keg pressure testing question

So I hooked up my kegs to test the pressure today. I am not certain of the results though. Here is what I did.

After cleaning and sanitizing I reassembled the kegs. Tightened all the posts, wet and sealed the lid. Then I attached the gas dissconnect to the post and turned up the regulator to about 10 psi. I sprayed all the connections/seals with a soapy water solution and checked for bubbles. There were tiny bubbles but not actively forming meaning they appear to only be from the spraying action. I noticed on one keg large bubbles started forming around the bottom of the disconnect, but I pulled it off and put it back on and they went away. So, there did not visually appear to be any leaks that way. However, the regulator/tank never fell completely silent. It hissed alot at first when the keg was pressurizing and then it seemd to quiet down. When I placed my ear near the regulator though I could here a slight gas flowing sound. As soon as I remove the gas dissconnect from the keg, it falls silent. I went back and bumped the pressure up to about 17 psi on them. They still are pressurized now (about 8 hours later) though how much I do not know.

This means there is a leak somewhere yes?

Be kind, I am completely ne to kegs.

Sometimes my connects don't seal completely, and I have a very slow, but very annoying leak. It seems to help if I turn up the pressure a bit and slightly wiggle the connect. They're only plastic, but most of the time they do their job. Also, if you use clamps, after a while(disconnecting for cleaning) they seem to wear on the tubing and can cause leaks especially if it is the thinner wall tubing. I'm not that experienced with kegs or pressure problems, just my two. Don' t get too frustrated, and just figure that at some point you'll get a leak you don't notice and it'll empty your tank. Sh*t happens)

At least you know there are no issues with the lines themselves since you can disconnect and the "noise" goes away.

My guess is that an empty keg can take a long time for the air inside to compress to the 10# pressure.

Try this. Fill a keg to the top with water and then do the same thing. See if the noise subsides much quicker.

Otherwise, I would trust the soapy water test. For me, I use a soaped up rag and squeze a (messy ) healty dose over all the pieces.

I pressure test my empty kegs with compressed air instead of CO2 (it does use quite a bit of CO2 to fill/pressurize an empty keg).
I have a simple bleeder valve: guage, SS tire valve, barbed fitting on a brass Tee.
With the tire valve I can fill or release pressure.

kinison_fan said:

I pressure test my empty kegs with compressed air instead of CO2 (it does use quite a bit of CO2 to fill/pressurize an empty keg).
I have a simple bleeder valve: guage, SS tire valve, barbed fitting on a brass Tee.
With the tire valve I can fill or release pressure.

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Excellent suggestion.

And it may become more important if the Government starts charging us for our carbon foot print. That tank of CO2 could really shoot upwards in price.

Patience. Something I have not mastered.

I went back this morning and turned the gas back on while hooked up. Silence. I guess it is as BierMuncher suggested. It just took a while for it to completely pressurize.

BierMuncher and kinison_fan, nice tips.

Thanks everyone.

I am really stoked! Built a wooden platform in our extra fridge last night. Got room for a 4 kegs, a carboy and the CO2 tank. It is a beautiful sight, one I did not think I would see in my own house for a long time.


Holidays are coming... Faucets and a temp controller are on my list!

abracadabra said:

And it may become more important if the Government starts charging us for our carbon foot print. That tank of CO2 could really shoot upwards in price.

Click to expand...

If that happens, I'm totally going to boycott breathing :cross:

Funkenjäger said:

If that happens, I'm totally going to boycott breathing :cross:

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Yeah, if those global warming ninnies like Al Bore would just off themselves we could cut down on the problem!

Regards
Al