Can you I.D. this Firestone keg?

As you can see by post count I havent been around long, but I look forward to gaining insight from everyone and offering assistance when I can. Anyway, I've had this 10 gallon keg for a few years, but cant find any info on in and thus, have never used it. Its a Firestone with Sani-Brite finish, but thats about all I can tell. Its missing the posts, gas tube, and lid gasket, but the lid is sort of unusual since its screw-on. If anyone can assist with a model number/name or source for parts(mainly the lid gasket), I'd appreciate it. Here are some pics:







And just for kicks, the whole collection. Starting from left to right at rear: Corny 5gal pin, unkown(Kelsey-Hayes?) 5gal pin, Corny 5gal ball, Firestone 10gal, Spartanburg 3gal ball, and a Corny 3 gal ball.


EDIT: Oh hell, should this be in the EQUIPMENT forum instead?

have you tried looking to see if that "72484" stamped on the top means anything?

I know squat about kegs, but that stamped number is where I would begin looking.

-walker

Have you checked dairy supply places. Puts me in mind of a creamer container.

Yeah, I've Googled that number up, down, and sideways with no luck. I suspect its just a serial number. I also cant find the Firestone stainless products web site(do they still exist?). I dont know about it being a dairy container. All the dairy cans I've seen are non-airtight and have a large non-sealing lid. I wont rule it out, though.

Also, should this thread be in the equipment forum, or is it ok in here?

Looks like a milk container to me too!

Spartanburg Steel Products, Spartanburg, South Carolina Firestone brand Go to the link and you'll see this type of can. I'd post the picture, but the FAQ doesn't explain the process very well. But I don't believe they make that type & size any more. You can still get parts.

Right, I havent seen pictures or even reference to this thing ever. The thing that confuses me about it possibly being a dairy container is the presence of beverage fittings and a siphon/dip tube. I dunno, I'm from a part of CA that doesnt have alot of dairy farms.

I know this was from a long time ago, but I actually saw a keg like this on FleaBay a few weeks ago. After some research it appears to be a Firestone Challenger with the larger gas/liquid fittings(3/4-18 and 11/16-18).

It has been just over four years since I last posted posted in this ancient thread, but I still have been unable to find much info about this keg. I figure there may be newer members in this forum that haven't seen this, so I'm resurrecting it.

Apparently I deleted the old photos, so here it is again:


It has an 11/16-18 gas inlet thread and a 3/4-18 liquid outlet thread with a 7/16-24 pressure relief thread. I have the liquid dip tube and I know I can get posts/poppets, but what about the gas dip tube, lid seal, and pressure relief valve? I have also seen mention of nylon spacers. Like I said in the last post from '06, I saw one like it on eBay, but have no idea what kind of seal the lid uses.

10gal ball-lock kegs seem to be like hens' teeth and command a king's ransom, so it seems a waste to not use this one if I can.

I have a 19 litre with the same lid type but I need to replace the relief valve and I can't find where to get it. Ifyou or I find parts lets let each other know. Thanx Mb

"Can you I.D. this Firestone keg? "

YES I CAN! Thats my keg. I'll be happy to come 'round and pick it up at your earliest convenience.

michael2000 said:

I have a 19 litre with the same lid type but I need to replace the relief valve and I can't find where to get it. Ifyou or I find parts lets let each other know. Thanx Mb

Click to expand...

That's the other problem: finding parts now that I know what it needs. The good news is that post assemblies are still available from major brew supplies. The bad news is that the relief valves are not being produced(marked "B" under relief valves on this page) and anything you can find will be limited to the used parts and "new old stock." I may resort to using a lathe to make an adapter so it can use the common Cornelius pull-style valve. It is also possible that this keg used a short plastic dip tube on the gas side. I still don't know what lid seal they used. It may just be a simple o-ring.

thats a dairy container. who makes it or who uses it i don't know. but i do know its dairy.

Check out this link http://img.directindustry.com/images_di/photo-g/self-contained-mobile-eyewash-station-368155.jpg

It may not even be a soda keg.

I used to repair equipment in a food processing plant years ago and they had something similar that they would mix sanitizers and spray from. <shrug>

Brew Runner said:

That's the other problem: finding parts now that I know what it needs. The good news is that post assemblies are still available from major brew supplies. The bad news is that the relief valves are not being produced(marked "B" under relief valves on this page) and anything you can find will be limited to the used parts and "new old stock." I may resort to using a lathe to make an adapter so it can use the common Cornelius pull-style valve. It is also possible that this keg used a short plastic dip tube on the gas side. I still don't know what lid seal they used. It may just be a simple o-ring.

Click to expand...

I know that keg;

I have two of them in my posession, one in the Garage unused, and one in my basement fermenting a Lager.



Once I've racked my lager I'll take a look at the gasket on the lid, I'm 90% certain that is just the same as a regular corny lid o-ring.

I think I even have a spare lid in my brewbox that might have a gasket on it, if that is the case i can put up some pics/dimensions tonight.

That would be a great help, thanks!

A closer photo of the relief valve would be icing on the cake.

My lids do not have a relief valve.

Though one of the kegs (left as seen above) has what I am assuming is a relief valve on it, its currently taken off and a blow- off tube is attached to the fitting

Here is whats attached from a slightly different angle...


Full pics of what I scored for 160$ (those kegs included) can be seen here
http://picasaweb.google.com/jmwebb/TheHomebrewMotherload

Yeah, that little post closest to the keg with no lid is the relief.

That is a major score indeed. :rockin:

The relief valve taken apart:





The keg Lid:


Keg gasket on the left, Corny keg on the right:


Keg gasket:


Hope these help.

Those are a big help, thanks!

Anyone figure anything out on these. I just picked one up today for $50 to use as a fermenter for the time being but would like to eventually use it for serving at some point when I'm setup for that.

Now the weird thing about mine is that is says "Pepsi Co. Canada" on it so I know it's not a dairy keg. It used to be a Pepsi keg at one point in its life.

It's an older Firestone Challenger. I guess John Wood 85 kegs were the same although I have never seen one. Williams Brewing offers posts, poppets, the nylon spacer, and the nylon gas dip tube. I had found a possible source for the big relief valve a while back, but I think I lost the link. I am most likely going to have an adapter machined to use a standard ball lock relief. If someone else knows of more sources for any of the parts, please share.

Almost five years...this is probably the oldest ongoing thread I have ever started on a forum.

Maybe we should start a "we have an old ass keg and no one has parts for it" club.

Anyhow I dropped a line to Williams Brewing, ChiCompany and Keg Connection last night with a link to a pic and so forth. Maybe they can help me out. I need everything for this keg if I'm going to serve out of it. All orings, all fittings and lid orings. That damn lid is weird and I have no idea what the thumb screw with the internal piece is for.

Just had a thought. Do you know what the threads are for the pressure relief? Conceivably we might be able to use something from an air compressor.

An o-ring is an o-ring - You should be able to buy any size you want from McMaster...

Just have to measure the size

I got a response from Williams brewing. Rather than run around and try to figure out a whole lot about this thing I'm going to drag it to the hardware store. Then I'm going to find a way to cap it and set it up to use for fermentation. I'll measure the lid and order some orings (was planning on that anyhow) and just be done with it. Maybe in the future when I'm kegging I'll grab a corny and make myself a frankenstein 10g keg.

Okay I haven't quite given up. So do you think it's type B or type D for the pressure relief?

smokinghole said:

Okay I haven't quite given up. So do you think it's type B or type D for the pressure relief?

Click to expand...

You can always get a corny lid for $15 or so and just take the relief off of it...

Well I'm almost certain it's type B and I need the relief valve to screw onto the keg. These kegs don't have the same lid as cornys everyone else is used to. Unless you some how have this figured out I'm open to any ideas. I'm lost at this point basically and my understand is that I will either need to adapt the threaded post on the keg or track down the what I think would be type B or something that can take it's place.

smokinghole said:

Well I'm almost certain it's type B and I need the relief valve to screw onto the keg. These kegs don't have the same lid as cornys everyone else is used to. Unless you some how have this figured out I'm open to any ideas. I'm lost at this point basically and my understand is that I will either need to adapt the threaded post on the keg or track down the what I think would be type B or something that can take it's place.

Click to expand...

I have several kegs with the type "B" relief - It just screws together with the "Nut" on one side and the "Valve" of the other. It's just a round hole in the lid of the keg. You should be able to adapt that without any real engineering required, I would think...

Unfortunately, they don't make the "B" relief valves any more, and the usual answer to "I broke mine" is to buy a whole new lid with the Corny "Screw in ring" type relief

smokinghole said:

That damn lid is weird and I have no idea what the thumb screw with the internal piece is for.

Click to expand...

Tightening the wingnut causes the inner part of the lid to squeeze the o-ring outward against the keg neck to make it seal. It doesn't have any self-sealing when the keg is pressurized like a common Corney does.

smokinghole said:

Just had a thought. Do you know what the threads are for the pressure relief? Conceivably we might be able to use something from an air compressor.

Click to expand...

It's 7/16-27...not a common size. In fact, it's totally uncommon.

smokinghole said:

I got a response from Williams brewing.

Click to expand...

Well? What did they say?

smokinghole said:

Okay I haven't quite given up. So do you think it's type B or type D for the pressure relief?

Click to expand...

If your relief valve post has external threads, that only leaves the B valve.

Williams basically said it's old and didn't know much but I have determined that the liquid and gas posts can be purchased there. Along with the gas diptube which you know. I might order a SS version as well in order to modify.

As for the relief valve type B cannot be had and I doubt that'd actually work. I will talk to my buddy with a machine shop hookup for an adapter or something else to be done. I'm going to modify this thing to work some how. When I figure it out I'll let you know.

I'm headed to a beverage service company in the next couple days. Maybe they can shine some light but I'm not holding my breath.

smokinghole said:

I might order a SS version as well in order to modify.

Click to expand...

I don't think any of the available stainless gas tubes are going to easy to modify. It would be easier to have your machinist hookup just duplicate the plastic one out of SS.

Well I exhausted any and all local avenues for this keg which I'm sure was going to happen. I had to try anyhow. The service guys at the beverage company said fat chance. So I'll call my buddy with the machinist hookup and grab me the posts for the keg along with a normal corny lid and pressure relief. Then I'll see if I can get him to machine an adapter to screw onto the weird threads and screw the current style pressure relief into the adapter. If I successfully get one made would you like one? Or would it depend on cost?

smokinghole said:

If I successfully get one made would you like one? Or would it depend on cost?

Click to expand...

Don't worry about getting one for me. I can have one made for what amounts to being free. My keg only cam with the lid and liquid dip tube, so I still have to get the posts, poppets, etc before I can use it and I'm not in a hurry. If I keep finding Corney kegs set out by peoples' trash(found two more a while back; one ball and one pin), I'll be in even less of a hurry.

Maybe I'll clean up this old 10gal, sell it, and put the money toward a newer one from CHI...

I know it's been a while since this thread had some action but I have news. I just purchased another one of these with a funnel welded onto the bottom of it for use as a homemade conical. The good news it has the ball lock connection and even the pressure relief valve along with the lid Oring. So it looks like I can use this new purchase as my fermentor and the one I already have as a serving keg in the future. Will supply info and pics of the pressure relief valve for all to see once I replace the batteries in my camera.

http://stores.kegconnection.com/Detail.bok?no=454
I bought this as a replacement for the B pressure relief valve

I know it's an old thread and many of the pictures are missing. I have what appears to be described in some of these posts. There is no thumbscrew looking piece and I cannot get it to seal. I have a gasket it fits around the inside wall of the lid snugly but no seal. There are three equidistant holes on the lid's side, cleanly bored, no threads. The relief valves appears to be a D from above. The writing on the keg says this is a Firestone Challenger VI. .