BeerBorg

Well it had to happen sooner or later. While getting my Co2 tank refilled the gas line inside my refrigerator dropped below the gas in post and about two feet of it filled with beer from the keg. Nope, I didn't stop to disconnect the gas connector before I turned the gas off, my bad.

So the question is has this happened to anyone else before where beer from their keg made its way into the Co2 line? If so did you replace the lines for fear of contamination, or should I just not worry about that happening?

Not to me....yet. I rarely remember to disconnect the gas side too so I'll have to be extra cautious of that.
I would think if you gave the line a good cleaning, blow it out and let it dry a bit you should be good to go but that's a very good question that I can't answer 100% sure.

What Beer-lord said. Maybe I'm misunderstanding this, but won't the gas just push any liquid in the line back into your keg when it's turned on?

I've never looked into them but I've read where some keggers install check valves. The ball lock don't have built in check valves and I've got no idea how much they cost or how easy they are to connect but if I've been lucky for 3 years of kegging, I guess I'll just hope that continues.

I have had it happen. I just took the gas line off and rinsed it out thoroughly then put sanitizer through it just like I do the faucet side. I did put a new disconnect on. For you over pressure shake and roll people this is not uncommon. Anytime the pressure in the keg is higher than the pressure in the gas line this can happen.

alb wrote:What Beer-lord said. Maybe I'm misunderstanding this, but won't the gas just push any liquid in the line back into your keg when it's turned on?

@alb it did do just that. I'm a little concerned on what affect the residual dried beer could have since I never bothered to sanitize the gas lines before connecting them.

I guess I'll tear them down, clean and sanitize them of just replace them with new line. I also have to rig the lines so that they're always above the gas posts though so it doesn't happen again.

I use these after the regulator... Or on the outputs of your manifold if you use one...

They work well!

CO2 Shut off with Check Valve
$14.99

i got them at nthomebrew.com

I forgot, I do have a manifold and it does have valves on it. Duh! I just don't ever think to turn them off when getting my tank filled.

Gymrat wrote:I have had it happen. I just took the gas line off and rinsed it out thoroughly then put sanitizer through it just like I do the faucet side. I did put a new disconnect on. For you over pressure shake and roll people this is not uncommon. Anytime the pressure in the keg is higher than the pressure in the gas line this can happen.

Yep, just clean it, no problem.

Beer-lord wrote:I forgot, I do have a manifold and it does have valves on it. Duh! I just don't ever think to turn them off when getting my tank filled.

The manifolds that have the valve are shutoffs as far as I know.

I've had it happen. I just cleaned it, including dis-assembly of the QD.