Used kegs & CO2 tank...

[Effington]

Well, I bought 6 corny kegs and a huge CO2 tank from a guy on Craiglist; only problem is that they've been sitting in his dank garage for years.

After a long day of cleaning and scrubbing, I have a couple questions.

First, all of the kegs are different and this one doesn't seem to have an accessible pressure relief valve... what gives? Also, I'm not sure if this is a ball or pin keg... how can I tell?

https://cdn.homebrewtalk.com/gallery/uploads/44820/IMG00026-20091115-1545.jpg

As for the CO2, I'm pretty sure it's a 20 lb tank... but the regulator is pretty old. Do you think I'll need to replace anything with it? It also doesn't seem to have any safety certifications on it, how much will that cost me?

https://cdn.homebrewtalk.com/gallery/uploads/44820/IMG00027-20091115-1545.jpg

I'll be getting a new refrigerator soon and I can't wait to jump into kegging; with the size of the CO2 tank I'll probably have to keep it outside of the fridge. Would I be able to paint the tank so it doesn't look so "industrial?"

 

[Cheeto]

That looks like a nice score !

those corny lids are normal, they are a non serviceable style (idiot proof)

to vent you may have to use the "in" post

 

[Yooper]

It looks like a ball lock keg- that's what I have. As far as the co2 tank, it will probably need a hydro test when you fill it. That shouldn't cost more than $15 or so, plus the fill. You can certainly paint the tank if you want! Is it steel, or aluminum?

 

[ChshreCat]

To vent that keg, push the pin in on the beverage out post. Make sure you have your face right next to it so you can hear if it's working.

 

[homebeerbrewer]

Yep, that looks like a ball lock. The release valve looks similar to one of mine. You should be able to use a paperclip to depress the valve to vent.

The CO2 tank looks to be an aluminum 20# tank. You should see a date stamped on there somewhere. Maybe a few. The dates are the test dates. I'm not sure how long between tests, but the place you get it filled will.

Nice score.

 

[samc]

Pin lock kegs have 2 pins on one post and 3 pins on the other post, kind of like Frankenstein look. You have Ball locks.

Don't waste your time painting it until you find out if you are refilling or going to a place that does exchanges only. If you are unsure about the regulator see if the place you go to for CO2 can check it for you. It's an old regulator but has a brand new looking high pressure gauge on it and also looks like someone had it apart and teflon threaded the two gauges. It looks like it has a safety valve on the reg body as well.

 

[Yooper]

To vent that keg, push the pin in on the beverage out post. Make sure you have your face right next to it so you can hear if it's working.

And, whatever you do, DON'T listen to the cat.

Richbrewer once told me to depress the "out" post briefly, to make sure that it was sealed. After I cleaned my entire kitchen following his advice, I realized something profound. Boys and girls, repeat after me:

Beer, under pressure, travels at the speed of light and does not follow a straight line. Beer, under pressure, shoots farther than you can fathom. Beer, under pressure, is sticky on your ceiling.

Oh, yes, I know that this defies the laws of physics. But I'm asking you to trust me anyway!

 

[homebeerbrewer]

Also, beer under pressure can cause death. Not by the pressure of the beer, but your spouse...

 

[ChshreCat]

And, whatever you do, DON'T listen to the cat.

Party pooper

 

[MaynardX]

And, whatever you do, DON'T listen to the cat.

Richbrewer once told me to depress the "out" post briefly, to make sure that it was sealed. After I cleaned my entire kitchen following his advice, I realized something profound. Boys and girls, repeat after me:

Beer, under pressure, travels at the speed of light and does not follow a straight line. Beer, under pressure, shoots farther than you can fathom. Beer, under pressure, is sticky on your ceiling.

Oh, yes, I know that this defies the laws of physics. But I'm asking you to trust me anyway!

Naughty, naughty, Cat! There are a lot of newbie keggers on here (including me) who might have had a nice beer shower testing your idea! I thought something sounded wrong with your procedure .

In all seriousness though, I would assume you would release pressure from the "in" post on that model?

 

[Yooper]

Naughty, naughty, Cat! There are a lot of newbie keggers on here (including me) who might have had a nice beer shower testing your idea! I thought something sounded wrong with your procedure .

In all seriousness though, I would assume you would release pressure from the "in" post on that model?

Yep. The "in" post will hiss when you depress it, but since the dip tube is above the level of the beer, you shouldn't get a beer shower.

 

[Effington]

Yep. The "in" post will hiss when you depress it, but since the dip tube is above the level of the beer, you shouldn't get a beer shower.

Thanks for all the great advice, everyone... speaking of dip tubes, it would seem that the dip tubes in mine go all the way down. Should I chop off a portion of the bottom myself?

I will be very, very sure not to touch that "out" post although it looks like I can access the pressure relief valve with a paperclip. Maybe. But thanks anyway Cat, I had a feeling you were yanking my chain.:cross:

I'm really, really looking forward to playing with these things. I'm thinking of using Kegconnection.com as my source for replacement gaskets and additional fittings, hoses, taps, etc.

 

[Yooper]

Thanks for all the great advice, everyone... speaking of dip tubes, it would seem that the dip tubes in mine go all the way down. Should I chop off a portion of the bottom myself?

One should go all the way down, one should be very short. Only the "out" diptube goes to the bottom, while the "in" dip tube is for the gas to enter the keg. You shouldn't have two long ones in a keg.

 

[ChshreCat]

Thanks for all the great advice, everyone... speaking of dip tubes, it would seem that the dip tubes in mine go all the way down. Should I chop off a portion of the bottom myself?

That's one of many subjects that get debated on here and there are folks who swear by both sides of the question. If you leave it, it'll pick up sediment for the first few pints you pull and then be pretty clear after that. If you saw it off, you'll leave the sediment in the bottom and draw from above it, but you will leave a little more beer behind in the keg than you would if you leave it uncut. It comes down to: Do whatever you want and you're probably going to be right.

 

[Effington]

Do whatever you want and you're probably going to be right.

That's my favorite way of doing things... I'm planning on a 3-tap door setup in a regular old top/bottom refrigerator. I'd like to run a hose through the side since the CO2 tank is so big. Any guidelines for doing that to avoid nicking a refrigerant line?

 

[shortyjacobs]

That's my favorite way of doing things... I'm planning on a 3-tap door setup in a regular old top/bottom refrigerator. I'd like to run a hose through the side since the CO2 tank is so big. Any guidelines for doing that to avoid nicking a refrigerant line?

I'm about to try this in a day or two on my fridge, since I can only squish 4 kegs in there right now, and want to be able to fit 2 more....

My plan is to first paint the side of the fridge with a cornstarch/vodka mixture....wherever this dries fastest is where coolant lines are.

If that test is inconclusive, I'll start by very slowly drilling a very small hole....hopefully to punch through the outer metal skin, then poke around with a nail or something to try and suss out any bad things....Maybe even peel back the outer skin with pliers so I can see I'm not cutting into coolant lines.

 

[Effington]

Hmm, cornstarch and vodka... sounds like a delicious new cocktail.

Let me know how that goes; there has to be an easier way though. Maybe using a dremel or something like that to just cut away a small hole in the outer skin?

 

[shortyjacobs]

Hmm, cornstarch and vodka... sounds like a delicious new cocktail.

Let me know how that goes; there has to be an easier way though. Maybe using a dremel or something like that to just cut away a small hole in the outer skin?

The problem is that the coolant lines are usually attached TO the outer skin. See, "coolant lines" is a misnomer...in most fridges, the "cold" side of the heat pump is either right near the compressor or up in the freezer. The "warm side" of the heat pump, (where the heat is dumped outside of the fridge, keeping the inside cold), is what makes up the lines we are usually worried about hitting. In many fridges, the "Warm side" is just a big network of piping bolted on to the back of the fridge. In other fridges, like mine, there is no big network on the back, which means my "warm side" coolant lines are most likely in the walls of the fridge....the metal skin of the fridge acts as the radiator, so the warm side coolant lines are usually in direct thermal contact with it.

Basically, this is a lot of words for, "you won't know when you have finished cutting the skin and started cutting into the coolant lines". Hence the cornstarch/vodka trick.

 

[Effington]

That I will keep in mind... but does that mean if my fridge has the network of piping on the back, that the walls are possibly free from the warm pipes?

 

[shortyjacobs]

That I will keep in mind... but does that mean if my fridge has the network of piping on the back, that the walls are possibly free from the warm pipes?

Probably, yes. Not certainly though. If the hot side coils are on the back, you are probably safe. MOST fridges have a cold side coil network near the compressor hump, (or sometimes in the freezer). Then, they blow cold air up into the freezer from the compressor hump area, which then trickles down into the fridge. YMMV based on fridge design though...