Keg Lube

Ok, got all my kegging stuff in so here come the questions .

1st one - keg lube. I don't have any. Should I use a thin coat of lube on the various gaskets or nah? Secondly, if everyone recommends yes why do I have to purchase some over priced product called "Keg Lube". What about a silicone based lube? What's makes up "Keg Lube" and why can't you go and get the same chemical composition from Home D or similar...

desertBrew said:

Ok, got all my kegging stuff in so here come the questions .

1st one - keg lube. I don't have any. Should I use a thin coat of lube on the various gaskets or nah? Secondly, if everyone recommends yes why do I have to purchase some over priced product called "Keg Lube". What about a silicone based lube? What's makes up "Keg Lube" and why can't you go and get the same chemical composition from Home D or similar...

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I've gotten along fine without the keg KY. Just make sure you blast the keg with 30 psi to get a seal and then purge the CO2 after that for whatever you need.

I wouldn't buy anything other than the keg KY if you HAVE to use it. Might not be food grade and potentially BAD. Bad for you or worse yet, bad for beer.

ORRELSE said:

I've gotten along fine without the keg KY. Just make sure you blast the keg with 30 psi to get a seal and then purge the CO2 after that for whatever you need.

I wouldn't buy anything other than the keg KY if you HAVE to use it. Might not be food grade and potentially BAD. Bad for you or worse yet, bad for beer.

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Good to know. New seals usually don't need anything in my past other plumbing experience... No CO2 yet (argh!) so can't play .

Keg KY

Ah, a newb again. Purge CO2 - how specifically? You can't do it from the reg can you? so do you just give a slight pull on the release valve?

Found Sam's thread below that answers a fair amount of my questoins now. Just want to confirm this purge procedure and I'm ready to play...

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=1977

Thanks all.

desertBrew said:

Purge CO2 - how specifically? You can't do it from the reg can you? so do you just give a slight pull on the release valve?

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Yeah. If you hit the keg with 30 psi to get a seal, pull the pressure release valve to get it where you want it. The gauge on the regulator will tell you where its at (unless you are using Sam's regulator, then you have to tap it! ).

It doesn't hurt once you get a seal to purge out all the CO2 and re-fill to the pressure you want. You want to make sure all the oxygen is out of the keg anyway. I usually fill and purge 2-3 times just to make sure.

desertBrew said:

Ok, got all my kegging stuff in so here come the questions .

1st one - keg lube. I don't have any. Should I use a thin coat of lube on the various gaskets or nah? Secondly, if everyone recommends yes why do I have to purchase some over priced product called "Keg Lube". What about a silicone based lube? What's makes up "Keg Lube" and why can't you go and get the same chemical composition from Home D or similar...

Click to expand...

This is what I use : http://www.northernbrewer.com/images/petro-gel.jpg

Mostly becuase I've been working in the comercial food processing industry for a over 13 years and that's what we use under both USDA and FDA inspection.

In comercial equipment, we always lube O rings, especially on a piston pump.

We break this stuff down every night and reassemble it each morning after a thourough sanitaition. If you don't lube, you'll have leaks and problems the rest of the day. Mayonise will break it's emulsion in heartbeat. If you don't lube, the rubber will grab against the stainless and roll or tear your o-rings. IMHO, use it each and every time you reassemble and any time your post rings get dry. Just a thin film, enough to lube and no more.

So what makes this stuff special? It's sterile, it's mineral oil based, and it's approved for incidential food contact.

I know that some folks are using silicone grease or even spray on their o-rings. I've just got confidence in what I've been using for years.

All righty then. I can accept using petrol-lube or similar. I should have priced it before I opened my yap. I just figured it'd be another one of those 8.99+ items that my HBS shop would probably rip me off for...

I got some keg lube after having a hard time connecting and disconnecting some of my ball lock posts. Don't recall how much I paid for the "Keg Lube" product but it seems like that tiny jar is going to last me a decade or more. A little dab will do ya.

Faucet Lubricant from a hardware store works fine as keg lube.

Need to pick up some next time I'm in Lowe's, come to think of it.

Buy a tube and you can leave it to your estate when you eventually die. One tube should last a couple of lifetimes.

Just realized we somehow stirred up a 6 year old thread... whoops.

OldManHouston said:

Just realized we somehow stirred up a 6 year old thread... whoops.

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Is that a new record? I wonder if the OP bought his $9.00 keg lube and how much he still has left.

About 95% still left. It's going to outlast me and will put it in my will to donate to an HBT kegging newbie.

:cross:

What about bacon grease? Has anyone ever thought of that, and its tasty too! Also what about PAM? I have some thats olive oil. Does anyone think it will work? Ive been using vasoline on mine when I have a problem, no one seems to know or care!!!!

a10forwar said:

What about bacon grease? Has anyone ever thought of that, and its tasty too! Also what about PAM? I have some thats olive oil. Does anyone think it will work? Ive been using vasoline on mine when I have a problem, no one seems to know or care!!!!

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IF it works... It works

Dude said:

I've gotten along fine without the keg KY. Just make sure you blast the keg with 30 psi to get a seal and then purge the CO2 after that for whatever you need.

I wouldn't buy anything other than the keg KY if you HAVE to use it. Might not be food grade and potentially BAD. Bad for you or worse yet, bad for beer.

Click to expand...

Keg lube is more important for the post O-rings than for the closure gasket. The closure gasket does not rub against anything but the disconnects drag against the post O-rings every time you connect & disconnect them.

a10forwar said:

What about bacon grease? Has anyone ever thought of that, and its tasty too! Also what about PAM? I have some thats olive oil. Does anyone think it will work? Ive been using vasoline on mine when I have a problem, no one seems to know or care!!!!

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I've switched to "Trojans Her Pleasure Ecstasy". Both my tap handle and she appreciates the move.

DesertBrew said:

I've switched to "Trojans Her Pleasure Ecstasy". Both my tap handle and she appreciates the move.

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Always practice safe kegging