Removing posts/poppets from keg

Hi folks,

Trying to remove the gas in/beeah out posts from my newly acquired kegs but cannot do so. I have a wrench and a ratchet socket but just cannot get them turned or moving in any way shape or form. Any suggestions to what I could do to get the removed? Yup - I'm turning them counterclockwise

Been working at them for a few weeks on and off and getting ANGRY

Thanks.

What type of kegs are they?

They might be really tight and stuck with some sugar from soda or beer. I would invert one and soak it in hot water and that may loosen the guck. If that does not work I would extend the ratchet handle with a pipe to get more leverage.

Jared311 said:

What type of kegs are they?

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They're 5 gallon pin lock corneys.

Blender said:

They might be really tight and stuck with some sugar from soda or beer. I would invert one and soak it in hot water and that may loosen the guck. If that does not work I would extend the ratchet handle with a pipe to get more leverage.

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Tried the boiling water and invert trick. No luck. I never thought of the pipe -- that's a good trick. My question is how do you hold the keg stable enough to exert enough force?

They're 5 gallon pin lock corneys

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I am assuming that you have a special socket for the pin locks.

Cugel said:

Tried the boiling water and invert trick. No luck. I never thought of the pipe -- that's a good trick. My question is how do you hold the keg stable enough to exert enough force?

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You might lay it down horizontally and sit on it to keep it steady. Good Luck

If you can get someone to secure the keg, slip a wrench over the post and try gently tapping on the handle with a rubber mallet to losen the posts. This has worked for me.

Cookiebaggs said:

If you can get someone to secure the keg, slip a wrench over the post and try gently tapping on the handle with a rubber mallet to losen the posts. This has worked for me.

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That's what I had to do with my last keg as well. Try this before the pipe. This method will have lower chance of breaking anything.

fill the keg with water, and seal it up. The added weight (mass actually) will give your hammer blows something the work against.

Thanks guys for the tips. Much appreciated. I'll give it a whack. Or two as the case may be.

Alright, sorted the kegs out late last night. It turned out to be that I was not getting enough torque on the posts with the ratchet. Once I sat on the kegs and was able to work on the left hand side post with the ratchet in my right hand I was able to loosen them. I guess the difference is that the handle of the ratchet was close to the center of my body as opposed to way out to the right - which was what was happening when I worked on the RHS post with my right hand. Simple physics I guess. Took me 4-5 weeks to remove the posts.

Thanks for all the tips.

Cugel said:

Took me 4-5 weeks to remove the posts.

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The beer coming out of that keg will be that much sweeter for it.
Glad you finally got 'em.

Have it steeping in an idophor solution and it'll be ready to be filled with a great tasting hefe tonight. I'll use the Biermuncher force carbing method (TM). Am dying to taste the good stuff on Friday night after work! It will taste so sweet! Drool...