Rust in used keg, is this ok?

[abrewhal]

I recently purchased a used keg and I noticed there is some surface rust on the inside of the keg and on the dip tube
and at the bottom of the keg there is a decent amount of rust particles

Is this keg good to keep or should this amount of rust be something I need to worry about?

There might be some pitting but it's really hard to see without a good rinse

 

[shoengine]

I would just hit it with steel wool and see if comes off.

 

[day_trippr]

Oooh - never use actual "steel wool" on stainless steel as it will embed bits of itself in the chromium oxide layer and literally cause breaches that will in turn rust.

I'm not sure I'm seeing rust in the pictures but regardless of what those stains are I would make a paste of Bar Keepers Friend powder with a bit of water then use a scrubby to work through anything suspicious. Shouldn't take that much time. Fwiw, all 16 of my kegs were well use (like, decades) before I acquired them and some were clearly neglected, but I got them all clean and bright inside with BKF and scrubbies...

Cheers!

 

[pvtpublic]

Yeah, steel wool is a no-go. It's a different metal chemically. Introduce an electrolyte like beer and you've got yourself a rust factory. @day_trippr has your answer, I wanted to back him up.
Also, baking soda is the equivalent of a magic eraser

 

[Thomas John]

You are betting against the house. While there are several questionable 'fixes' to your issue, to be 'safe' -- scrap it. Reconditioned kegs are inexpensive and available. Spend the money.--- .And buy a container of PBW (powdered brewers wash)

 

[dmtaylor]

Rust can cause metallic flavors in your beer. If you have other kegs, toss this one. If you want to turn this into a labor of love, replace your rusty tube(s) and hope for the best, and then don't be surprised when you taste metal in your beer.

 

[T Murph]

I'm not sure that is rust. A good cleaning with bar keepers friend will help you figure it out. If indeed it is rust toss the keg or use it for something other than potable liquids. And if it is rust it may be the result of someone cleaning it with steel wool. I used to buy large quantities of retired kegs from the soda industry then clean them up and replace O rings etc and sell them to homebrew shops and clubs etc. I never encountered one with rust. My point is, if that is rust there is no telling what had been in there to degrade the metals to the point it began to rust. The gas in tube that looks totally rusty is made of plastic not metal. Homebrew is too labor intensive to risk on a questionable container. It simply isn't worth the risk.

 

[Bobby_M]

Let's chill a bit. Only some of that looks like light surface rust. The chunky parts look like generic soil. Stainless steel is not immune to rusting a bit but it's not scrap metal the moment you see it.

Repassivate it. 3 pounds of citric acid powder mixed with 3 gallons of hot water. Let it soak for 2 hours. The rust will disappear.

 

[hotbeer]

I've been cleaning my stainless steel pots and pans with Brillo or SOS pads for quite a while. I have never had the sorts of issues people speak of.

If you aren't good at rinsing thoroughly, then I might see where you'd have issues.

 

[Broken Crow]

"Rust" is just runaway oxidation..The whole reason SS doesn't turn into flaky rust is that owing. mostly to the chromium and nickel content, the surface has already been 'micro-oxided' in passivation, making a molecularly stable surface through which additional oxygen cannot penetrate under normal-use temperatures. The moment you intoduce particles of other metals, most especially iron, you initiate that galvanic problem that allows for O2 penetration.
A good work-over with Bar Keepers Friend using a white or blue scotch-brite (no metallic content) like @day_trippr said, and then a re-passivation like @Bobby_M said, (Thanks for the proportions!)..and you should be fine.

 

[Bobby_M]

I've been cleaning my stainless steel pots and pans with Brillo or SOS pads for quite a while. I have never had the sorts of issues people speak of.

If you aren't good at rinsing thoroughly, then I might see where you'd have issues.

Likely the reason you're not seeing any issue is that you use the pots often and are physically rubbing off surface rust on a regular basis. The issue with steel wool is that you are embedding tiny iron particles into the surface of the chromium oxide. Stainless has plenty of iron BEHIND the oxide layer, but it's not exposed so won't rust. Better to use 3M scouring pads and/or bar keeper's friend.

 

[KiwiSander]

Similarly to what other people have said, clean first then worry.

I have never seen a plastic gas in tube so can't comment on that, but generally the dip tubes are easier to replace than to worry about extensive cleaning.

To clean the surface rust / contaminant off I would use a non metallic Norton pad. They come in a range of coarseness, try the white one first. This is just a cleaning pad with no abrasive. Then hit the tough spots with a green pad, this is a very fine abrasive and is more polishing than actual metal removal.

And then have a good look, stick a torch in there and feel with your fingernail to see if there is any pitting or not.

If you do have real rust pitting you probably need to replace it, but you would only have lost 20min of cleaning...

Good luck!

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

How about Ospho or naval jelly?

 

[bc-roush]

I’ve got one challenger “I think” keg that has the plastic gas tube. Kinda odd but works…

 

[mac_1103]

Also, baking soda is the equivalent of a magic eraser

Especially after you add a little vinegar. OTOH, I don't really know if there's a reason not to use acetic acid on stainless steel. But if there is you could use citric acid instead.

 

[hotbeer]

Likely the reason you're not seeing any issue is that you use the pots often and are physically rubbing off surface rust on a regular basis. The issue with steel wool is that you are embedding tiny iron particles into the surface of the chromium oxide. Stainless has plenty of iron BEHIND the oxide layer, but it's not exposed so won't rust. Better to use 3M scouring pads and/or bar keeper's friend.

I think the big worry of getting iron entrained into the surface layer of stainless steel is when using power tools such as a drill motor with a wire wheel. Rubbing with just the pressure of fingers is not going to mix the two steels together.

And since the two are virtually the same hardness, the Brillo or SOS pad is just going to burnish the stainless steel and make it smoother and shinier over time. Not abrade it as do the green 3m pads.

 

[odie]

I see no rust. just dirty keg.

gas dip tube looks plastic. Yes, some are.

 

[abrewhal]

Let's chill a bit. Only some of that looks like light surface rust. The chunky parts look like generic soil. Stainless steel is not immune to rusting a bit but it's not scrap metal the moment you see it.

Repassivate it. 3 pounds of citric acid powder mixed with 3 gallons of hot water. Let it soak for 2 hours. The rust will disappear.

Turned out ther was a lot of gunk on the surface but there is still surface rust in multiple places

Luckily there is no pitting, so I was thinking about soaking it in vinegar for a good amount of time

I contacted the seller and fortunately he was willing to do an exchange so I won't be doing the hands on work for this keg