This should be plenty of time to let it settle a bit.

It should take 10 to 15 seconds to pour a pint with an inch of foam. For the first few pints (when the keg is still under pressure), you may want to slow down the flow of the beer. You can do this by elevating the tap and glass above your head.

THE MOST COMMON PROBLEM: FOAMY BEER

So you pump the heck out of the keg. If you pump too much, the beer will be overpressurized and foam up, making for a very painful and frothy pouring process.

Steps to Force Carbonate your Beer:

CO2 dissolves into beer much more easily when the beer is cold, so ideally, place keg with gas line attached into fridge and leave under pressure for about 24 hours. Adjust pressure down to 20 PSI for 24 hours.

How do you purge the air out of a keg? ›

After sanitizing your keg, set your regulator to low pressure (3-5 psi) and connect it to your sealed keg. Once the pressure equalizes (the hissing/groaning stops), briefly open the pressure release at the top of the keg.

hours for a keg to settle, and to reach optimal temperature within the kegerator is key. This is always an essential for hosting a party with draft beer! 98% of all issues (especially foaming) arise from temp and pressure! Kegerator should be set to 34-40 degrees.

Flat beer in a keg is usually due to the keg being under gassed or the keg having a gas leak. Before you gas the keg a second time you will need to check the keg for leaks. To do this you need to set your regulator to 40 psi (280kpa) and pump gas into the keg for about 5 minutes. This will be enough to test the keg.

Hearing an intermittent hiss coming from the Carbonation Dial during the Brewing process is completely normal and nothing to worry about at all. It is simply excess pressure being released.

At a minimum, you should clean your draught line every two weeks with an alkaline detergent cleaner to remove protein and films that build up quickly. The cleaning chemical should be recirculated through the product line for a minimum of 15 minutes at a velocity up to two gallons/minute.

Stout: Stouts are the darkest and thickest type of beer and are typically made with highly roasted malt or barley. These beers have a thick, creamy head and are very full-bodied.

How Long Should I Chill My Keg Before Tapping? It is important to get your keg cold before serving. Chill your keg for 4-5 hours before tapping to avoid warm and foamy beer. Get a bucket large enough in diameter to hold your keg, and fill the bottom with a layer of ice before placing the keg inside of it.

Most carbonation in kegs is done using pressurized CO2 from a gas cylinder, a process called force carbonation. The fastest results can be achieved when the beer in the keg is at a cold temperature. This will let the CO2 diffuse into the beer more efficiently and at a faster rate.

By lifting the pressure release valve the CO2 will flow into the keg and the air will flow out through this valve. This is called burping the keg and is best done in half a dozen short bursts.

The co2 tank can go inside or outside the refrigerator.

How many kegs will a 20lb CO2? ›

Should a CO2 tank be inside or outside of the kegerator? Ideally, both the beer keg and the CO2 tank should be stored inside your kegerator fridge: the lower the temperature of your compressed air tank, the more efficiently it will carbonate your beer.

If the gas regulator is too large, too much gas can flow into the appliance potentially causing an explosion. If too small, the appliance will not operate efficiently. At worst, it won't operate at all.

Gas regulator types include LPG gas regulators, acetylene gas bottle regulators and oxygen gas bottle regulators. The gas regulator setup can include bayonet fittings, pol gas fittings and other gas regulator fittings suitable for a variety of gas appliances and equipment such as MIG welders.

Use the formula: 0.33 x A1 x P1 = Q1 (does not apply to regulators with filters). A1 = seat orfice area in mm² P1 = inletpressure in bar (a) Q1 = max. flow of air in Nm³/hour through the seat orifice area.

Calibration gas is an important part in the maintenance of your gas detector to ensure that the sensors are reacting to the gas you are looking for. Calibration gas does have a shelf life and must not be used beyond the end of life date.

A residential application will require a low pressure regulator which reduces the gas pressure to 6 ounces (10.5 inches water column). This low pressure regulator will be located on or near the main supply tank to the home, motor home, or camper.

There are two basic types of gas pressure regulators: single-stage and two-stage. Single-stage pressure regulators reduce the cylinder pressure to the delivery or outlet pressure in one step. Two-stage pressure regulators reduce the cylinder pressure to a working level in two steps.

CO2 cylinder pressure is about 860 psi at normal room temperature. Typical CO2 cylinders store about 50 lbs. of liquid CO2.

How much CO2 does one cartridge dispense? It depends on the size of the tire. For example, for a standard ATV tire, one 16 gram cartridge can fill a fully flat tire to 3 psi. For a standard dirt bike tire, one 16 gram cartridge can fill a fully flat tire to about 15 psi.

What pressure are CO2 cartridges at? ›

A CO2 cartridge is used to propel a small rocket cart. Compressed CO2, stored at a pressure of 41.2 MPa (abs) and a temperature of 20 °C, is expanded through a smoothly contoured converging nozzle with a throat area of 0.13 cm2.

To be on the safe side, we always recommend shutting off the CO2 when you do not have a keg hooked up. Technically speaking, the components of a kegerator will not allow CO2 passed the coupler when it is not hooked to a keg.

Connect your keg to the CO2 and turn the regulator to 20 PSI. Place the keg on its side on the ground. Roll the keg back and forth in a swift but gentle motion for about 15-20 minutes or until you've reached your desired level of carbonation. Purge keg to serving pressure (10-12 PSI) and serve.

Most carbonation in kegs is done using pressurized CO2 from a gas cylinder, a process called force carbonation. The fastest results can be achieved when the beer in the keg is at a cold temperature. This will let the CO2 diffuse into the beer more efficiently and at a faster rate.

A: You can keep the cartridge in the gun as long as you want. It might lose some air over time but if you tighten the screw hard enough it will retain air. But if you remove the cartridge while its still full you will lose all the co2.

HOW LONG DOES THE CO2 CARTRIDGE LAST? ​Once penetrated on the first trigger pull, the CO2 cartridge will last 24 hours or 21 shots.

The essential thing to remember is that your CO2 cartridge needs to match your inflator. Some inflators, like the Ultraflate, are best suited for non-threaded cartridges, while others, like the AirChuck, work best with threaded units.

This is not just the temperature the cylinder is exposed to at that point in time, but also the maximum temperature that the cylinder will be exposed to at any time in it's service. Catalina Cylinders, along with the CGA, recommends that CO₂ cylinders not be used at temperatures exceeding 120 ^oF.

Cartridges come in different sizes – 12g, 16g or 25g. The smaller ones are designed for filling tires up to about 90 PSI. The larger ones are designed for filling tires up to 120+ PSI. This corresponds to lower pressure tubes such as clinchers (typically 90-120PSI) and tubular's (140-170 PSI) such as race wheels.