Kegs Holding CO2 but Leaking Liquid (?!)

[bracconiere]

I think you kind of mis-phrased this. The molecular weight of a molecule is how much, in grams, 1 mole of the substance weighs. 1 mole = 6.02x10^23 molecules.



Water molecules are smaller than CO2 (lower molecular weight), but I don't think the lid is sieving out the CO2, allowing only the water to pass. That kind of a filter would have to be far more complicated than an O ring with some keg lube.

molecular sieves can do it? lol, does the lid get warm?

 

[IslandLizard]

molecular sieves can do it? lol, does the lid get warm?

Can the discussion kept closer to the topic, please?

 

[pvpeacock]

Was the keg pressurized when you inverted it or just filled with StarSan? Most of my kegs leak StarSan from the lid when inverted and unpressurized. However, they do not leak when pressurized (gas or liquid). At the same time, I have never inverted a pressurized keg.

 

[Iowa Brewer]

out of curiosity, what did you lube the o-ring with? could the star-san be dissolving the lube?

Good question! CIP Keg Lube

 

[Iowa Brewer]

Was the keg pressurized when you inverted it or just filled with StarSan? Most of my kegs leak StarSan from the lid when inverted and unpressurized. However, they do not leak when pressurized (gas or liquid). At the same time, I have never inverted a pressurized keg.

That's exactly what happened, pvpeacock!

 

[Iowa Brewer]

Dang! Thank you all for the feedback, and some of the best/funniest back-and-forth banter I've seen in a long time

So, here it is. It was the lack of gas pressure to create the seal. Never ran into this before, but there it is. Thanks again, all!

I'm going to keep that pennies under the bail feet trick in my back pocket, though.

 

[pvpeacock]

You can also buy oversized o-rings for the lid if needed.
Oversize Keg Lid Sealing 'O' Ring

 

[bracconiere]

Can the discussion kept closer to the topic, please?

that was on topic! i was thinking maybe it was a "really, really small" leak...lol worked out to just need to be pressurized? which i thought i asked in the begining?

how many psi? prv valve?

Not entirely sure but probably around 15psi.

@Iowa Brewer so this problem has been resolved right?

 

[Iowa Brewer]

You can also buy oversized o-rings for the lid if needed.
Oversize Keg Lid Sealing 'O' Ring

Think I’ll start doing this. Better than forking over $20 in CO2 for a leak, eh?

 

[Iowa Brewer]

that was on topic! i was thinking maybe it was a "really, really small" leak...lol worked out to just need to be pressurized? which i thought i asked in the begining?




@Iowa Brewer so this problem has been resolved right?

Sure has, thanks!

 

[bracconiere]

Sure has, thanks!

glad i could introduce you to molarity.....wait till you hit water chemistry and have to try and wrap your brain around normality...pain in the ass, like tangents, to logarythims....

 

[DuncB]

How about filling the keg with air to 15 psi (otherwise CO2) and inverting it in a bucket of water, that will confirm the gas leak.
Of course air is a mixed gas so there are several different molar weights of gas in there. But overall the CO2 is denser but won't separate out and fall out first.

 

[bracconiere]

Of course air is a mixed gas so there are several different molar weights of gas in there.

they say some types of o-ring are permeable to o2! this is no laughing matter!

 

[DuncB]

Silicone O rings I believe and they shouldn't be lubricated with silicone grease either if memory serves me correctly.

 

[bracconiere]

Silicone O rings I believe and they shouldn't be lubricated with silicone grease either if memory serves me correctly.

the red ones, i think?

 

[zacster]

I wouldn't have thought that the cam lock mechanism was strong enough to prevent a water leak either. I know it doesn't in mine. It won't put even pressure all around the seal while air pressure puts it everywhere around the seal. I usually have to adjust the lid a couple of times to make it seal enough so that I can shake the oxiclean/starsan upside down when cleaning and not get it all over the kitchen floor.