Alright BORG, here come the questions!

Have a question on how to keg your beer or just want some tips on bottling! Don't stick a cork in it until you ask the Borg!

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teutonic terror
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Alright BORG, here come the questions!

Post by teutonic terror »

Probably about a bazillion in this post alone! :p

Getting ready, at this moment, to drill the holes for my beer faucets in my fridge door.
How much do I space them? I've read that 4" is sufficient for two pint glasses side by side.

Also, faucets on the handle side of the door or hinge side? Seems the lines would be in the way
on the handle side if you store bottled beer in the fridge too, which is my plan.

I bought the kit from kegconnection.com and they stated the kegs were checked thoroughly.
I received and extra set of o-rings for each keg. Should I change out the o-rings that
are presently on those kegs or let them ride until I test the system?
Both of the posts on one of the kegs are nicked up around the top edge, should I maybe
get new ones, or again, test the system first?
I'm leaning to replacing so I don't have to sweat it!

Also, should I dis assemble all the fittings and oxi and starsan before anything?

Wow! I've done quite a bit of research but haven't gotten satisfactory answers to alot of these questions!

Be nice, and thanks for the assistance up front BORG! :borg:
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BigPapaG
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Re: Alright BORG, here come the questions!

Post by BigPapaG »

teutonic terror wrote:Probably about a bazillion in this post alone! :p

Getting ready, at this moment, to drill the holes for my beer faucets in my fridge door.
How much do I space them? I've read that 4" is sufficient for two pint glasses side by side.

(How wide is your drip tray as this will help guide your decision)

Also, faucets on the handle side of the door or hinge side? Seems the lines would be in the way
on the handle side if you store bottled beer in the fridge too, which is my plan.

(Center might be good, you can route and clamp the hoses horizontally past the hinge side and down to the kegs and CO2 tank or manifold. Check to insure you leave just a little slack at the hinge area, clamping a couple of inches left and right of the hinge allowing the hoses to flex as the door opens and closes if you do desire to clamp them)

I bought the kit from kegconnection.com and they stated the kegs were checked thoroughly.

(Checked does not mean cleaned... It just means everything is there and 'should' work... Sometimes they pressurize them to test that they hold pressure before shipping, but usually ship them without pressure)

I received and extra set of o-rings for each keg. Should I change out the o-rings that
are presently on those kegs or let them ride until I test the system?

(Inspect them and compare to the new ones. Best judgement prevails here... They are cheap, so if you think they might need changing, change them and buy another set next week...)

Both of the posts on one of the kegs are nicked up around the top edge, should I maybe
get new ones, or again, test the system first?
I'm leaning to replacing so I don't have to sweat it!

(The posts are probably ok, even if nicked... The seals occur at the poppet in the center, and at the o-ring around the edge. If you feel inclined, you might be able to clean them up with a file to aid in future cleaning) EDIT: I use pin connect posts, if yours are the other type, just make sure that the plastic connectors mount and lock... This may impact your decision to change the posts or not.

Also, should I dis assemble all the fittings and oxi and starsan before anything?

(With used kegs, I recommend a full disassembly and cleaning. This allows you to inspect the poppets, the o-rings on the dip tupes, the dip tubes themselves, the quick connect posts and their o-rings and the keg, lid and lid gasket. It also allows for a better 'full cleaning', especially if the keg might have previously been used for root beer which is notoriously 'present' after use.)

Wow! I've done quite a bit of research but haven't gotten satisfactory answers to alot of these questions!

Be nice, and thanks for the assistance up front BORG! :borg:
Answers from me in parentheses above, hope this helps...

Also, double check your hose clamps etc (a little star-san in a spray bottle helps check those) and if the lid leaks as you try to presurrize the keg, it probably just needs a little help... Wiggle it (but don't un-latch it!)... Keg lube helps here also... Great stuff... Small container lasts a long time. I put a little on the post o-rings after each cleaning and on the lid o-ring.

:cool:
Last edited by BigPapaG on Sat Nov 21, 2015 4:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Alright BORG, here come the questions!

Post by Pudge »

Don't their kegs show up slightly pressurized or am I thinking of somewhere else?
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Re: Alright BORG, here come the questions!

Post by BigPapaG »

Pudge wrote:Don't their kegs show up slightly pressurized or am I thinking of somewhere else?
I know when I get them at my LHBS, which is where I bought all of mine, that there is a couple pounds of pressure in them, not sure though if they come that way when shipped. Others will have more experience there.

:cool:
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teutonic terror
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Re: Alright BORG, here come the questions!

Post by teutonic terror »

The two I received were pressurized. Just bled them off, and opened them up, both have spots inside....
hoping it's not rust.
Oxi cleaning as I type, and probably drilling faucet locations in the center of door. Makes alot of sense now!
Should at least be clean by tonight! :D
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BigPapaG
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Re: Alright BORG, here come the questions!

Post by BigPapaG »

Cool!

The door won't have any cooling lines in it and should only have wiring if there is an ice/water dispenser.

The SIDE of the fridge might have wires or coolant lines... Might want to pull up the model number on an appliance parts site and confirm before drilling or clamping.

You can usually get a diagram of the parts breakdown, including housing sides etc on something like

Appliancepartspros.com or Home Depot's parts site, or Sears etc.

Search by model# of the fridge.

:cool:
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Re: Alright BORG, here come the questions!

Post by Pudge »

teutonic terror wrote:The two I received were pressurized. Just bled them off, and opened them up, both have spots inside....
hoping it's not rust.
Oxi cleaning as I type, and probably drilling faucet locations in the center of door. Makes alot of sense now!
Should at least be clean by tonight! :D
That's what I was thinking. If they're still pressurized, I wouldn't worry about them. Clean and sanitize accordingly. Make sure you run some through the lines just to make sure you clean/sanitize the diptube too.
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Re: Alright BORG, here come the questions!

Post by Inkleg »

WTK (Welcome to Kegging)! I still run picnic taps so no help there. All my first kegging supplies came from Keg Connection and will get my taps from them when I make that leap. Great company, good prices and quick to answer any questions I had.

Even though the kegs I received looked great and held pressure, I took them apart cleaned and installed the o-rings they sent and sanitized everything. Not only for piece of mind, but so I understood how it all worked.

I have numerous posts with dings and nicks on the top edge, as they seal at the o-ring I've noticed no problem with fitting or sealing.
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teutonic terror
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Re: Alright BORG, here come the questions!

Post by teutonic terror »

WOW, am I psyched!

Got the kegs full of Oxi and have tapped off several glasses for sanitation of
the lines and the faucets as well as testing the seals.
Everything looks good so far!
Thanks Pudge! :D

Ink, that was my plan to eventually, before my brew is ready to keg, to take the keg
and all the assemblies apart and clean thoroughly!

PaPaG, got some silicone faucet grease from Lowe's today I've seen where that's the equivalent of Keglube
and last's forever! :p

Pics, and first pour coming in just a couple of weeks!

WOW! :jumpy:
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Re: Alright BORG, here come the questions!

Post by BigPapaG »

@ TT:

DANGER WILL ROBINSON!

Some Faucet Grease Products are NOT Food Grade FDA Approved products.

Also, if there is a Prop 65 warning on it, that means it contains more LEAD than California Law allow, although it MAY not contain more than Federal Regulations allow... Or it MAY...

And only SOME Silicone Lubricants are Food Safe...

And some greases and lubricants cause o-rings to expand... That makes them harder to get on and off and they may not seal properly either.

Check your packaging carefully please... :)

:cool:
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Re: Alright BORG, here come the questions!

Post by BigPapaG »

And after all that, CONGRATS!

Happy Kegging! You're gonna love it!

:cool:
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teutonic terror
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Re: Alright BORG, here come the questions!

Post by teutonic terror »

Thanks PaPa! :) I will check the silicone closely!

Thanks to all of you for the pertinent info so far!
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Re: Alright BORG, here come the questions!

Post by bpgreen »

BigPapaG wrote:@ TT:

DANGER WILL ROBINSON!

Some Faucet Grease Products are NOT Food Grade FDA Approved products.

Also, if there is a Prop 65 warning on it, that means it contains more LEAD than California Law allow, although it MAY not contain more than Federal Regulations allow... Or it MAY...

And only SOME Silicone Lubricants are Food Safe...

And some greases and lubricants cause o-rings to expand... That makes them harder to get on and off and they may not seal properly either.

Check your packaging carefully please... :)

:cool:
On a related note, keg lube is food grade petroleum jelly. Vaseline is approved for things like applying on lips, etc., but even though it can be applied on lips, it's still considered cosmetic grade, not food grade.
Last edited by bpgreen on Wed Dec 02, 2015 12:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Alright BORG, here come the questions!

Post by FedoraDave »

I got my keg lube from my LHBS, so I can trust it. Also, it's in a toothpaste-sized tube, so for the amount I use at any given time, it's sure to last me a lifetime, if not longer.
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Re: Alright BORG, here come the questions!

Post by Whamolagan »

I haven't used keg lube in a long time. I always keep a bottle of star san in a spray bottle and spray the posts and the couplers then assemble. As for the disassembling the posts, be aware that some kegs have a little plastic piece in there that seems to dissenegrate over time. I took one of mine apart and the thing crumbled in my hand. Not sure if that will be your case but be aware that there are several kinds of popetts out there. You will love kegging. How many kegs did you get? Once I started kegging, I found that I like to brew more, because I don't have to bottle. We want pics or it didn't happen. :)
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