Emergency Kegging Question

[tremorfan]

hey guys

I'm a college student, and my semester has just ended. I'm going home today (3 hrs away), and I hadn't really planned to come back to my apartment before I move to Houston next weekend. Anyway, I just bought the stuff I needed for kegging, sans the CO2 tank, because I had thought I could use my 20 oz from paintball with the regulator I bought (spoiler: I can't). I need to get my beer in the keg today, and I had planned to carbonate naturally, but I didn't realize I needed to use CO2 to seal the keg. Is there any way that it will seal itself if I just close it after adding the priming sugar? In my mind, if it will hold the pressure when you put CO2 in it manually, shouldn't it hold pressure when the yeast put CO2 in it? The only other option is to buy a tank next week and make a trip back here. Would it at least be ok for a few days in the keg unpressurized until I can get a tank?

I need to know what my options are. please help!

 

[Yooper]

hey guys

I'm a college student, and my semester has just ended. I'm going home today (3 hrs away), and I hadn't really planned to come back to my apartment before I move to Houston next weekend. Anyway, I just bought the stuff I needed for kegging, sans the CO2 tank, because I had thought I could use my 20 oz from paintball with the regulator I bought (spoiler: I can't). I need to get my beer in the keg today, and I had planned to carbonate naturally, but I didn't realize I needed to use CO2 to seal the keg. Is there any way that it will seal itself if I just close it after adding the priming sugar? In my mind, if it will hold the pressure when you put CO2 in it manually, shouldn't it hold pressure when the yeast put CO2 in it? The only other option is to buy a tank next week and make a trip back here. Would it at least be ok for a few days in the keg unpressurized until I can get a tank?

I need to know what my options are. please help!

You can add the priming sugar and close up the keg. It's nice to have the co2 to give the keg a shot to make sure the lid is completely sealed, but you don't have to do it. You could get some keg lube and make sure the o-rings are lubed up and that helps to make sure it's sealed.

 

[tremorfan]

You can add the priming sugar and close up the keg. It's nice to have the co2 to give the keg a shot to make sure the lid is completely sealed, but you don't have to do it. You could get some keg lube and make sure the o-rings are lubed up and that helps to make sure it's sealed.

phew...that's a relief. I plan to buy a tank next week anyway, so I'll give it a shot then. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't going to somehow ruin my batch between now and then. thank you...now time to get to kegging

 

[Dwain]

You could get some keg lube and make sure the o-rings are lubed up and that helps to make sure it's sealed.

I would definately do this. If I couldn't get keg lube, I would use Vaseline. No, it's not:
1) OK
2) Food Safe
3) A good idea, normally
4) an acceptable home brewing practice

But, if it was that or ruin a keg, I'd do it. If there is any possible way to use keg lube. I would. My nearest LHBS used to be 55 miles away and it was at least 3 hours in traffic. At the time, I had some kegs that I could not get to seal without a CO2 pop. If your keg is new or in good shape, you might be OK. Also, you're just putting a light coat on. Nothing that is going to drip ito your beer. You can search for keg lube and see that this topic has been beaten to death. So, I'm not recommending it, just saying what I would do.

 

[jeffmeh]

If you do not have keg lube, many hardware and pool supply stores have food-grade gasket lube. Probably better than vaseline and cheaper than keg lube.

 

[TXCrash]

Faucet grease

Not sure if that link will work for ya, but your nearest home improvement store should have silicone faucet grease for under $3

 

[Dynachrome]

..this site is awesome and continually amazes me. Great posts.