[tomas77]

Hi all.  If you thought you had no leaks in your keg then you racked the beer in the keg and sealed it only to find out you have leaks.  How does one fix this problem with beer already in the keg?  Thanks.  Worried about sanitation.

[hamiltont]

Spray starsan on the lid & posts and inside the pressure relief housing to see if it bubbles anywhere. Make sure you hit the keg with at least 20 lbs. CO2 to seal it up tight. I usually hit it with 30 lbs.

[zee]

depends on where the leak is. if its in the seal at the top you can try pushing the pressure up to 40psi. that usually will force the o ring to seat properly. once that is done, you can let the pressure off.

alternatively you can just starsan the top, keep your hands wet with starsan while you open it and fix.

lastly, you can rack into a sanitized keg that you know seals properly.

[bluesman]

I use keg lube on all o-rings and pressure test the keg prior to use. As has been said use starsan solution on all potential leak points. In my experience 9 out of 10 leaks have come from the main seal.

[euge]

You'll be fine. Test it under pressure with some starsan or soapy water. If there is a leak around the lid seal vent the keg and reseat. Minimal chance of contamination. Might try a little lube on the o-ring. Rinse that soapy water off first- starsan ok.

If it's a poppit you could try a little lube on it too until it can be replaced. I used a little olive oil recently and it retarded a leak or fixed it. Enough to kill the keg without further worries.

Found that many of my old cornies have lids that only fit well in such and such position. If you find this happening with yours try replacing the main o-ring. Good chance it'll fix the problem.

[enso]

Stepping back a bit...

How did you come to determine you have a leak in your keg?

Did your CO2 bottle go empty?  Is the beer flat after force carbonating for the appropriate amount of time?  Are you certain it was enough time and the correct pressure for the storage temperature?

Might be something real simple if you could give us a bit more info.  What temp is it stored at?  What pressure did you use to pressurize the keg initially?  What is the pressure you are keeping it at?  How long has it been under pressure?  How many volumes are you aiming for...

You get the idea.