Hi,
I started kegging this year. I have a new 5lb CO2 tank, new regulator and two reconditioned pin-lock kegs. I actually ordered this equipment during a sale last summer, and the two kegs arrived pressurized and remained that way until December when I took them apart, cleaned them and replaced the o-rings. I filled my first keg on January 6 and my second on March 1.
Everything has been going great until I went to get a beer out of the second keg last night. I pulled the tap handle and - nothing! I opened the kegorator to check the pressure (my CO2 tank and regulator sit inside my kegorator) and all three gauges are on zero. I tried the tap for the first keg and it works, although the beer is foamier than usual. I checked the second keg using the pressure relief valve and there is no pressure in it.
I had beer out of both kegs last week, so I lost the last of the CO2 sometime since. I believe the problem must be a slow leak somewhere in the second keg since the first keg is holding pressure. It has to be a small leak since it took almost two months to drain my CO2.
I need your advice on figuring out where the problem is. I sprayed soapy water on the regulator and the kegs when I first set them up and everything seemed OK. As I mentioned, all the o-rings are new and I used keg lube on them.
I plan to at least take the second keg apart, sanitize everything again, put new keg lube on and make sure everything is sealing properly. I think I'll also pressurize the second keg up to 15psi or so, then turn the regulator off for that keg and make sure it holds the pressure for a week or two. The last thing I want to do is drain my CO2 tank again!
Would it be worth purchasing new poppets and/or posts for the keg? Is it possible on pin-lock kegs to get a bad seal on the gas line? Are there any tricks to make sure the gas and liquid lines are properly attached? Is there anything else that I should be checking?
Thanks as always for your help!
I started kegging this year. I have a new 5lb CO2 tank, new regulator and two reconditioned pin-lock kegs. I actually ordered this equipment during a sale last summer, and the two kegs arrived pressurized and remained that way until December when I took them apart, cleaned them and replaced the o-rings. I filled my first keg on January 6 and my second on March 1.
Everything has been going great until I went to get a beer out of the second keg last night. I pulled the tap handle and - nothing! I opened the kegorator to check the pressure (my CO2 tank and regulator sit inside my kegorator) and all three gauges are on zero. I tried the tap for the first keg and it works, although the beer is foamier than usual. I checked the second keg using the pressure relief valve and there is no pressure in it.
I had beer out of both kegs last week, so I lost the last of the CO2 sometime since. I believe the problem must be a slow leak somewhere in the second keg since the first keg is holding pressure. It has to be a small leak since it took almost two months to drain my CO2.
I need your advice on figuring out where the problem is. I sprayed soapy water on the regulator and the kegs when I first set them up and everything seemed OK. As I mentioned, all the o-rings are new and I used keg lube on them.
I plan to at least take the second keg apart, sanitize everything again, put new keg lube on and make sure everything is sealing properly. I think I'll also pressurize the second keg up to 15psi or so, then turn the regulator off for that keg and make sure it holds the pressure for a week or two. The last thing I want to do is drain my CO2 tank again!
Would it be worth purchasing new poppets and/or posts for the keg? Is it possible on pin-lock kegs to get a bad seal on the gas line? Are there any tricks to make sure the gas and liquid lines are properly attached? Is there anything else that I should be checking?
Thanks as always for your help!