Keg sealing without gas

[Galek]

I am sure it is here somewhere but could not find the answer.

Should a keg be water tight if I just close the lid? First time kegging and went to wash it last night and was surprised that water streamed out the top when tilted. I know it needs the CO2 pressure to get air tight but I thought it should have been *mostly water tight just by latching the top. Something I should examine closer or is this par for the course.

I am getting some packs of O rings and keg lube this weekend just for future use, and probably this weekend.

 

[day_trippr]

All of my kegs seal tight without requiring pressure - at least such that filling them with sanitizer through the Out dip tube so they overflow out the PRV they don't leak around the lid seal.

That said, while I believe they're also gas-tight, I'm not certain.
I don't know how I'd even test that as I only force carb...

Cheers!

 

[zachattack]

Using a big soft silicone o-ring on the lid and a nice shmear of keg lube, all of mine seal without added gas pressure. Without the fresh application of keg lube, some of mine do not.

 

[sniperd]

Using a big soft silicone o-ring on the lid and a nice shmear of keg lube, all of mine seal without added gas pressure. Without the fresh application of keg lube, some of mine do not.

Wrote what I was going to write

 

[Yooper]

I have a couple that just will not seal without a shot of c02. Many do, but some just don't. But once I give them a shot of c02, they seal just fine and stay sealed (usually- I have one that will "unseal" if the pressure is reduced to lower than about 5 psi).

 

[solbes]

Keg lube alone will fix bad o-rings. But it sucks finding out you had a slow leaker and need to go refill your CO2 tank again, so I always put new o-rings on used kegs as well. Either or both should make it water tight. Doing both will assure you are gas tight as well.

Another good tip is to spray all connections with starsan as you are first rigging up your system (including your regulator). If theres a leak you will see bubbles.

 

[johngaltsmotor]

Actually (as I only found out recently) you're supposed to seal them with pressure before seating the bale on them. While it typically works to go the other way, it is most reliable to seal with pressure first so the o-ring seats to seal, then let the bale hold it in place. If you use the bale to seal it may not be in the ideal position.

When I changed to doing this all of my kegs that used to hiss for a bit before fully sealing didn't even let out a peep so I'm convinced.

 

[JuanMoore]

All of my kegs seal without gas, but half of them didn't start out that way. If you can't get a keg to seal without pressure after replacing the o-ring and using keg lube, try bending the legs on the bail so that they put more pressure on the keg when locked down. Some people prefer to simply put a coin under each foot to accomplish the same thing. You also might want to inspect the mating surfaces on both the keg and lid to make sure there aren't any small nicks, dents, or scratches preventing a good seal with the o-ring. If there are, they can usually be sanded or hammered out.

 

[jabba11]

Actually (as I only found out recently) you're supposed to seal them with pressure before seating the bale on them. While it typically works to go the other way, it is most reliable to seal with pressure first so the o-ring seats to seal, then let the bale hold it in place. If you use the bale to seal it may not be in the ideal position.

When I changed to doing this all of my kegs that used to hiss for a bit before fully sealing didn't even let out a peep so I'm convinced.

never considered that, makes perfect sense..

 

[wardens355]

Some of my kegs seam to seal OK without pressure applied, but some will leak a tiny bit when filled with cleaning solution and flipped upside down. Flipping the lid around or making sure it is seated evenly can help, but I usually apply keg lube to the o-rings and blast my kegs with 30 psi to ensure a seal is made once beer is inside. You can tell if the lid was a little off when hitting it with 30 psi, as it will let out a couple creaks.

 

[govner1]

I routinely keg condition my beers. After I rack to the keg w/ priming malt I do seal w/ CO2 to ensure I have a good seal on the lid. That way I'm confident that the CO2 produced will not leak.

 

[Galek]

Thanks for the responses everyone. It was my first time cleaning a keg last night and I got nervous when it would not hold water. I think the Oring was just dried out. I lubed it up and everything seems to be working now. Will know better after kegging for the first time this weekend.

 

[jabba11]

migth be worth noting that purging the air (bupring) from your keg with c02 is another reason why most people gas thier kegs after filling them. Myself included.

 

[Galek]

Thank you everyone for the responses. 2 out of three kegs are good, the third caused a loss of a 5lb thing of CO2 so I am looking into that.

Love the site, so very helpful.

 

[Redhook]

Use keg lube and you'll get a proper seal.