AIH Kegs

[wardens355]

I have been very wary of purchasing kegs made in China, but Adventures In Homebrewing had new chinese ball locks going for $70 a pop on Black Friday, so I grabbed a couple. Got them a couple days ago and gave them a PBW soak, sprayed them out. There is some rust and red discoloration (albeit pretty small spots) on the interior welds near the top, and the while its hard to see the bottom welds well, when I run my finger along the weld down there I get a little black on the tip of my finger (this is after spraying out, soaking in PBW, and spray rinsing a couple times). I will definitely be giving them another round of cleaning before using.

Anyone else see anything similar on these kegs? I will probably stick to the AEB kegs in the future if I ever get brand new kegs.

 

[zachattack]

That's too bad. Try hitting it with some BKF to remove the rust and re-passivate.

 

[GenIke]

I bought a cheap kettle from AIH that rusted on me as soon as it touched tap water. They took it back no problem. It was disappointing to be sold something that was a piece of crap, but I should have known better than to buy the cheapest kettle I could find.

 

[wardens355]

That's too bad. Try hitting it with some BKF to remove the rust and re-passivate.

Any recommendation on use? I could scrub the top welds, but the bottom is hard to stuff my hand into and I am not sure I want my arm soaked in cleaner. Maybe soak and toss some rice in to get some scrubbing action when shaken?

 

[zachattack]

Barkeepers friend is a scouring powder, so you'd definitely need to get your hand to the bottom and scrub it, maybe with a green scrubbie pad. Maybe ask a small-armed friend to help? You won't be arm-deep in it since it's not a liquid.

 

[wardens355]

Barkeepers friend is a scouring powder, so you'd definitely need to get your hand to the bottom and scrub it, maybe with a green scrubbie pad. Maybe ask a small-armed friend to help? You won't be arm-deep in it since it's not a liquid.

Ah. Maybe I can find a cheap scrubber on a stick. Thanks for the advice.

 

[Hello]

Are you talking about the new kegs they were selling?

 

[IslandLizard]

Ah. Maybe I can find a cheap scrubber on a stick. Thanks for the advice.

Toilet brush! A new one of course.

Put on a long sleeve so you don't cut your skin on the flange. The edge can be like a razor.
With all kegs I acquire, I actually ease up that sharp edge with fine grid (320) wet sandpaper (used dry) or Dremel tool. 5-10 minutes max.

 

[Hello]

Ah. Maybe I can find a cheap scrubber on a stick. Thanks for the advice.

Toilet brush, like Island Lizard suggested. But are these the new kegs AIH sold?

 

[wardens355]

Toilet brush, like Island Lizard suggested. But are these the new kegs AIH sold?

Yes they are. Which makes me think the quality is just lacking for these Chinese kegs.

 

[IslandLizard]

The black residue is likely oxides and need to be scrubbed or etched off or they will end up in your beer over time.
I'd say a good acid treatment is the easiest like 5-Stars #4 or perhaps #6. They're a mixture of Nitric and Phosphoric acid. Problem is getting these acids. And they are dangerous, so you need to protect yourself well.

Duda Diesel sells both Nitric and Phosphoric Acid in quarts and gallon jugs, but with shipping, they'll run you close to or more than what you paid for the keg. 5-Stars acids are difficult to get and come in lots of 4x 1 gallon jugs typically.

 

[Hello]

Yes they are. Which makes me think the quality is just lacking for these Chinese kegs.

Well ****. So the thought is a scrub with bar keeper's friend before use? I haven't even opened them. I only have the powder BKF, I hope that works.

The black residue is likely oxides and need to be scrubbed or etched off or they will end up in your beer over time.
I'd say a good acid treatment is the easiest like 5-Stars #4 or perhaps #6. They're a mixture of Nitric and Phosphoric acid. Problem is getting these acids. And they are dangerous, so you need to protect yourself well.

Duda Diesel sells both Nitric and Phosphoric Acid in quarts and gallon jugs, but with shipping, they'll run you close to or more than what you paid for the keg. 5-Stars acids are difficult to get and come in lots of 4x 1 gallon jugs typically.

So BKF won't work?

 

[IslandLizard]

Well ****. So the thought is a scrub with bar keeper's friend before use? I haven't even opened them. I only have the powder BKF, I hope that works.

So BKF won't work?

BKF should work, but with lots of elbow grease. Unlike an acid, it won't dissolve the black residue easily, most of it needs to be scrubbed off. Then let the grey paste covering the entire surface sit for a few hours (needs to stay damp) to let the oxalic acid in the BKF do the passivation. Rinse, wash well with PBW, and soak in Starsan perhaps for a couple days even. It contains phosphoric acid, which helps with additional passivation, but it's very diluted in the working solution.

The last thing you want is metallic taste in beer.

Those kegs should have been acid treated in the factory.

 

[IslandLizard]

Time stamps are still fubar, posts are out of order. Read up and down...

 

[bobeer]

I ordered one of their low profile kegs and it's from China. I haven't had any issues with it. It wasn't clean when I first got it but an over night soak then a good scrub out cleaned it up nicely. I haven't had any issues with it. They have pretty good customer service so I'm sure they'll take it back if you're unhappy with it. Good luck!

 

[wardens355]

I ordered one of their low profile kegs and it's from China. I haven't had any issues with it. It wasn't clean when I first got it but an over night soak then a good scrub out cleaned it up nicely. I haven't had any issues with it. They have pretty good customer service so I'm sure they'll take it back if you're unhappy with it. Good luck!

I let them know about the kegs, but I am aiming to try cleaning them up before considering a return. I'll try the BKF/PBW/StarSan treatment and report back.

 

[wardens355]

Update - After swapping some emails with AIH, I am going to return the kegs for a refund so they can take a look at them, rather than attempting to clean them up.

 

[jperry]

Gotta read the fine print with them.

"Our kegs are ISO 9001 and NSF certified. While our current run did not get the stamp, all future runs will."

That little stamp, is important IMO.

 

[IslandLizard]

Update - After swapping some emails with AIH, I am going to return the kegs for a refund so they can take a look at them, rather than attempting to clean them up.

Looking at them? As in, you're the only one who got the black coated ones, and they haven't seen one yet? I guess they're not offering clean replacements?

That was a really good price, compared to most of us paying $50 for used ones, complete with dents, some with bent posts, and generally very average looking. But as long as they're sealing well, and have no leaks anywhere, we're happy.

The inside is what counts, and the promise of the beauty that can be held within.

 

[wardens355]

Gotta read the fine print with them.

"Our kegs are ISO 9001 and NSF certified. While our current run did not get the stamp, all future runs will."

That little stamp, is important IMO.

I was under the impression that they were NSF certified just didn't get stamped. But when you assume... well you know the rest. Sticking with AEB kegs moving forward. Fill and blow through sanitizer and ready to roll.

 

[Gavin C]

I've bought 4 used kegs from AIH. Overall very good. The only one I have had a problem with was the one I got with "Beijing Pepsi Company" written in Mandarin on the side. The pressure relief valve lost its o-ring resulting in slow loss of all my CO2.

An easy fix but did require a CO2 refill and very frustrating due to failure of such a tiny component.

AIH sells the o-rings and also replacement relief valves. The o-rings themselves are not stocked by my LHBS

 

[wardens355]

Looking at them? As in, you're the only one who got the black coated ones, and they haven't seen one yet? I guess they're not offering clean replacements?

That was a really good price, compared to most of us paying $50 for used ones, complete with dents, some with bent posts, and generally very average looking. But as long as they're sealing well, and have no leaks anywhere, we're happy.

The inside is what counts, and the promise of the beauty that can be held within.

Well they aren't black coated... just some residue on the welds on the bottom. And there are only very small rust marks. But that's too much for me. I did purchase because the cost was so close to used kegs. Maybe I just got a couple exceptions, or looked too hard at them.

EDIT: While I was disappointed with kegs, the folks at AIH are great to work with and I wouldn't hesitate to shop with them moving forward.

 

[barnaclebob]

I'll check the kegs I got with them over again when I get home. I think mine had some slight discoloration where the weld ended but I'm not sure it was rust.

 

[beersk]

A friend of mine bought a couple of these too, we'll keep an eye on them for any rust or discoloration. It could've been just a fluke thing. At least, we hope it was... It's his first kegging setup, so I don't want it to discourage him. AEB kegs are great though. I had some issues with posts not wanting to come off and having to send them back for replacements, but after all that, they're still great kegs. I just put in the comments box to make sure the posts are removable before shipping out.

 

[IslandLizard]

Well they aren't black coated... just some residue on the welds on the bottom. And there are only very small rust marks. But that's too much for me. I did purchase because the cost was so close to used kegs. Maybe I just got a couple exceptions, or looked too hard at them.

EDIT: While I was disappointed with kegs, the folks at AIH are great to work with and I wouldn't hesitate to shop with them moving forward.

I still think a good scrub with PBW and/or BKF will remove that surface residue and the small rust deposits. A little acid, citric or phosphoric, or even some undiluted Starsan will remove that last bit of rust. Perhaps you're a bit too worried.

That said, I probably would have kept them. A good deal is a good deal by most common measure.

A friend of mine bought a couple of these too, we'll keep an eye on them for any rust or discoloration. It could've been just a fluke thing. At least, we hope it was... It's his first kegging setup, so I don't want it to discourage him. AEB kegs are great though. I had some issues with posts not wanting to come off and having to send them back for replacements, but after all that, they're still great kegs. I just put in the comments box to make sure the posts are removable before shipping out.

Were those posts cemented on, galled or crossed threads? A brisk tap with a hammer usually gets things going.

I've had a few used ones that needed a decent amount of persuasion using a hammer on the wrench but after that never had that problem again. In the factories and keg filling stations they use power tools to put them on. A heavy torque setting can be challenging to loosen up later. Like the lugs sometimes after a tire rotation/rebalancing. No fun if you're on the road with a flat and nothing else but the car's useless wrench.

 

[LLBeanJ]

I picked up a couple kegs during the AIH Black Friday sale as well. When they arrived, I thought they looked pretty good, but didn't really give them much scrutiny. After seeing this thread, I figured I'd better take a closer look. Upon further review... they still look fine. I plan to give them an Oxiclean flush, rinse, and Starsan treatment before first use, but I don't see any areas of concern inside the kegs.

 

[beersk]

Were those posts cemented on, galled or crossed threads? A brisk tap with a hammer usually gets things going.

I've had a few used ones that needed a decent amount of persuasion using a hammer on the wrench but after that never had that problem again. In the factories and keg filling stations they use power tools to put them on. A heavy torque setting can be challenging to loosen up later. Like the lugs sometimes after a tire rotation/rebalancing. No fun if you're on the road with a flat and nothing else but the car's useless wrench.

Galled perhaps, something was definitely wrong. I really tried to get them off. No dice. Sent them back and got them exchanged. I think I'm done buying kegs now though, I've got 8 and that should be plenty.

 

[wardens355]

I still think a good scrub with PBW and/or BKF will remove that surface residue and the small rust deposits. A little acid, citric or phosphoric, or even some undiluted Starsan will remove that last bit of rust. Perhaps you're a bit too worried.

That said, I probably would have kept them. A good deal is a good deal by most common measure.

Maybe I am too worried, but they said that if I had tried a more vigorous cleaning with BKF they may not be able to provide service for them anymore. More of a hassle and I'll live with used kegs or slightly more expensive new kegs if it gives me peace of mind. I spend enough time growing yeast and brewing beer, don't need to spend a lot of time scrubbing new kegs when I can just go a different direction. They may get the kegs back and be able to clean them fairly easily and ship them back out to another customer. Hopefully they can.

 

[wardens355]

I picked up a couple kegs during the AIH Black Friday sale as well. When they arrived, I thought they looked pretty good, but didn't really give them much scrutiny. After seeing this thread, I figured I'd better take a closer look. Upon further review... they still look fine. I plan to give them an Oxiclean flush, rinse, and Starsan treatment before first use, but I don't see any areas of concern inside the kegs.

I'm probably too skittish. You might want to scrub around the bottom welds to clean residue off, or at least see if its there. After PBR soak and nozzle sprayout I could still run a paper towel over them and get black residue.

 

[Jeffinn]

I bought two of these and do not have a problem with them. The price was right and the quality is fine.

 

[barnaclebob]

The discoloration on my keg on one part of the weld on the outside of the keg doesn't look like corrosion. Didn't look at the inside because I keep them under pressure in storage. So far no complaints from my AIH kegs.

 

[beersk]

I'm probably too skittish. You might want to scrub around the bottom welds to clean residue off, or at least see if its there. After PBR soak and nozzle sprayout I could still run a paper towel over them and get black residue.

A good PBR soak always cleans me out.

 

[Eisendrath]

I see several places have these new for 70 to 80 bucks.
What's the 6 months later view on these.

 

[jbrace1]

I've been following this thread for a few months as I have purchased a number of these kegs (8 i think) over the course of the last few months. During that time I have closely inspected and used all of them (some use more than once). All welds seem clean. All kegs work perfectly.

None of my kegs have the logo stamped on the side. Purchased my most recent set in April '15.

 

[Eisendrath]

From AIH? Austen Homebrew?

 

[j1n]

I see several places have these new for 70 to 80 bucks.
What's the 6 months later view on these.

Ive had mine for about 6 months now... the post below is basically the same experience ive had.

I've been following this thread for a few months as I have purchased a number of these kegs (8 i think) over the course of the last few months. During that time I have closely inspected and used all of them (some use more than once). All welds seem clean. All kegs work perfectly.

None of my kegs have the logo stamped on the side. Purchased my most recent set in April '15.

Same here. No issues what so ever. I bought 1 first and it turned out good with no issues so then i bought 5 more.

 

[Gameface]

I just ordered 2 of the AIH kegs. I'll plan on a BKF soak, followed by an oxyclean clean, followed by a starsan soak.

 

[jbrace1]

Sorry, in my original reply I forgot to say I purchased all of mine from AIH.

 

[LLBeanJ]

I picked up a couple kegs during the AIH Black Friday sale as well. When they arrived, I thought they looked pretty good, but didn't really give them much scrutiny. After seeing this thread, I figured I'd better take a closer look. Upon further review... they still look fine. I plan to give them an Oxiclean flush, rinse, and Starsan treatment before first use, but I don't see any areas of concern inside the kegs.

UPDATE: I've been using my new kegs for about 6 months now. No issues. Very pleased with the quality.

 

[Gameface]

UPDATE: I've been using my new kegs for about 6 months now. No issues. Very pleased with the quality.

That's reassuring.