how leaky is too leaky..

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waskelton4

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Ok.. i know..
no leaks at all .. but...

I just racked my third brew into my keg. (first time to keg a brew)

I've put pressure on it and set the regulator to around 30lbs (it's not cooled.. probalby around 70 deg)

well... i can hear an ever so faint hiss coming from the top.. and i used the ol' soap and water trick to find out that the leak is coming from underneath the in valve stem.. or whatever it's called.

I obviously know that you don't want these to leak but the only crecent wrench i have that fits in between the rubber top isn't very and doesn't have very good leverage. (it's freaking hard to hold those damn kegs while torquing on them)

do i need to go to HD and get a deep 11/16th in socket and crack down on it some more or should some keg lube do the job... or.... do i need a new gasket


sorry.. sometimes even when i know the answer i feel i need to ask the question.

what do yall do when your stem leaks? (pun most certainly intended)

ws
 
What do I do? Replace all of the o-rings on the keg. Lube will not stop the leakage for long and since you have to take the plug off, why not replace all of the rings (we're talking $4-5 for a kit)? A socket is the only way to get the plugs out. Make certain you get a 12-point, not a 6 sided socket, because some plugs use the 12-point pattern and cannot be removed with a hex.

I write the re-build date on the side of the keg.
 
Replace the o-ring! With o-ring seals, you should not have to go very tight in order to get a perfect seal. As a matter of fact, o-rings are easily damaged by over tightening and that is one of the most common modes of failure of an o-ring. If you 'hear' hissing, yeah... that is WAY too much leakage. Leakage not detected by the ear that drains a CO2 cylinder down before you have gone through a minimum of a half dozen kegs would be too much in my book and I would start going over things with a soap bubble test to find it. I just recently started corny kegging but prior to that I did sanke kegs with 'butt light' for years. If I did not get at least eight kegs out of a 5# CO2 bottle, something was wrong. If you hear the leak, your CO2 will be gone within one keg (unless you are a complete animal drinker or have a big party :mug: ). As far as the socket, go with david_42's suggestion and get the 12 pt. socket. It will serve you well for years to come.
 
thanks guys..

this is actually a rebuilt keg from morebeer.com... first time it's been used.
maybe they'll send me a new o-ring for that post.

i'm going to the HD today anyway and will pick up the suggested socket anyway..

i did do the soap test and man the leak is small.. not too long ago i put 30 lbs in the keg and turned off the co2 tank.. i'm going to keep an eye on the regulator and see if it drops much..

thanks for the advice..

ws
 
I bought a socket and used my Dremel to cut it for my pin lock kegs. I used a 6pt, and it worked fine. Ball lock may need 12pt...don't know. And how tight should the fittings be tightened? Snug, or is there a ft-lb setting so I can use my torque wrench?

Also...does anyone use kegs with these valves on top?
http://morebeer.com/product.html?product_id=18217

Is there a way to prevent them from leaking? Maybe additional o-rings inside and outside of the lid? I've tightened these valves really tight, and they still seem to leak.
 
Where would one procure these O-ring replacement kits? Hardware store? Plumbing store? local Pespi Distributor? And how often do you replace them typically?
 
Another thing to consider is the poppet valve in the center of both the inlet and out let connectors. I discovered one this weekend that is leaking. If it leaks on the "out" side beer will escape making a big mess. If it's on the "in" or gas side the CO2 will escape. I'm going to buy some replacement poppet valves for this keg and I might just replace the poppets on all my kegs.
 
glibbidy said:
Where would one procure these O-ring replacement kits? Hardware store? Plumbing store? local Pespi Distributor? And how often do you replace them typically?
My LHBS carries them as do most on-line Home Brew stores. As to how long? Good question. I would like to know that myself.
 
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