corny keg question

Okay, I feel embarrassed even asking this but...

How the heck do I attach the ins/outs on a ball-lock corny keg? In both instances I've tried pushing them down pretty damn hard and they seem to get stuck halfway. I don't want to break anything, but do I need to just muscle this?

Thanks!

It should require no effort really, is the black one on the "out" or beer side and grey one on the "in" or gas side of the keg? The keg is labled "in" and "out" and they don't cross over without issues. Are you pulling back the sleeve on the plastic disconect while you push it down?

In some cases, you might have to pull up on the ring and push the locking balls loose before attaching them.

*facepalm*

Apparently in the twenty minutes I was fighting with the stupid things it never occurred to me that I may have them on the wrong posts. My college degree is laughing at me right now.

is it working now?

you may have gotten lucky anyway as I was told that if you put them on backwards they may not come back off

Well, one of them did get sorta stuck but I managed to wedge it off since it never went on all the way. Once I switched em around they fit just fine.

With any luck, I've made my stupid mistake for the day. Otherwise I'm likely to run out in traffic or something

I've had to pull and twist the hell out of them to remove them from the posts. LOL, maybe my posts have been switched from the beginning..

businesstime said:

I've had to pull and twist the hell out of them to remove them from the posts. LOL, maybe my posts have been switched from the beginning..

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In my case I have Pepsi ball-lock type posts (Coke used the pin-lock type). The In-post has a 12 point wrench pattern, while the Out-post has a 6 point . (So you can confirm they are not installed opposite. And note that if you need to buy the 7/8 wrench to take them apart to clean you have to be sure to get a duel open-end/box-end wrench to be able to get both off. You’ll note the wrench is placed upside down here relative to the proper wrench end.)



If you look at the post heads close you can see they are slightly different designs. The Out-post has a bit more of a flange (& higher flange) and is about a mm skinnier. (The ball bearings lock around those flanges.) In theory this design keeps you from hooking them up backwards, but if you somehow do that, the thing will not blow up or anything (they are rated to 130psi) you’ll just be pushing CO2 to the bottom of the keg vs. the top. [Of course the C02 Tank itself is very dangerous if you don’t secure properly and somehow knock the top off, it could kill someone.])

I have a red rubber o-ring on the In-post of the keg, and a black on the Out-post. Makes it easier to see after you’ve had a few. By recent tradition the new disconnects are all black for the Out and gray for the In. You may find older ones of different colors. I’ve seen blue and red ones; presumably Pepsi colors.

I have a problem installing the CO2 disconnect every time when the o-ring is completely dry. But a little food grade lube (i.e. beer) might make it seem almost like it comes on and off too easy. (Be sure to sanitize the CO2 ball-lock before kegging, if you use the keg as a secondary, as I do, or if you’re storing the kegged beer for “long periods of time” – whoever can accomplish that.)

I’m sure it doesn’t hurt to replace all the rubber gaskets every now and again (by definition, a “refurbish job”), but I’m on 20 years with these little 3 gal boys and only on my last brew did I get a little seep in one of the nipples. She wouldn’t hold 18psi for forced carbonization. So I guess it’s finally time.

(Note – be careful to not over tighten the posts with that big burly wrench. Snug is fine if you want the gasgets to last. And do NOT soak with bleach to sanitize stainless steel, if you value you kegs.)

Wow, you're absolutely right- I had mine on reverse, too. They both have 6 points, however; But the flange on one of them is definitely different (more skirt-shaped).

Thanks! I can't believe they were actually functioning like that!

ipso said:

In my case I have Pepsi ball-lock type posts (Coke used the pin-lock type). The In-post has a 12 point wrench pattern, while the Out-post has a 6 point . (So you can confirm they are not installed opposite. And note that if you need to buy the 7/8 wrench to take them apart to clean you have to be sure to get a duel open-end/box-end wrench to be able to get both off. You’ll note the wrench is placed upside down here relative to the proper wrench end.)

If you look at the post heads close you can see they are slightly different designs. The Out-post has a bit more of a flange (& higher flange) and is about a mm skinnier. (The ball bearings lock around those flanges.) In theory this design keeps you from hooking them up backwards, but if you somehow do that, the thing will not blow up or anything (they are rated to 130psi) you’ll just be pushing CO2 to the bottom of the keg vs. the top. [Of course the C02 Tank itself is very dangerous if you don’t secure properly and somehow knock the top off, it could kill someone.])

I have a red rubber o-ring on the In-post of the keg, and a black on the Out-post. Makes it easier to see after you’ve had a few. By recent tradition the new disconnects are all black for the Out and gray for the In. You may find older ones of different colors. I’ve seen blue and red ones; presumably Pepsi colors.

I have a problem installing the CO2 disconnect every time when the o-ring is completely dry. But a little food grade lube (i.e. beer) might make it seem almost like it comes on and off too easy. (Be sure to sanitize the CO2 ball-lock before kegging, if you use the keg as a secondary, as I do, or if you’re storing the kegged beer for “long periods of time” – whoever can accomplish that.)

I’m sure it doesn’t hurt to replace all the rubber gaskets every now and again (by definition, a “refurbish job”), but I’m on 20 years with these little 3 gal boys and only on my last brew did I get a little seep in one of the nipples. She wouldn’t hold 18psi for forced carbonization. So I guess it’s finally time.

(Note – be careful to not over tighten the posts with that big burly wrench. Snug is fine if you want the gasgets to last. And do NOT soak with bleach to sanitize stainless steel, if you value you kegs.)

Click to expand...

My posts are ball lock, some of them are 7/8 and some are 11/16, only one required the special tool but I got rid of it. The different color O-Rings are a good idea, where did those come from?

Wellshooter said:

My posts are ball lock, some of them are 7/8 and some are 11/16, only one required the special tool but I got rid of it. The different color O-Rings are a good idea, where did those come from?

Click to expand...

I just saw these in the catalog they send out every now and again.
http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/catalogsearch/result/?q=ball+lock+post+o-ring&x=0&y=0