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Keg won't seal

Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2014 9:48 pm
by Keith
I picked up a keg a few months back, and I'm just going through a mass cleaning and for the life of me I can't get a keg to hold pressure with this one lid. I replaced the oring, however the handle doesn't seem to want to hold the lid tight. Any recommendations to salvage this lid or should I look at buying a replacement?

Re: Keg won't seal

Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2014 9:55 pm
by mr x
Need some pics.

Re: Keg won't seal

Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2014 10:16 pm
by GillettBreweryCnslt
Keith wrote:I picked up a keg a few months back, and I'm just going through a mass cleaning and for the life of me I can't get a keg to hold pressure with this one lid. I replaced the oring, however the handle doesn't seem to want to hold the lid tight. Any recommendations to salvage this lid or should I look at buying a replacement?
I seal mine under pressure. I don't rely on the handle but just hold the lid in place while I hit it with 30 psi. It'll seal and hold.

Re: Keg won't seal

Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2014 10:23 pm
by AllanMar
EverwoodAveBrewShop wrote:
Keith wrote:I picked up a keg a few months back, and I'm just going through a mass cleaning and for the life of me I can't get a keg to hold pressure with this one lid. I replaced the oring, however the handle doesn't seem to want to hold the lid tight. Any recommendations to salvage this lid or should I look at buying a replacement?
I seal mine under pressure. I don't rely on the handle but just hold the lid in place while I hit it with 30 psi. It'll seal and hold.
Same here, Ive got at-least one or two that can be picky if not hit with 30+ psi, so I do it out of habit now.

Re: Keg won't seal

Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2014 11:19 pm
by Keith
Thanks Gents. I'll need to dig the keg out again, I put it in the back. I'll post pics of the lid when I can. It's not a keg issue, just something with the lid.

Re: Keg won't seal

Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2014 12:23 am
by jacinthebox
Try the 30 psi trick...locks the lid tight...i also use keg lube.

Re: Keg won't seal

Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2014 12:46 am
by HPhunter
Since I own over a 100 of these bastards I have concluded that the best way to sell these is to put them in boiling water first to soften the o-ring. Seal with 30# and it will stay sealed most of the time. The handle
Does very little during the process. Also putting them in boiling makes sure they are sanitized.

Re: Keg won't seal

Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2014 7:41 am
by Keith
Between boiling water, pbw and stats and. All basis are covered. :cheers2:

Re: Keg won't seal

Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2014 1:16 pm
by know1
Keith,

I have a couple spare lids, you can have one. It doesn't have the release poppet like some but I just bleed from the gas in post for these ones.

Re: Keg won't seal

Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2014 8:44 pm
by Keith
Thanks Jeremy. I should be able to get this current one working, but if not I'll definitely take you up on the offer. Where in sack Vegas are you? I'm over on Churchill Downs.

Re: Keg won't seal

Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2014 10:31 pm
by OntarioBeerkegs
Hi Keith the first thing you want to do is ignore the handle. I know it sounds counterproductive but the truth. The handles exert downward pressure on the o-ring that you need to compress to make a seal and a pressurized vessel. Poor design really. Leave it in a open position they do nothing but stop the lid from falling in when no pressure and empty to clean.

Put the lid in the open position. Apply a generous amount of keg lube or vaseline to the gasket and hit her with some PSI to compress the ring. If your beer is not carbonated yet the beer may absorb the CO2 and break the seal under certain conditions.

The lids are rarely the problems. More likely a bent lip on the keg that can be "kindly" persuaded into a better form with a blunt round object to buffer and a mallet to hit the buffer item.

You may also have a burr/o-ring/crud stuck betwwen the underside of the lip and the o-ring.

Re: Keg won't seal

Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2014 10:42 pm
by Keith
OntarioBeerkegs wrote:Hi Keith the first thing you want to do is ignore the handle. I know it sounds counterproductive but the truth. The handles exert downward pressure on the o-ring that you need to compress to make a seal and a pressurized vessel. Poor design really. Leave it in a open position they do nothing but stop the lid from falling in when no pressure and empty to clean.

Put the lid in the open position. Apply a generous amount of keg lube or vaseline to the gasket and hit her with some PSI to compress the ring. If your beer is not carbonated yet the beer may absorb the CO2 and break the seal under certain conditions.

The lids are rarely the problems. More likely a bent lip on the keg that can be "kindly" persuaded into a better form with a blunt round object to buffer and a mallet to hit the buffer item.

You may also have a burr/o-ring/crud stuck betwwen the underside of the lip and the o-ring.
Thanks Patrick. Yea the lid unfortunately is the issue. Tested it on a few different kegs all with issues, and replaced the oring. I'll try using a bit of keg lube to see if that helps and smack it with 30PSI to seal. Appreciate everyone's input! :cheers2:

Re: Keg won't seal

Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2014 11:58 am
by Maritimer
I have a keg with a slight dent in the rim of the keg itself, getting a seal was impossible. One day I tried putting 2 o-rings on it and presto now it works like a charm.