Corny Keg Beer Tube Poppet Question

[Bonneville]

Cleaning my keg for the third or fourth time and have had a question for a while. I've read and seen some YouTube videos where the corny keg is disassembled, the gas tube and beer tube are removed, and the poppets are removed from the ball-lock connectors. I have no trouble removing the gas-tube poppet, but the beer tube poppet appears impossible to remove without damaging. There is a built-in washer-like 'ring' in the connector. The poppet is seated in the connector and the 3-leg metal bottom of the poppet is held in place by this 'ring'. Unless I bend the 3 metal legs and damage the poppet, I don't see any way of removing this. Has anyone else had this issue?

I usually just use CO2 pressure to push some cleaner through the beer lines, then rinse, then run sanitizer through... so the poppet should be clean by the time I re-keg. I was just wondering if I absolutely need to remove the poppet for cleaning... and, if so, how?

Thx.

 

[BlindLemonLars]

Normally, they just fall out as I remove the post, or require just a gentle push with a blunt tool. (I usually use the tip of a bamboo chopstick.) Once in a while (usually with a newly acquired keg) they have some dried syrup in there that holds them in place, but a quick soak in oxiclean takes care of that. But no, I've never seen one with a retaining ring as you describe.

Personally, I'm not happy unless I can remove and clean the poppet. They are definitely a source of aggravation with kegs, both in terms of harboring dirt and in maintaining a seal.

 

[Amity]

I have two kegs that I bought used, and have spent most of today disassembling and cleaning them. One of the kegs has poppets that fall out with ease, and the other has poppets that are "stuck" in there like you describe. I simply boiled the posts with the poppets inside for a few minutes to loosen anything, and also soaked them in a solution of Starsan.

Any other tips?

Mike

 

[Bonneville]

I would try to take a pic, but I don't think I can capture the detail. The air poppet either just falls out or will come out with a tap, but the beer poppet is basically "built-in". A metal lip/ring holds it in place. I do my best to clean it in place, but I can't see any way to get it out short of destroying it. Sounds like Amity is in the same place. Maybe just 2 different designs? If so, anyone know of a way to disassemble the type of poppet/connector that I described? Thanks.

 

[sirsloop]

Leave it in then! Just soak the thing for a while and brush/blow it out. You're just trying to get the crud out. That doesn't always mean taking the poppet out completely.

 

[Parva]

A corkscrew usually sorts these, just screw it in one leg at a time to release them.

 

[malkore]

I could swear there's one specific 5gal keg manufacturer who's poppets have a little 'tab' that holds them in.

firestone or some cornelius knock-off...