Woes with leaks and aeration
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Woes with leaks and aeration
I am having a problem with one of my kegs.
It is a pin lock keg; I bought it (used) near the end of last year. It was holding pressure when I bought it and I did not take it apart for several months. At that time, it was still holding pressure.
After a thorough cleaning and sanitizing I filled it with beer. Afterwards, the keg would not hold pressure. I could find no audible leaks and could not see any bubbles form when I spritzed the various sealing locations with a Star San solution. However, when I connected my gas fitting to the gas post, I could hear gas leaking from the fitting. The beer would also serve very frothy and muddy-looking (it's a dark lager) and there is definitely a lot of air coming out with the beer. You can see the bubbles in the fluid line when serving.
Tonight I replaced the poppet valves and the o-rings on the posts. Now the keg seems to be holding pressure (I'll know better after it has sat off the cylinder for a while) and I no longer hear the gas leaking when the gas fitting is connected. However, I STILL have the same aeration problem when serving. I also cannot detect a leak, either audibly or by spritzing Star San. I was serving with a picnic tap; I switched to a different picnic tap that I had been using with a different keg with no issues but I still have aeration problems. I even squirted Star San into the relief valve when the keg was on the cylinder but did not see any evidence of a leak there, either.
What should I try next? Do I need a different leak detector? I have had minor keg leaks before but nothing that caused such aeration issues.
It is a pin lock keg; I bought it (used) near the end of last year. It was holding pressure when I bought it and I did not take it apart for several months. At that time, it was still holding pressure.
After a thorough cleaning and sanitizing I filled it with beer. Afterwards, the keg would not hold pressure. I could find no audible leaks and could not see any bubbles form when I spritzed the various sealing locations with a Star San solution. However, when I connected my gas fitting to the gas post, I could hear gas leaking from the fitting. The beer would also serve very frothy and muddy-looking (it's a dark lager) and there is definitely a lot of air coming out with the beer. You can see the bubbles in the fluid line when serving.
Tonight I replaced the poppet valves and the o-rings on the posts. Now the keg seems to be holding pressure (I'll know better after it has sat off the cylinder for a while) and I no longer hear the gas leaking when the gas fitting is connected. However, I STILL have the same aeration problem when serving. I also cannot detect a leak, either audibly or by spritzing Star San. I was serving with a picnic tap; I switched to a different picnic tap that I had been using with a different keg with no issues but I still have aeration problems. I even squirted Star San into the relief valve when the keg was on the cylinder but did not see any evidence of a leak there, either.
What should I try next? Do I need a different leak detector? I have had minor keg leaks before but nothing that caused such aeration issues.
Dan
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On Tap: Scottish Export 80
Primary: Empty
Secondary/Lagering: Empty
Bottled: Bourbon Barrel Porter, Cherry-Infused Bourbon Barrel Porter, '100' American Barleywine, Midas Touch Clone II, Doppelsticke Altbier
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On Tap: Scottish Export 80
Primary: Empty
Secondary/Lagering: Empty
Bottled: Bourbon Barrel Porter, Cherry-Infused Bourbon Barrel Porter, '100' American Barleywine, Midas Touch Clone II, Doppelsticke Altbier
Re: Woes with leaks and aeration
Just a guess: I'd check the out dip tube for schmutz somewhere up inside?
jim
jim
- Rob Martin
- Uberbrewer
- Posts: 1494
- Joined: Mon Feb 27, 2006 6:14 pm
- Location: Lawrence
Re: Woes with leaks and aeration
Rob, you're a mensch.
jim
jim
Re: Woes with leaks and aeration
And you're sure it's not the QD that's got a bad gasket or something?
Matt
Matt
Matt Bechtold
Anvil Chorus Brewing
Anvil Chorus Brewing
Re: Woes with leaks and aeration
I tried two different quick disconnects, each with its own picnic tap attached. One of the QD-PT units was being used without issue on a different keg. The same problem manifested itself with each unit.Matt wrote:And you're sure it's not the QD that's got a bad gasket or something?
Matt
Dan
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On Tap: Scottish Export 80
Primary: Empty
Secondary/Lagering: Empty
Bottled: Bourbon Barrel Porter, Cherry-Infused Bourbon Barrel Porter, '100' American Barleywine, Midas Touch Clone II, Doppelsticke Altbier
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On Tap: Scottish Export 80
Primary: Empty
Secondary/Lagering: Empty
Bottled: Bourbon Barrel Porter, Cherry-Infused Bourbon Barrel Porter, '100' American Barleywine, Midas Touch Clone II, Doppelsticke Altbier
Re: Woes with leaks and aeration
I figured as much... but wanted to rule it out.
Matt
Matt
Matt Bechtold
Anvil Chorus Brewing
Anvil Chorus Brewing
- Rob Martin
- Uberbrewer
- Posts: 1494
- Joined: Mon Feb 27, 2006 6:14 pm
- Location: Lawrence
Re: Woes with leaks and aeration
That would make you an ÜbermenschJMcG wrote:Rob, you're a mensch.
jim
Re: Woes with leaks and aeration
Sie sind zu freundlich.Rob Martin wrote:That would make you an ÜbermenschJMcG wrote:Rob, you're a mensch.
jim
Re: Woes with leaks and aeration
I found the culprit(s). I changed out the o-ring dip tubes and now there are no more leaks. I think I was not able to get enough StarSan shot up underneath the posts and that is why I could not see any bubbles.
While I was at it, I changed the lid's o-ring, too.
While I was at it, I changed the lid's o-ring, too.
Dan
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On Tap: Scottish Export 80
Primary: Empty
Secondary/Lagering: Empty
Bottled: Bourbon Barrel Porter, Cherry-Infused Bourbon Barrel Porter, '100' American Barleywine, Midas Touch Clone II, Doppelsticke Altbier
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On Tap: Scottish Export 80
Primary: Empty
Secondary/Lagering: Empty
Bottled: Bourbon Barrel Porter, Cherry-Infused Bourbon Barrel Porter, '100' American Barleywine, Midas Touch Clone II, Doppelsticke Altbier