FAQ

Why is beer from my Keg Fridge coming out so frothy?
This would have to be one of the most common questions that we get asked, and it usually is not too difficult to fix the problem. The first thing to check is if your keg system is correctly balanced(click here to find out more).  It could be caused by several factors:

Problem	Solution
Incorrect restistance (this is the most common problem with small keg systems)	Your resistance needs to be calculated based on your particular setup. If you are using a direct draw setup (such as a kegerator/keg fridge) you will have to make sure you have some resistance in your system. Resistance can be created several ways but the easiest is just to increase the length of the beer line. For 4mm ID (internal diameter) beer line the length should be 1.8-2.5m, for 5mm ID beer line the length should be about 3-4.5 meters. If you are using 6mm internal diameter the length should be 5-10 meters. You migh ask, why don't you just turn the presure on your regulator down and use short beer line? This is because, if keep the pressure in your kegs too low, the beer will lose carbonation. NOTE: It is important to also make sure you pressure on your regulator is set correctly based on the temperature that you have your beer sitting at. Refer to the table at the bottom of this page.
Beer is too warm	Turn you keg fridge down.  Optimum beer pouring temp is 3 degrease(Celsius)
Beer line is exposed to warmth	Make sure your beer line is insulated from heat.  This is not usually the problem with keg fridges because the beer line is enclosed in the fount(tower).
Over carbonated beer	This may have been the result of leaving your beer under too much pressure.  To decrease the carbonation, turn off the gas bottle and pull the pressure release valve to let off pressure.  If your keg is badly over carbonated, you may need to do this multiple times.
Beer pouring too slow	Contrary to popular belief, if you pour too slow your beer will come out too frothy.  Try boosting the pressure on your regulator to increase the flow speed. (Pressure for most keg fridges should be about 10psi)
Leak in beer line or kink in beer line	Go over your beer line and make sure that it’s not kinked anywhere and still holds pressure.
Valve missing in keg coupler	Check valve is still in the beer outlet of your keg coupler.  This will either be a small glass/plastic ball bearing, or a plastic rod with one rounded end and (approx 2-3cm long).

What pressure should I set my regulator to?
This all depends on what you are trying to do.
- If you are carbonating your own brew, you should set the regulator to about 30psi for 3 days depending on how effervescent you would like your beer and what type of beer you are making. Alternatively you can use the force carbonation method. This is the method that most keg home brewers will use. To find out how to force carbonate, just click here.

- If you are simply dispensing your beer you can bring the pressure right down to about 10psi or a little more or less depending on how fast you would like to pour.

How do I know how much gas I've got left?
- The best way to do this is by using your scales. You will also need to know the weight of the cylinder when it's empty. Most CO2 bottle are referred to using the weight of liquid CO2 it holds. So lets say you have a "5kg bottle". This doesn't mean the cylinder weighs 5kg, it's simply means that the cylinder will hold 5kg of liquid CO2 when full.
NOTE: Some people use the cylinder guage on the regulator to determine how much gas they have left, however this is particularly unreliable and the reading will vary vastly as depending on the temperature of the cylinder.

What types of kegs will fit into the Keg Master Series 2 Kegerator
- Our Keg Master Series 2 Kegerator has been custom made to fit Fosters (CUB), or 2x postmix (soda) kegs. You are able to fit a

Why is it important to use proper beer line?
Our thick walled PVC beer line has been made by a special compound, has thick walls for better insulation, and very smooth internal walls. Dont be fooled by cheaper generic tubing from the hardware store, this is not intended for beer and will cause foam and possibly leach chemicals and off flavours into your beer. Always use proper beer line if you want to have foam free fresh tasting beer.

What size is my gas cylinder?
CO2 cylinder in Australia can only be filled to 66% of their water capacity. What does that mean you ask? Well lets say you have a 4Litre cylinder. Hypothetically if you take the valve out and fill it with water you will fit in 4kg of water to the top. So this cylinder would be considered full if you fill it up to 66% of this capacity with CO2. So 66% x 4.0 = 2.62kg. So your cylinder has a rated capacity of 2.64kg of CO2.

Aluminium vs Cro-molly (CrMo) Steel Cylinders?
Aluminium and Cro-molly cylinder have several attributes. The main difference is that aluminium cylinders are lighter and therefore better in a situation where weight is an issue. The problem is that aluminium cylinder are less robust and much more likely to rupture than Cro-Molly steel cylinders. Cro-molly steel cylinders are heavier but are far safer and should be used if weight is not important to you. Despite what some people tell you both aluminium and cro-molly steel cylinders must be hydrostatically tested every 10 years, with the exception to fire extinguishers. Steel cylinders used as fire extinguishers must be hydrostatically tested every 5 years. This is outlined in Australian standards (Paper reference AS2030.1)

How long will beer last in a keg system?
Once beer is in the keg, it should be refrigerated as much as possible to extend the shelf life. Provided that you use a CO2 cylinder or CO2/nitrogen mix cylinder to dispense the beer, it will make no difference if the keg had been half drunk or not. CO2 and nitrogen are non-reactive gasses with beer. Beer Shelf life will vary greatly depending on the type of beer and how it was made. Different breweries will quote different shelf life ranging from 30 days up to 12 months depending on the beer style, flavour profile, and manufacturing method. When talking about shelf life there are two separate issues:
1. Oxygen ingress - Oxygen exposure is really what makes the beer go off.
2. Flavour profile - As beer gets older it changes flavour. Generally speaking it looses aroma, bitterness, and the flavours generally subside. Although the beer is not actually "going off" it may be changing into a different flavour that was not intended by the master brewer. You may notice with older beers that the beer becomes less bitter, more sweet, and it will start to loose flavour.

Let's look at three different beer categories pasteurised beer(with preservatives), unpasteurised microbrewery beer(with live yeast), unpasteurised home brew(with live yeast and possibly other ingredients).

* Pasteurised Beer
Pasteurised beer is something that has been done since the late 1800s. Pasteurisation basically just means to heat the beer up to approx 70°C for a short period (anywhere between 10 seconds to 5 minutes). This treatment kills more than 99.9% of microbial growth in Beer. This makes the beer more stable and therefore the flavour will remain more consistent over time. Pasteurisation also a gets into the beer is can essentially grow more vigorously because it doesn't have any yeast to compete with. This is why pasteurised beer is more susceptible to going off. Some pasteurised beers will include VB, Carlton Draught, Tooheys Extra Dry, Tooheys New, XXXX, West End, and almost any other mass produced beer by the major breweries. It is recommended that you drink this beer within 9 months from the manufacturing date.

* Unpasteurised Microbrewery Beer/Boutique Beer/Craft Beer
Unlike pasteurised beer, beers that contain live yeast are usually more resistant to going off. This is because the active yeast in the beer mop up any dissolved oxygen which makes it much more difficult for bacteria to grow. In Australia some of these beers are actually exempt from a "Best Before" date and will last much longer than pasteurised beers. You can expect a shelf life of 12 months or more.

* Unpasteurised Home Brew Beer
Unlike breweries that condition the beer before they keg it, most home brewers take the beer straight from fomenter to keg and will therefore need to condition it in the keg for the beer to reach it's full potential. In terms of shelf life, this type of beer will last more than 12 months provided that it's kept in the right environment.

How often do I need to clean my keg system? How do I clean my keg system?
This depends on the type of keg system. If you beer lines are unrefrigerated you should be cleaning them every week. If you beer lines are completely refrigerated, you can probably get away with cleaning them once a month. The effects of a dirty beer line on the taste of your beer will be multiplied as your beer line gets longer. For large pubs with beer lines up to 20 meters it is absolutely crucial for them to be cleaned. With that said many people in domestic use with short beer lines (2 meters) clean their beer lines every 6-12 months without any issues. If you want to push it out this long you probably be fine, but the risk is up to you and your beer flavour might be effected.

There are many different beer and line cleaners out there but one that is fairly easy to get and does a great job is Sodium Percarbonate. This can be sold under many different names and is contained in many generic beer brewing sanitiser. It is also the major cleaning ingredient in Nappi San. Cleaning your lines can be done by mixing hot water with sodium percabonate in a keg and connecting it to your beer line and turning on the tap. Let it sit in the solution sit in the line for 5 min, then do the same thing with clean water.

Keg Temperature & Pressure Variation Chart

Keg Balancing for 100% CO2 – (maintain carbonation level over 4 weeks)
Keg Temperature (C)	0.0 C	1.0 C	2.0 C	3.0 C	4.0 C	5.0 C
Keg Equilibrium Pressure	9 PSI	10 PSI	11 PSI	12 PSI	13 PSI	14 PSI
	62 kPa	69 kPa	76 kPa	83 kPa	90 kPa	97 kPa
Ideal CO2 Regulator Set Pressure	12 PSI	13 PSI	14 PSI	15 PSI	16 PSI	17 PSI
	83 kPa	90 kPa	97 kPa	103 kPa	110 kPa	117 kPa
Maximum CO2 Regulator Set Pressure	15 PSI	16 PSI	17 PSI	18 PSI	19 PSI	20 PSI
	103 kPa	110 kPa	117 kPa	124 kPa	131 kPa	138 kPa
Keg Equilibrium Pressure – This is the pressure that will develop in the keg naturally.  If you dispense below this pressure CO2 will be released from solution cause un-necessary foaming and you will eventually lose CO2 from solution and your beer will eventually become flat or less carbonated. Ideal CO2 Regulator Set Pressure – This is the pressure that if you set on the regulator it will be enough pressure to prevent CO2 being released from solution. Maximum CO2 Regulator Set Pressure – This is the pressure that if you set above this point your beer will gradually absorb more carbonation and eventually become over carbonated.