Ball Lock Problems
Ok, Ok, Let's reign this thread back in. Not that I've ever hi-jacked anything, ever.
Keg Lube is wonderful stuff. All my DC's fit perfectly & easily.
While calling around town to find samesaid magical potion, one LHBS said that they don't bother stocking it because unscented patroleum jelly is just as good/the same, and, food grade. I rummaged through the medicine cabinet, found some. Then I applied the thinnest possible layer to the outside of a few posts, and everything fit.
Now to drill holes in the fridge. Probably do that while no one else is home. 
Now to drill holes in the fridge.
That is where the fun really begins. I loved building my kegerator. It came out great!
Good to hear the lube helped.
Yes, Oh Yes, Now is when the 
EVIL BREWING SCIENTIST Surfaces
BREW HA HA HA Ha Ha ha ha 
Can hardly wait.
Brewski wrote:
Ok, Ok, Let's reign this thread back in. Not that I've ever hi-jacked anything, ever.
Keg Lube is wonderful stuff. All my DC's fit perfectly & easily.
While calling around town to find samesaid magical potion, one LHBS said that they don't bother stocking it because unscented patroleum jelly is just as good/the same, and, food grade. I rummaged through the medicine cabinet, found some. Then I applied the thinnest possible layer to the outside of a few posts, and everything fit.
Now to drill holes in the fridge. Probably do that while no one else is home.
So KentuckY Jelly should work too then.
"I was caring for a woman from Kentucky and asked, "So how's your breakfast this morning?"
"It's very good, except for the Kentucky Jelly. I can't seem to get used to the taste," the patient replied.
I then asked to see the jelly and the woman produced a foil packet labeled "KY Jelly."
DC
I hear that Kentucky Jelly comes in flavors now.
Course you wouldn't want to use that kind on ball lock keg posts, would you?
Kegging my first batch tomorrow.
Maybe using KentuckY Jelly would get our woman more interested in brewing. LOL.
DC
Back to ISSUES.
I've kegged my first batch. I noticed in the process that the cornys don't seem to be holding pressure any more. Like all of them. So, I'm hoping it's something simple.
I rigged up this-
It's an old keg pump with a gas DC & the keg faucet I bought. I used the setup to flush the out line with Tap and Line Cleaner, then rinsed the keg w/ hot water, then flushed the line again, then tested for pressure. Could hear air leaking & got bubbles out of the relief valve on one, and around the O-ring on the others. Tried switching lids
Put some magic Keg Lube on the O-rings, but no success.
I'm a little concerned, cause I've got 5 gal of beer in a keg that may or may not hold pressure.
Should mention that the kegs have been out in the unheated garage (20-30F), and I just brought them in this morning, and kegged around 2pm.
If you hear air leaking, that is a definite concern. You may have to replace all the o-rings and the lid gasket, usually keg lube does the trick. Also make sure your pressure release valve is screwd on tight to the lid underneath.
If you do not hear air anymore but still do not have pressure, keep in mind that your beer will absorb your CO2 that you are filling it with. And you may begin with 20# pushing back, but after a few minutes will have little pressure left. Especially in the cold, the beer absorbs much more CO2.
Try removing the main O-ring and turning it over...sometimes that works.
You may need to replace all the main O rings if you havent already.
The last thing you could try would be to put a washer on either side where the handle clamps down to the keg top, to try and get a tighter seal... Obviously not a good permenant solution.
I know with several of my kegs I sometimes need to fiddle with the way the lid seats in the whole before it seals. Also, try high pressure at first to get it to seal. I have found that unless I put a blast of 20-30PSI CO2 in there it won't seal. Then you can set the pressure where you want it and it seems to stay sealed. But that's just my set up.
Thanks for the help, guys.
I'm doing keg conditioning w/ corn sugar, not force carbing.
I like the idea of a blast of CO2 to seal. That makes sense, kinda like when they seat a tire on a wheel.
First I'll try to turn the seals, KegLube & pump the pressure up by hand to see if they will seal under high pressure.
Should I go ahead & blast the keg I just filled up to 20# & see if it holds?
Brewski wrote:
Should I go ahead & blast the keg I just filled up to 20# & see if it holds?
First off, if you haven't already, burp the keg. This is putting a quick blast os co2 in, shutting off the line, and pulling the PRV to release it back to no pressure. Repeat this 2-3 times. This is purging any oxygen (atmospheric air) out of the heaspace. co2 is heavier, so that will stay behind.
Once purged, go ahead and crank it up to 30# and give it a shot, you will see if you are holding pressure or not. Do you have a reason for using priming sugar and doing a natural carb?
One last note for beggining keggers is to always purge your keg by letting off some pressure with the PRV before hooking a gas line up if there is a remote chance that the keg pressure may be greater than your gas line. Lets say you do natuarally carb tp 2.5 vols, and the keg is under 15-16#. If you hook up a gas line at 12# to serve, beer will shoot up your gas line and if you do not have check valves in place will get into your distributor and regulator. Even if you do have check valves, stale beer in your gas line sucks. Be careful.
This morning the liquid post had a slow leak, there was about a cup of beer on the floor. Cleaned it up, released pressure, removed the post and cleaned 7 lubed the poppet. Replaced, & shot in 20# of CO2, & it held. That was 3 hours ago, & it still appears to be holding pressure.
I've started checking over all the kegs, tops, posts, etc. Taking most everything apart, cleaning, Keg Lubing, flipping the main O-rings, then rinse out the keg, fill w/ water & use the pump to bring up pressure. So far, some worn & trashed o-rings, a couple a weak poppets, but I've got 3 out of 6 holding pressure.
Looks like it might work. Gonna keg the Coffee Stout next, today or tomorrow.
Why the priming sugar? Don't know, just habit, I guess, uses less CO2.
Brewski wrote:
Why the priming sugar? Don't know, just habit, I guess, uses less CO2.
One of the things I hated most about bottling was the distinct, kinda funny, almost cidery flavor bottling sugar adds. I swap beers a lot with another forum and I can always pick out the guys who keg, and the guys who naturally carb. Once you force carb properly, you will never even think about priming sugar again. So much that for belgian beers that require a higher PSI for more vols, I went out and got a seperate tank and regulator just for them. Force carbing rules, you have got to give it a try, you will use way less co2 than you think, (as long as you have no leaks!) This is the best part of kegging!
All my kegs now hold pressure. Had to clean, tweak, & tighten, then pumped them up yesterday afternoon w/ my converted keg pump & they still had pressure this morning.
Did have to buy a new O-ring for one of the gas dip tubes, $.49 + tax.
On force kegging-
I've only got the one CO2 tank, and room for 2 kegs in the fridge.
What procedure would you recommend?
The reason I ask is that I've got 5 gal of Coffee Stout ready to go.
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