Slight CO2 smell from keezer

All,

I had an issue last night and could smell heavy co2. I thought I had a leak, so I turned everything off. I woke up this morning and put pipe tape on the threads on the co2 tank and reconnected it tight to my regulator. I took soapy water (and also starsan) and sprayed down all of my fittings and where the hoses connect to for gas. I can't see any bubbles anywhere, but I smell a slight smell of co2 in the keezer. Is that normal? How else can I test for leaks short of removing everything and possibly submersing in the tub?

I'm wondering if it could just be left over from last night, but I'm not sure how long that smell hangs around. Is there any way that I can clear the smell out to be sure that it's not still leaking?

Thanks!

CO2 has no odor. Soapy water is the only way I know of to check for leaks and it works great but you should give it about a min and then check it, dawn soap works great. But really, you can't smell CO2.

I guess smell isn't a good way to describe it. It's more like "If I take a whiff of this I'm going to pass out from the burn" feeling. I've got everything turned off again. I can't get enough soapy water to "stick" on the hoses or anything. Do you spray it on with a spray bottle? Will it hurt anything if I put the disconnects, manifold and hoses in a tub of water and turn on the CO2?

kenpotf said:

I guess smell isn't a good way to describe it. It's more like "If I take a whiff of this I'm going to pass out from the burn" feeling. I've got everything turned off again. I can't get enough soapy water to "stick" on the hoses or anything. Do you spray it on with a spray bottle? Will it hurt anything if I put the disconnects, manifold and hoses in a tub of water and turn on the CO2?

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It won't go into anything as long as there's gas leaking out! You can also use Star San, that foams pretty well and if it gets in the beer it's no big deal. You probably have a spray bottle of it already.

kenpotf said:

I'm wondering if it could just be left over from last night, but I'm not sure how long that smell hangs around. Is there any way that I can clear the smell out to be sure that it's not still leaking?

Thanks!

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If you're using a chest freezer, the CO2 would stay in there until you somehow flush it out of there. It's heavier than the surrounding air, so it's going to settle into the bottom of the freezer, kind of like if your keezer was full of water. You can try and fan it out, or you can dump it out.

And I know exactly what you mean about the burn, we have a huge bin of dry ice at work that I sometimes have to lean into to scoop the last of it off the bottom. Sometimes I forget to hold my breath, and that's just a bad idea.

kenpotf said:

I guess smell isn't a good way to describe it. It's more like "If I take a whiff of this I'm going to pass out from the burn" feeling. I've got everything turned off again. I can't get enough soapy water to "stick" on the hoses or anything. Do you spray it on with a spray bottle? Will it hurt anything if I put the disconnects, manifold and hoses in a tub of water and turn on the CO2?

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I just did this the other day. Cheapo spray bottle, and some dish soap watered down to approximately the same mix you use when doing dishes. Maybe a bit stronger.

Spray every connection/fitting on your system. Middle of the hoses seem like a low priority target because it would require some real damage to that line to actually leak. Check the keg posts, keg lid, MFLs/barbs going to quick connects, the quick connect body itself, the MFLs/barbs going into regulator, every brass on brass connection there, and the safety valve on the CO2 bottle.

Even a slow leak should make a visible bubble within seconds of spraying. Just spray the connection, look at it, then re-spray it. Look at both sides of them too.

**Bump** I was wondering, along the same lines....I use CO2 to carbonate home made soda; incidentally after a while my bottles, though disinfected with that powdered bleach stuff (white), will develop a slight odour to them. Is this because of the CO2 or am I doing it wrong?

KingPin said:

**Bump** I was wondering, along the same lines....I use CO2 to carbonate home made soda; incidentally after a while my bottles, though disinfected with that powdered bleach stuff (white), will develop a slight odour to them. Is this because of the CO2 or am I doing it wrong?

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Plastic bottles or glass? Plastic definitely retains odor, especially from soda. So do the o-rings in corney kegs. I'd try soaking in oxyclean or PBW overnight, then rinse with really hot water. That usually gets any smells out.