WTF?! Keg leaking from the bottom?!

[jb6889]

So after a few days of carbonating a new batch of wheat beer (a few days at 30# in my basement about 55 degrees) I noticed that all of a sudden the rag the keg sat on was pretty saturated. I was walking by it all day, and this was the first time I noticed. I disconnected the co2 and investigated.

At first I thought maybe it was from the party tab attached that had dribbled, but I laid the keg down and the rubber on the bottom was all wet from beer. I wiped it off and noticed a crack in the rubber right in center. I poked at it a little with my finger and beer sprayed all over the place! when i took my finger off it stopped and continued to slowly leak. I released the pressure down to about 10 # and it stopped leaking.

Obviously I have a ****ty broken keg, that I can't use anymore. I just am curious if anyone else has ever had such a problem? I visually inspect the kegs everytime I sanitize them, and the inside of this one appeared to be in very good condition, so wtf?

luckily the beer has finished carbonating, and I'm hoping I can stick it in the fridge at serving pressure and have no leaks until I can finish the beer.

Ever seen such a thing?

 

[Homercidal]

Nope. I've seen a couple of fairly beat up kegs, but none that leaked from the bottom.

 

[mosquitocontrol]

My guess, other then blunt force, is that someone used bleach a few times in its previous lifetime.

 

[BadgerBrewer]

As far as I know the rubber on the bottom of the keg is just a "base" that the SS keg is attached to. You would have to have a hole in the SS keg for a leak to happen. That is odd for sure!

 

[olllllo]

Happened to me a pinhole leak. I used JB weld.

 

[sjlammer]

I got a pinhole leak in the bottom of one of my kegs. I didn't know that you shouldn't use bleach to clean stainless, which is when i think it happened.

I had an expensive porter in it, and did not have another keg.... i used JB stick and plugged the hole on the fly.

 

[olllllo]

Detailed here:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/leaky-corny-not-what-you-think-55466/

 

[jb6889]

Thanks for all the responses everyone

I haven't used bleach since I've had it, and I bought it direct from a local soda manufacturer. I'd guess they didn't use bleach either(?) I've used c-brite, easy clean and oxyclean for cleansers then starsan for a sanitizer.

What seems really odd is that the leak is coming out through a crack in the rubber on the bottom of the keg(on the dimple) which means the leak in the keg is coming out between the bottom of the keg and the rubber bottom. I just don't get how I could have punched a hole in it plus it takes about 25 # to get it to leak

I dont know, thanks for the help guys

 

[Jmac00]

remove rubber, find and fix pinhole...then reglue rubber back on...

 

[jb6889]

how would i go about removing the rubber?

do you have any suggestions for an adhesive that would work near as well?

 

[Jmac00]

i removed mine carefully with a flat-tip screwdriver working it off bit by bit, soaking the bottom in hot water might help by softening the glue if its giving you a hard time. I've read gorilla glue works to re-attach rubber, and that's what i intend to use when i fix my leak in the bottom.