Keg Tapping Issue

[PhilM]

Hello,
I racked my first batch of home-brew to a corny keg yesterday. Since then, I've been troubleshooting why I wasn't able to get beer from the keg out of the faucet. Turns out, the beer out taps are locked onto the keg, but won't dispense beer unless you press down on them. (there's a very slight amount of give-just enough I guess to depress the valve on the keg.)

Any ideas what I'm doing wrong?

 

[brettg20]

Is there co2 hooked up?

 

[PhilM]

CO2 is hooked up, and the out tap appears to be seated at the same height as the gas in tap. Open the faucet, no beer. Open the faucet, press down on the beer out tap, get beer.

 

[gilstein21]

either a bad poppet or spring in the quick connect. Are you pulling up on the ring (bottom portion) of quick connect when you are placing it on the post. I had a similar issue when I started and it's because I wasn't pulling up on the bottom portion to get it to lock onto the post.

 

[max384]

Do you have the in and out posts on the wrong side maybe?

 

[kh54s10]

either a bad poppet or spring in the quick connect. Are you pulling up on the ring (bottom portion) of quick connect when you are placing it on the post. I had a similar issue when I started and it's because I wasn't pulling up on the bottom portion to get it to lock onto the post.

This seems like the first place to look. Make sure the ring snaps down when the quick connect is fully depressed. I find it sometimes takes a very hard push to get the quick connect fully down.

 

[day_trippr]

This seems like the first place to look. Make sure the ring snaps down when the quick connect is fully depressed. I find it sometimes takes a very hard push to get the quick connect fully down.

Agreed, first-timers frequently have no "feel" for when a QD is actually fully installed on a ball lock post.

Wet the O-rings on the posts before trying to put the QDs on. A dry O-ring will work against the effort...

(And I hear pin lock fans giggling )

Cheers!

 

[reelmower]

On a corny .. the 12 point star post side is the "gas in" side .. the 6 point post side is the "beverage out" side.

On a Spartanburg keg ... the post with the slits cut in the bottom are the "gas in" side.

 

[BigFloyd]

Do you have the in and out posts on the wrong side maybe?

That's a real possibility here and not that uncommon of a mistake for a person new to kegging.

 

[tektonjp]

One other possibility is that the little nubbin inside the QD which is supposed to push the poppet down when the QD is connected might be broken off and thus no liquid could flow.

 

[PhilM]

My taps and kegs are clearly marked IN/OUT. When I swap them to ensure that I'm not doing things backwards they clearly don't fit properly.

To seat the taps, I pull up on the collar, press down hard till I physically cannot press any more, then click the collar down into place. There is still a slight amount of play downwards when the taps (both gas and beer) appear locked, that's the slight amount of play that is allowing my to dispense beer when I press on the tap.

I just took the post and tap apart, nothing seems obviously wrong. Even though I'd vented the CO2 from the pressure valve some beer still came out of the beer tube when I took the post off, so I'm sure nothing is wrong with that side of things.

I'm really puzzled. I purchased everything new to try and avoid this sort of issue. I've got two of these kegs:

http://www.beveragefactory.com/draftbeer/home_brew/kegs/2X-KEG-5GAL-NSH_ball_lock_keg.html

And two sets of these taps: (I've tried both beer out taps, no joy.)

http://www.beveragefactory.com/draftbeer/couplers/homebrew/BLSET-CORNELIUS_Ball_lock_.25in_mfl.shtml

EDIT: I should also mention that none of the tap or keg parts appear broken. If anyone has specs on functioning parts I'll check them out, though I don't have the stuff to test spring tension.

 

[reelmower]

I just looked a corny Spartanburg keg (ball lock) .. that is next in line for putting some beer in. I got a beverage out (black) connnection and tried it several times. When I put my connections on .. I use my thumb and index finger to pull the bottom of the ball lock snap on connection up slightly ... press onto the keg (beverage out post) and let go with my thumb and index finger. I then take my hand away .. and put the palm of my hand flat onto the ball lock connector .. and press down firmly with my palm to make it click into place. It would now be ready to dispense .. provided it had beer it there .. and a gas line hooked up to the gas in side. I'm now sure what sort of problem you could be having if you are sure nothing is broken. Press it down .. it has to snap into place.

 

[reelmower]

Do you have a local homebrew shop .. or a neighbor who brews? Take your gear over .. and check your keg with their fittings .. and/or check your fittings on their keg. Not good that tomorrow is SuperBowl Sunday.

 

[reelmower]

Sounds like you need to practice with the other keg that you have. Put some water in the other keg. Practice ... sealing the keg .. testing the pressure .. tapping ... and dispensing .. with water. Moving that water ... will be good practice .. for when you clean your beer lines. I mix my beer line cleaner up in a keg .. and pump it through my system. I take everything apart too .. soak and clean each part.

Those are nice looking kegs that you bought. I have been lucky with mine. I bought about 10 back in the 1990's .. for about $20 each .. all guaranteed to seal .. and they did .. and still do. I even have a 10 gallon corny .. and a 2.5 gallon corny. They are all in the active rotation. I buy new parts .. and keep everything well lubed. I treat them with "kid gloves" .. to not get them "dinged" up.

 

[JuanMoore]

Do those kegs use the "universal" style poppets by chance? They can sometimes be a bit too long for some post fittings, and cause the issue you're describing. Have you checked to make sure the tops of the QD's are screwed in completely? That can also cause the issue.

 

[PhilM]

So I swapped all the hardware from my second keg over, and everything works. Took the second keg apart and the draw tube is attached to the beer out post. I've got the connected post/tube on the first keg, with the beer, and everything is working fine.

So how to I properly reassemble a post/tube setup?

 

[PhilM]

Just to update things a bit here...thought I had everything fixed, filled that keg full of beer again, and it's not flowing out yet again. Now that I've got everything setup on the kegerator troubleshooting was a bit easier, and I've narrowed the issue down to the beer out post.

I've measured the post as best as I can without calipers, and it's identical to the beer out post on my working keg. However, the poppet valve isn't seating flush with the top of the post, while the poppet valve on the working keg is flush with the post.

So my question now is what's the likely culprit? The o-ring? Perhaps the flange of the draw tube is damaged? Poppet the improper size?

I've got a St. Patrick's Day party on Saturday, and I really want to get this fixed before then, but time is running out...

 

[brew_ny]

(And I hear pin lock fans giggling )

Cheers!

not giggling more like laughing

However, the poppet valve isn't seating flush with the top of the post, while the poppet valve on the working keg is flush with the post.

OP that sounds like the problem, I do not have ball locks I have pin locks

but I know on my kegs the poppet is flush with the top of the post when I put on the disconnect it depresses the poppet to let the liquid flow

I believe you said before if you pushed down on the disconnect and opened the tap you had beer ?

the kegs are new maybe a bad part ? have you talked with the folks you bought them from ?

good luck and all the best

S_M