You're all ready to pressurize your keg, you've ordered a CO2 system, but not sure how to set it up. Here are the steps to get your homebrew on tap quickly and easily.
About your Regulator
Corny Keg sells Taprite Regulators, which are top-of-the-line US-made regulators. After unboxing, you'll see the contents gauge (with the red and green markings) which shows the pressure of the gas inside the cylinder. The gauge on top shows you the pressure being sent through the regulator.
How to Set Up a Regulator for a CO2 System
To set up your regulator, you will need the following tools:
- Adjustable wrench
- Flat head screwdriver
Step 1: Hook it up to a full CO2 cylinder. Simply attach and tighten with an adjustable wrench. Tightening with your hand will result in a leak.
Step 2: Attach a gas line (with gas connector or beer coupler on the end) to the bottom barb of the regulator, and snug down the clamp with a flathead screwdriver.
Step 3: The quarter turn valve at the bottom of the regulator should be closed. Take the adjusting screw and twist it out until you feel the spring pressure from the internal spring is released and there is no pressure on that screw.
Step 4: Turn the handle on the top of your cylinder, opening it all the way until it stops. You will see that the pressure going into the keg is still zero because the screw is backed all the way off.
Step 5: Start screwing in the adjustment screw clockwise to raise the pressure going into the line. Once you have tension on the screw, use a screwdriver to continue raising the pressure to about 8 or 9 PSI.
Step 6: Open the quarter turn valve, and connect the gas comments or beer coupler to your keg. At this point, your keg is pressurized to whatever your gauge is currently reading.
Step 7: Check the pressure level again, and adjust so that the gauge stays between 8 and 12 PSI for serving your beer. It's better to start on the low end and move up if needed.