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Date: 08 Sep 2006 18:58:14
From: KGB (KGB)
Subject: King Keg problems (UK)
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Hi
After problems with Hambleton Bard beerspheres bursting, I lost faith
in them and re-equipped with King Kegs.
However, whilst the King Keg "barrels" themselves do not burst, I now
have problems with caps splitting.
I have had three of the (black) caps split along the screw thread.
They are tightened just enough so that there are no leaks when tested
with a soap solution; I have also fitted them with pressure gauges,
which never exceed 12PSI. The combined filler/pressure release valve
fitted to the cap is as supplied with the King Keg, so presumably
should not allow excess pressure.
Anybody any ideas why this is happening??
It seems strange that two different makes of barrels should give
problems and I admit that it looks like either over-tightening or
over-pressurising, but if I tightened the caps any less the barrels
would leak and if I used less pressure the beer would not dispense
properly. In any case, the split cap I found this evening was on a
barrel which was just about empty and the pressure gauge was reading
only a couple of PSI a few days ago.
I am at a loss and any help would be appreciated before I admit defeat
and buy cans of Supermarket lager!!!!!!.
Regards
KGB
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Date: 08 Sep 2006 23:29:11
From: Ian Hunt
Subject: Re: King Keg problems (UK)
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I recently split a HB barrel due to over use of CO2. I replaced it with a
beer sphere. In fairness the split barrel was at least 10 years old and had
been very neglected ( I left it in the garden in full sun 'cause I had
trouble getting the top off, The crud took some time to shift BTW)
I think your problem could be over gassing. TBH I don't know if this type of
barrel is designed to take 12 PSI.
I find I can get about 3 or 4 pints per night without adding gas. When I add
gas I never let it rip for more than one second. The burst barrel was down
to me adding 'one for luck' Doh! Luckily it went above the liquid line.
I always put some vasilene on the sealing ring and threads every new fill
and give it a good tightening by hand. You can buy a tool but it could over
tighten it and cause damage. I always check it a couple of days later to see
if it will twist any more.
Ian
"KGB (KGB)" <FedUpWithSpam@NoEmailAddre.ss > wrote in message
news:4501b92e.38420289@nntp.dsl.pipex.com...
> Hi
>
> After problems with Hambleton Bard beerspheres bursting, I lost faith
> in them and re-equipped with King Kegs.
>
> However, whilst the King Keg "barrels" themselves do not burst, I now
> have problems with caps splitting.
>
> I have had three of the (black) caps split along the screw thread.
> They are tightened just enough so that there are no leaks when tested
> with a soap solution; I have also fitted them with pressure gauges,
> which never exceed 12PSI. The combined filler/pressure release valve
> fitted to the cap is as supplied with the King Keg, so presumably
> should not allow excess pressure.
>
> Anybody any ideas why this is happening??
>
> It seems strange that two different makes of barrels should give
> problems and I admit that it looks like either over-tightening or
> over-pressurising, but if I tightened the caps any less the barrels
> would leak and if I used less pressure the beer would not dispense
> properly. In any case, the split cap I found this evening was on a
> barrel which was just about empty and the pressure gauge was reading
> only a couple of PSI a few days ago.
>
> I am at a loss and any help would be appreciated before I admit defeat
> and buy cans of Supermarket lager!!!!!!.
>
> Regards
>
> KGB
>
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Date: 09 Sep 2006 07:05:58
From: GeoffT
Subject: Re: King Keg problems (UK)
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I've had budget barrel lids splitting but not king kegs. It was due to
overpriming - how much are you priming with? 100 grams of DME is more
than enough.
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Date: 10 Sep 2006 07:35:30
From: David Edge
Subject: Re: King Keg problems (UK)
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On Fri, 08 Sep 2006 18:58:14 GMT, "KGB"
<FedUpWithSpam@NoEmailAddre.ss > (KGB) wrote:
>After problems with Hambleton Bard beerspheres bursting, I lost faith
>in them and re-equipped with King Kegs.
>
>However, whilst the King Keg "barrels" themselves do not burst, I now
>have problems with caps splitting.
Do you tighten by hand or with a tool?
Do you apply Vaseline to the O-ring to improve sealing?
What does the supplier say?
David Edge, Derby, UK
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Date: 11 Sep 2006 09:40:06
From: KGB (KGB)
Subject: Re: King Keg problems (UK)
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On Sun, 10 Sep 2006 07:35:30 GMT, David Edge
<david.j.edge@ntlworld.com > wrote:
>On Fri, 08 Sep 2006 18:58:14 GMT, "KGB"
><FedUpWithSpam@NoEmailAddre.ss> (KGB) wrote:
>
>>After problems with Hambleton Bard beerspheres bursting, I lost faith
>>in them and re-equipped with King Kegs.
>>
>>However, whilst the King Keg "barrels" themselves do not burst, I now
>>have problems with caps splitting.
>
>Do you tighten by hand or with a tool?
>
>Do you apply Vaseline to the O-ring to improve sealing?
>
>What does the supplier say?
Hi
I think I have solved the problem of why the latest cap split -
basically I over-tightened it.
Whilst examining the split cap, I noticed that, whilst the O-seal is
the correct diameter for a King Keg (HB beersphere O-seals are a
slightly different size), the cross-sectional area of the "rubber" is
greater than the seal supplied with a new King Keg: i.e. whilst the
O-seal itself was the correct diameter to fit the split cap, the
MATERIAL used to make the O-seal had a larger diameter than it should
have; - I think that makes sense.
This means that when I fitted the cap to the keg (using Vaseline and
tightening with a tool), because the O-seal wasn't seated as it should
be, I probably had to tighten it too much to get it gas-tight. I also
assume that because the O-seal was too fat for the "channel" in the
cap, it overstressed the cap.
It certainly wasn't too much gas; the barrel was just about empty and
the pressure gauge had been reading just above zero for a week or so.
What I am not sure of is where the incorrect O-seal came from. Some
time ago, I bought some spare O-seals from my local (fairly useless)
home brew shop - basically a few items stocked by my local pharmacy (I
certainly wouldn't buy ingredients from them, but their equipment
tends to be cheap because they have had it in stock for years!!). I
remember checking that the O-seals were the correct diameter for a
King Keg but possibly didn't check the cross-sectional area of the
material - and can only assume the rogue O-seal came from there. But I
can't be certain.
I have no way of knowing at this stage, but is highly possible that I
used the same O-seal on each cap that has split - transferring the
O-seal to the new cap each time I fitted the pressure gauge and valve.
Certainly each faulty cap split in exactly the same place - along the
threads near the O-seal.
However, hopefully I have solved the problem and a lesson learned -
always check that the O-seal is the correct size.
Regards
KGB
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