What are you doing with homebrew today?

[Sandy Feet]

This is another reason I run Star San through the lines before I use the keg. If something is F ed Up, you know it before you transfer.

 

[TerryDowning]

Posts are cheap on Amazon. Buy a new one there or at the HB store if you have one. Try again when it gets delivered or you buy it.

not sure you need a new post, just a new O-ring (which is even cheaper) and don't forget the keg lube.

 

[Donoroto]

Hooked a picnic tap up to my first kegged beer tonight and... beer started leaking out of the ball lock disconnect. Undid the tap, put it back together, same thing. Hooked up a different ball lock disconnect and the same thing happened: beer leaked out of the ball lock disconnect.

Looking online, it seems like maybe my post o-ring is no good? First time using this old keg, so I wouldn't be surprised. I did take off the original post o-ring and replace it with one from another keg bc it looked kind of worn. I have no idea what to do now that I have almost carbonated beer in this keg. Pressure transfer it to another keg and try to fix the post? So far, my first time kegging has been a nightmare lol

It can only leak from two places: the O-ring on the post, or something in the picnic tap. Neither requires a different keg.

O-rings are inexpensive, try that first. Use some vaseline or keg lube on a “good as you got” O-ring, that will help it seal. If that improves things, get a new O-ring or ten.

The ball lock adapter on the picnic tap can leak, if the sealing surface for the post O-ring is scratched or damaged, if the seal on the tiny clear thingie inside is damaged, or if the screw cap is loose. Check those by disassembling the adapter.

Let us know what you find

 

[BarbarianBrewer]

When you swapped o-rings, did you swap both the o-ring on the post and the o-ring on the poppit? When I had CO2 leaking problems on a new-to-me keg, it was the poppit o-ring that was bad.

 

[Dave Y]

Can you push down on the ball lock connector to hold it; if so does it not leak as bad?
Did you put the post back together correctly? The industry standard is 1 part or less left over after reassembly.

If you can manually hold the connector all the way down and it doesn’t leak, t/f to another keg and troubleshoot the keg with the problem.
Solution from @Sandy Feet would work too. if you can swap the post; sanitize first and do it quickly, just purge the keg with CO2 and move on.

I’ve had one do this when the o-ring got pinched; wasn’t setting correctly.

 

[Craigerrr]

If the small oring above is leaking it will only leak when you don't have anything connected to it. If the large oring above is leaking it will only leak when you do have something connected to it.

 

[Donoroto]

This webpage no longer exists, but our friends at The Internet Archive have saves a copy for us. It has a lot of useful info about kegs, including how the pieces fit together, and (relevant here) inexpensive sources for O-rings:
https://web.archive.org/web/20190825003149/http://dresselbrew.com/Keg_Info.htm

 

[Prairie Dog]

Thanks for all the info guys! I’m going to head to the HB store today and probably get a new post. I’ll see what they think too. I guess I could try to replace the o-ring post again, but I don’t want to have to do this twice. So I think maybe sanitizing everything, depressurizing the keg, and swapping out the post as fast as I can might be the easiest solution.

Am I correct in thinking that I probably don’t have to replace the dip tube o-ring? It seems like bc it’s leaking from the ball lock disconnect that means that it is an issue with the post, correct?

Thanks guys! I’ll post a picture of this beer once I get this sorted out.

 

[Dave Y]

Am I correct in thinking that I probably don’t have to replace the dip tube o-ring? It seems like bc it’s leaking from the ball lock disconnect that means that it is an issue with the post, correct?

I think so. It’s good to replace them periodically, but that’s very likely not your problem here.

 

[Prairie Dog]

Replaced the post and the beer is flowing nicely now. Thanks for the help, guys! Here is a picture.

I’m trying to make a WCIPA with a bit more color and malt backbone than most WCIPAs these days, so I used Root Shoot’s English Pale malt (their version of Maris Otter) which is about 4.5 SRM along with 10% Munich, 5% Wheat, and some dextrose. I’m trying to avoid crystal and still keep it pretty dry. I also dry hopped it with Chinook, Simcoe, and Columbus.

So far, the malt is fighting with the hops a bit with the malt slightly winning out making the hops less pronounced than I’d like. I had so many problems with this beer, I’m just glad it isn’t infected and tasting decent. Curious as to where it will be in a week or so. All in all, for my first kegged beer, I’m pretty happy!

 

[Tim Bulin]

Just mashed in a batch of “Blonde on Blonde”…been listening to a lot of Bob Dylan lately.

https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/851102/blonde-on-blonde

 

[Brew Cat]

Screwed on a new tap handle someone gave me the poured a beer to reward myself

 

[Sandy Feet]

Replaced the post and the beer is flowing nicely now. Thanks for the help, guys! Here is a picture.

I’m trying to make a WCIPA with a bit more color and malt backbone than most WCIPAs these days, so I used Root Shoot’s English Pale malt (their version of Maris Otter) which is about 4.5 SRM along with 10% Munich, 5% Wheat, and some dextrose. I’m trying to avoid crystal and still keep it pretty dry. I also dry hopped it with Chinook, Simcoe, and Columbus.

So far, the malt is fighting with the hops a bit with the malt slightly winning out making the hops less pronounced than I’d like. I had so many problems with this beer, I’m just glad it isn’t infected and tasting decent. Curious as to where it will be in a week or so. All in all, for my first kegged beer, I’m pretty happy!

That much Munich will leave some malt. When I use Crystal in something simple, it is only in the 4 or 5% range. Maybe cut back on the Munich a little for the next batch?
In about a week or two, it will probably get much better. Learning shit is always good.

 

[Ward Chillington]

Learning shit is always good.

Ohhhh, that would make a good tee shirt aphorism!

 

[Prairie Dog]

That much Munich will leave some malt. When I use Crystal in something simple, it is only in the 4 or 5% range. Maybe cut back on the Munich a little for the next batch?
In about a week or two, it will probably get much better. Learning shit is always good.

That was actually one of the first things I thought after sampling it. That maybe I didn’t need that much Munich which might help cut down a bit on this maltiness. I’m sampling it right now and it is already clearer and more balanced on the nose and palette than this weekend, so I’m hoping these flavors come together a bit more in the next couple weeks.

I’m thinking of doing a smash w the Root Shoot malt and Simcoe and building from there as well. Thanks for the advice! Always appreciated

 

[Dave Y]

I remade my Mexican Texas lager; pulled a few pounds of fancy-shmancy malt for peasant 2 row in the recipe.
NAILED it, literally to the same 1.051 SG. I hurt my shoulder patting myself on the back after the sparge kettle switch fried, and my ph meter in the same brew day. New R/O filters and first brew with the riptide pump.