Fridge broke keg got warm now what?

[slimjim]

Hi guy's, I'm Jim and I'm an alcho uuhh I mean I'm a newbie. I found your site a month or so ago while looking for a kegerator and found it invaluable too me. Since then I found a good used fridge converted to a kegerator and picked it up for $75 with everything including a 20# Co2 tank nearly full. A few days after installing my first 1/2 keg of Labatt blue the fridge started too warm up. It (the keg, tap,etc) worked perfectly till that point. I thought my great deal wasn't so great. I discovered the compressor starter burnt up and installed a new stronger aftermarket one and volia, cold beer again! While the fridge & keg got warm my pressure ran from 10 to 15 psi. I live at 700' above sea level. The foam was unreal! now my nearly full 1/2 keg seems to be flat. It taste fine so far just flat. I saw some threads re; recarbonating but as I was not a member couldn't get at the info and don't know if the beer is still usable or not. I don't want to waste $70 worth of beer if I can help it. Does anyone out there know if and what I can do? As I have read threads I can tell you that I don't own a thermometer to dip in my mug o' beer or anything else many threads say I may need for one thing or another. The beer was and now is cold, It poured well till the fridge got warm and now it is flat. Is it rose food now or can it be fixed? Thank you all in advance, Jim

[panthermark]

Well...when it goes from cold to warm......you basically get a form of secondary fermentation.....

How long has it been warm?

[psychodad]

There are ways to force carb, or you can let it sit a few days and it will recarb on its own. Force carbing can be hit or miss, you simply shake the cold keg after raising the pressure to about 30 psi or so, let it sit overnight at high pressure or other such methods. I'd let it sit 4 or 5 days under normal serving pressure and temperature and let it do it itself.

[slimjim]

I would say it was at room temp 3 days plus a couple days to warm up and then 1 day to cool back down. 6 days from day fridge broke till it got cold again. However when I got home last night 10:30 after a school consolidation meeting I poured a cold one and it was perfect. The Co2 gauge has crept up to around 13psi so the head was a little excessive but I'll adjust that down. I just let it all sit there 3 days under pressure cold, no pouring, no shaking, no passing go or collecting $200. She kept calling my name but I refused her advances. It all came back all on its own. it may have fermented slightly but it is not skunky like green bottle beer. either that or it was the bitter taste left from that meeting I attended. LOL Thank You guys for your advice. I thought I had 10 or 12 gals. of rose food. Now I'm off to find a good easy cleaning kit. PROBLEM SOLVED, LESSON LEARNED.

[cubby_swans]

Once it warmed up to room temp, I guarantee the beer didn't cool back down to proper serving temperature for at least 2 days.

If the beer still tastes fine, it likely is fine. So I wouldn't worry much about the beer getting warm and having gone bad. If it concerns you, just drink it real fast. Have a friend or 2 over to watch a game, soon.