Bad poppet discovered AFTER kegging...

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phrogpilot73

Loving the hobby
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So, I found out that I have a bad (leaking) poppet on the liquid side. This is one of those dag-gummed old Firestones with no Challenger marking. Luckily, my LHBS sells poppets for this keg. Only problem is that I have 5 gallons of beer in it already, and we're getting ready to move to Virginia. I would just go buy a poppet, bleed the keg, remove the post and replace the poppet. However, I won't have a chance to get there until Monday. Here's my plan:

I'm going to stop at Homebrew USA (I'll be in Norfolk tomorrow) and pick up another keg. I'm planning on bleeding the no-worky keg, and racking it quietly to the new keg. Then - I'm going to head to my LHBS on Monday to pick up the new poppet (might get two, just to be safe). Do you think this will work without aerating my beer too much? Or should I just wait until Monday and replace the poppet?
 
It's not leaking too bad, just oozing beer out of the liquid side. My concern is if I get to the LHBS on Monday and they're sold out of poppets, or if the keg lube doesn't work.

I just had a thought, if I bleed the keg and remove the bad poppet - could I sanitize some plastic wrap and rubber band it around the reinstalled post (sans poppet) to prevent contamination and leave it like that for the 8-10 hours I'm gone? That way, I could see if Homebrew USA sold poppets for my keg...
 
If you can get or have a picnic tap, sanitize the whole works, put it on that leaky tap, and transport it that way (but make sure the tapper doesn't get pressed...). They're meant to hold pressure (when latched on, they see the keg pressure) and they're not too expensive.

I'd put that poppet valve on the short list of stuff to buy once you're in the new place, but the keg is probably fine until you empty it as long as it's hooked up to a tap (or your keggerator--which I assume is the last thing on the moving truck and first thing off, right?)
 
Sorry, I didn't read that first post completely... Sorry...

Like Scotty said, throw a picnic tap on it and get a spare post when you get a chance...
 
As a matter of a fact, I DO have a picnic tap. That's what I'll plan on doing for the move. I didn't even think of that.

I don't have a kegerator yet, but all my homebrew gear is going in the U-Haul trailer. Furniture, bed, clothes (you know that not-so important things) are going in the moving truck! :D
 
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