Food-grade Silicone!?

Probably one of the stupidest questions asked in this section, but my LHBS is out of keg lube, and i am looking for some food grade silicone. I have 4 kegs broke down to parade rest, all clean and ready to go with brand new o-rings in hot stand buy. get to the LHBS and they had sold the last keglube 30 minutes before my arrival. I am trying to find a big tube of grease and either haven't looked in the right spot or just over looked. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

thanks

do you need to fill 4 kegs immediately? why not just wait till you can get the real thing?

100% vaseline

Years back in my food service days, we had a soft-serve ice cream machine. It used food-grade silicone to lubricate the internal moving parts. I would check with some fast-food places or a Dairy Queen type of store, maybe they would give you, or sell you, a condiment cup of lube.

its not that i can't wait until i get the real thing, its that the LHBS said it will be atleast a week until they get a new shipment of it in. Aside from that i hate driving the distance there just for a little thing of lube. that and everytime i go into the store i walk out 100-200 dollars poorer.

use this.

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=53861-1366-88693

This one seems closer to keg lube than their regular silicone. It has the FDA and NSF approval too...

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xg4/R-100144666/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

One of the industrial hardware stores here sells a 100% silicone spray, also says FDA approved on it. Check some lube aisles.

samc said:

100% vaseline

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+1 I have heard vaseline works well.

Works great. I hear it works on keg O-rings too.

Spyd3r said:

This one seems closer to keg lube than their regular silicone. It has the FDA and NSF approval too...

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xg4/R-100144666/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

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It's the same stuff. Has FDA seal of approval. It's used on drinking water supply lines.

cryptonic84 said:

its not that i can't wait until i get the real thing, its that the LHBS said it will be at least a week until they get a new shipment of it in. Aside from that i hate driving the distance there

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Have you heard of this new thing called the internet? :fro:

If I were you, I'd just order some online and reassemble them dry. Just put the kegs aside until it shows up on your doorstep. Just my $.02.

Super Lube has the same ratings as Petrol Gel and is available and most hardware and auto stores.

I use mineral oil, its available everywhere.

I got my food-grade silicone lube at a scuba diving supply shop. It comes in the same little container as "Keg Lube" (about the size of a half dollar and about 1/2 inch thick). The Scuba one has a little chain on it so you can attach it to your gear? Worked great though, and it says 100% fda approved.

tundra05 said:

It's the same stuff. Has FDA seal of approval. It's used on drinking water supply lines.

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Danco has a few different lube products. One is labeled Silicone Lube, and the other is Waterproof Lube. I couldn't find any FDA stuff on the Silicone variety...I'll take your word for it if there is...but the Waterproof Lube has that information on the homedepot website.

The keg lube that I bought from my LHBS is also labeled as Waterproof...

+1 on the plumbers silicone "grease" - the stuff for faucet fittings. Every hardware store should have it in stock. It is EXACTLY the same stuff as Keg Lube. They just slap the Keg lube name on the same stuff and charge you twice as much.

K-Y Jelly

Just tell them it's for your O-ring

COLObrewer said:

I use mineral oil, its available everywhere.

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I think oil has a worse effect on head retention than silicone if it gets into the beer. Mineral oil (and vaseline) will also attack/deteriorate rubber o-rings. Lastly, mineral oil can eventually dry out and gum up.

hexmonkey said:

I think oil has a worse effect on head retention than silicone if it gets into the beer. Mineral oil (and vaseline) will also attack/deteriorate rubber o-rings. Lastly, mineral oil can eventually dry out and gum up.

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Haven't had much problem with any of that, but then there are 4 of us drinking so kegs are cleaned regularly. .. . because they are empty.

What's the best way to clean old keg lube off when cleaning?

I was fighting with a CO2 leak on my just built kegerator and the faucet lube seems to have done the trick. DAmn I love this internet thing!

While your life doesn't depend on it*, vasaline, mineral oil, and other oil-based lubricants should not be used on most *** petroleum-based*** gaskets/o-rings, as over time they will degrade the o-ring material, leading to failure (conversely, silicone lubricants should not be used on silicone o-rings; silicone o-rings are usually brightly coloured, not black). Moreover, not all of these will be safe/food-grade (although, given the small amounts used, risk is minimal). Personal lubricants are water-based and will not maintain their protective effect for very long.

Silicone is the way to go - non-food-grade is often the same as food grade (which generally means the batch has been tested for specific poisons).

Bryan

*if you're a scuba diver, you life does depend on it. A few fatalities have been linked to o-rings weakened by use of improper lubricants

I have never used any kind of lube. My kegs seal fine. I have never seen pepsi or coke use any kind of lube on the kegs. Have you had problems sealing?