Noobie Kegger Question

I have a couple questions, as I'm new to kegging and can't readily find answers for them.

I just bought a 2 keg system from kegconnection, when I pull the blow off valve, I get a soda smell. My plan is to clean, sanitize, and change out the O-rings. How critical is it to lube the O-rings when you change them? I just don't have any handy -- and I happen to have batch of American Amber Ale ready for kegging. .

Also, I only have one batch ready at the moment. After I clean the 2nd Keg (also has soda smell), how much pressure should I put in the keg for storage until I can get a batch of beer in it? Or is pressurizing a keg for empty storage necessary?


Thanks in advance,

Tyson

Bring on the draft beer!

You should plan on lubing the O rings but I wouldn't worry about doing it right away if you don't have the lube.
Pressurize the keg and then put soapy water or star san over the lid and poppets to make sure it doesn't leak.

Not sure about pressurizing the empty for storage. I'm fairly new at this as well. I haven't worried about pressurizing my empties.

I will clean kegs in batches, I'm lazy. I always remove the posts and remove the pressure relief valve from the lid for each cleaning. After they are clean I store them upside down (with the beer out dip tube inside) on paper towels with all the hardware (posts, poppets, gas in dip tube and O-rings) in a ziplock sitting on the keg.

When time to fill, I do quick rinse of keg and parts, sanitize parts, re-assemble, sanitize keg and away I go.

It's critical to get the soda smell out. Oxiclean, in my experience, doesn't do it. PBW does it in no time flat, like 30 minutes. You don't necessarily need keg lube to lube the O rings. Just drop by the drug store or grocery and pick up mineral oil.

The 'soda' smell is usually the cleaner (lye) they use to clean the keg before they ship it to you. The stuff smells very sweet like soda. As far as storing, I usually will sanitize the keg with iodophor (or starsan) then pressurize. I use very little pressure. Then when ready to use, I will open keg, rinse a little more sanitizer through it and pour sanitizer over the 'in' and 'out' disconnects and I'm ready to go. You probably don't 'need' to store that way but I am crazy about sanitation.

I'm a little like rcrabb, I wash mine in batches. Where I do things different is sanitation. I rigged up a transfer system to pump the sanitizer from the out port to the in port on the next keg. I mix up 5 gallons of sanitizer (Iodophor) and fill the first keg. I let it sit for a few hours (probably not necessary, but I do anyway), and use CO2 to push the sanitizer into the next keg, and let it sit for another few hours. (I bleed the pressure as it fills.)

Once I'm done sanitizing, I fill the first with cool boiled water, and run it through all the kegs for a rinse. I then store the kegs with pressure.

It works for me...