getting a keg to seal?

[mrkeeg]

Hi all,

I'm really having a dickens of a time with these kegs... with a good deal of fiddling around, switching lids and rings and such, I've managed to get a good seal on 2 of 4 kegs.

The last 2 kegs though, I'm completely beside myself trying to get a seal.. even with the new ring, and switching the lids back and forth, and wiggling, pulling up on the handles, CO2 pressure, etc,(thanks for the suggestion Janx... it worked for one)(until the pressure subsided) I just can't get a seal. There is no apparent damage on keg, lid, or gasket. Any ideas? For example, what about some sort of treatment to soften the gasket? I don't want to pay $15 for a new lid... I could just about find a keg for that...

Thanks,
Keegan

PS: one of the problem kegs is corny, one is firestone, if that makes a difference - I may have mixed up the lids, but they look compatable, and have tried switching them anyway... It just seems like it should be so simple

 

[Janx]

FWIW, I never mix up my lids. They don't seem to work when you mix and match them. Some of mine have little dents that are compatible keg to lid, but also I don't think you can always mix and match different brands.

I would basically just do what you're doing...mess around with different combinations and try to find the combination that works for the most kegs. It can be a real pain. Did you get them from someplace that had already pressure tested them?

 

[George]

I have also had difficulty with some of my lids sealing. Fortunately, I don't seem to have trouble with them anymore. I started turning them uspide down while sanitizing. Later, I read that soaking the seals helps. Maybe that was the solution. Don't know. Just glad they hold at low pressure. I did see in a catalog once, Williams Brewing I think, a neoprene (maybe) seal. They claimed that they were great at solving your type of problem.
Try the upside down thing first, it's cheaper.
g

 

[mrkeeg]

Thanks guys,
Dumb question, but... George, do you mean you put on the lids, turn the kegs upside down, and store them like that for a while with sanitizer in them, to pre-wet the lids?

Guess we'll see. I also have some paint-on latex (for making molds) that cures quite soft. I considered painting that over a gasket, to give it a bit more girth, and a softer layer that may conform better.

Let you know,
Thanks again
Keegan

 

[George]

Yes, that's how I do it. Give it a try before you paint that stuff on. It'd be a shame to ruin the seals.
g

 

[ROAD MUTANT]

One thing you might try is replacing the plastic "feet" on the ends of the locking bar. These pieces rest on the top of the keg in the locked position and pull the lid up snug to the mouth. Look at them. If you see any wearing they aren't doing their job. williams sells them for about .25 or .50 cents ea.
I had the same problem with one of mine and it seemed to work well.