Lost my lube.

[underwaterdan]

Hi all. Can someone lend me a hand. I seem to have lost my lube(this is not sounding right let me rephrase). My keg lube to help me seal gaskets is missing. I have my beer in the keg but atlas no lube. Anyone have any substitute they can think of. My Lhbs store is closed..

 

[jaycount]

I can't think of any home keg lube remedies.

Just go without. It's not *critical*. It's good stuff to prolong o-ring life and help with lid seating but you can go without.

 

[ozzy1038]

You could get by with vaseline until you can get some keg lube. The vaseline MAY deteriorate the orings, but it would get you by until the next time.

 

[JRems]

I don't ever need any lube, just get it a little wet and it seals up fine

 

[Stevo2569]

I don't ever need any lube, just get it a little wet and it feels up fine

That what she said. Bada bada bing.

 

[Dan]

i've heard that since ky is sanitary it works in a pinch

 

[scrambledegg81]

*snicker*

Not sure what petroleum jelly would do to rubber rings, but that would be my first guess. Not 100% necessary in my opinion, though, since the keg will seal itself when it's pressurized as long as the lid is installed correctly.

 

[sudsmcgee]

Why not try a small amount of coconut oil? It's greasy at room temp and totally food safe.

 

[joeybeer]

Just spit on your hand.. Usually works for me.

 

[sudsmcgee]

Just spit on your hand.. Usually works for me.

You're gonna go blind.

 

[subliminalurge]

Do NOT use petroleum jelly on rubber o-rings. That stuff dissolves rubber way fast. (Don't use it with condoms, either, but that's a WHOLE different conversation..... )

If it was me, I'd probably just seal it up with nothing and hope for the best. If you really feel the need to lube the rings, how about vegetable oil? At least you know it's food safe. I can't promise it's safe for the rubber either, but since it's not petroleum based I would think you'd probably be ok. Don't know for sure, but using nothing would be better than Vasoline.....

 

[scrambledegg81]

Do NOT use petroleum jelly on rubber o-rings. That stuff dissolves rubber way fast. (Don't use it with condoms, either, but that's a WHOLE different conversation..... )

Ahh OK...scratch what I said, wasn't 100% sure about rubber vs. petroleum.

 

[subliminalurge]

Ahh OK...scratch what I said, wasn't 100% sure about rubber vs. petroleum.

Try this experiment. Take a condom, blow it up like a balloon, and tie it off. Put just a touch of vasoline on it. See how long it takes for the condom to pop. And if you really want to be surprised, drizzle some baby oil on a blown up condom. It will almost run straight through like the thing wasn't even there.

Now, I realize that we're talking about slightly different formulas of rubber here, but is it really worth taking the risk when the o-rings would most likely seal just fine as they are, with nothing on them?

(And, no, I'm not going to go into the sad story of how I got forced to sit in a room and watch the condom vs. vasoline demonstration....)

The rule of thumb is that different petroleum products to not get along well together.

 

[skylor60]

at least need glasses

 

[ozzy1038]

Keg lube is petroleum based. My advise was given under the assumption that this was a temporary solution until the OP was able to go to the LHBS. Surely vaseline would not eat the rubber that quick.

 

[KurtB]

I thought Keg Lube was silicone based and therefore safe to use with plastic/rubber.

 

[day_trippr]

I thought Keg Lube was silicone based and therefore safe to use with plastic/rubber.

It is a silicone based, food grade, tasteless, odorless grease. Don't see much of anything in common with petro products there...

Cheers!

 

[joeybeer]

And if you really want to be surprised, drizzle some baby oil on a blown up condom. It will almost run straight through like the thing wasn't even there.

Ah-ha !! This explains the "phenomenon" of my second child

 

[DUNDASJ]

I've actually heard of people using ky jelly. But thinking about it keg lube is a lot greasier than ky. So I'm not sure. Maybe I was just being bs'd.

 

[Dan]

I bought 3 ball lock cornys off a guy today who is opening a microbrewery and converting to plastic kegs. Great deal, $25 each but that is a different story. He told me he lubed up the o-rings with vasoline because it is cheap and food safe. First thing I did was wipe off the vasoline. I've always heard vasoline is pet based and petroleum eats rubber. Not going to take a chance. Keg lube is cheap and a tube last forever, well at least a real long time!