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Author Topic: Keg posts that don't fit  (Read 4882 times)

Offline morticaixavier

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Keg posts that don't fit
« on: February 10, 2012, 01:55:50 pm »
Hey all,

I just recently got a new keg and finally got around to filling it with beer last night. as I was sanitizing it I noticed that the beer out QD did not want to go on, it fits over the post and opens the port as it is supposed to but doesn't lock down. It's a ball lock post and a ball lock QD but it's like the post is just a little too long to fit the QD. I finally managed to get it to latch by pushing down on the QD hard and then pushing the flange on the flange on the QD down with the other hand till it clicked but it's super tight.

Could this be caused by some kind of blockage in the post inself? or are there different models of ball lock posts?

The beer is in it now and I can get the cobra tap to attach so I am okay for now but after this keg kicks I want to figure out how to make it work right.
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Offline Joe Sr.

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Re: Keg posts that don't fit
« Reply #1 on: February 10, 2012, 02:27:14 pm »
I've found this to be mostly an o-ring problem.

Try a little lube on the o-ring, or put on a new one.

I think as they get old they either expand/stretch a bit or they can get dirt built up on them.

I have a few kegs where this has happened and replacing the o-rings did the trick.
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Offline tom

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Re: Keg posts that don't fit
« Reply #2 on: February 10, 2012, 03:04:16 pm »
Or the poppet can be the wrong type - a little too big.
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Offline corkybstewart

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Re: Keg posts that don't fit
« Reply #3 on: February 10, 2012, 03:04:47 pm »
I have to ask, don't be offended, but you're sure you have the beer-out fitting on the proper post?  When I got my first ball lock keg I was able to force the wrong fitting onto the wrong post, but I couldn't force it back off.  I had to destroy the fitting completely.
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Offline jeffy

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Re: Keg posts that don't fit
« Reply #4 on: February 10, 2012, 03:08:00 pm »
I have to ask, don't be offended, but you're sure you have the beer-out fitting on the proper post?  When I got my first ball lock keg I was able to force the wrong fitting onto the wrong post, but I couldn't force it back off.  I had to destroy the fitting completely.

That's what I was thinking, too.  The gas in post is taller, I think, just like you described.
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Offline morticaixavier

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Re: Keg posts that don't fit
« Reply #5 on: February 10, 2012, 04:16:43 pm »
I did get a 'free' set of o-rings with the keg so I could try to replace them.

On the gas in v beer out, yeah I am sure. I did try hooking the gas in to the beer out post to see if they had put a gas post on the beer out side but it was even tighter so I don't think that was it. didn't have to break the fitting to get it off though. I sometimes hook the gas to the beer out side to speed up carbing a little bit. it does not come off easily but it does eventually. a little lube helps there as well. It didn't end up helping so much that I still bother though.

When I get home tonight I will try a little lube and see if that helps at all.

it does seem like the post is just a little to tall.

I am hoping I can get it to work for this keg of beer and then I will pull it all apart and see what is going on in there. I would transfer to another keg now and do it but if it's broke I would not have a spare and my MIL is coming soon and expects her wit beer which is destined for the other keg, the one I know works just fine.
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Offline richardt

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Re: Keg posts that don't fit
« Reply #6 on: February 10, 2012, 04:55:01 pm »
Check out this earlier thread.  You probably switched the posts by accident.

gash=gas

http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=8036.0

Offline tschmidlin

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Re: Keg posts that don't fit
« Reply #7 on: February 10, 2012, 05:59:22 pm »
Check out this earlier thread.  You probably switched the posts by accident.

gash=gas

http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=8036.0
Well, how about that?  The picture location broke.  I fixed it.
Tom Schmidlin

Offline morticaixavier

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Re: Keg posts that don't fit
« Reply #8 on: February 11, 2012, 12:24:21 am »
Check out this earlier thread.  You probably switched the posts by accident.

gash=gas

http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=8036.0

nope, as I said I double checked that. The gas QD doesn't fit on the beer out post any better than the beer qd does. also no gash.
"Creativity is the residue of wasted time"
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"errors are [...] the portals of discovery"
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Offline richardt

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Re: Keg posts that don't fit
« Reply #9 on: February 11, 2012, 12:59:08 pm »
Sometimes the poppet legs need to be carefully adjusted to allow it to seat where it needs to. 
Otherwise, it can fall out of alignment when you try to tighten the QD.

Offline morticaixavier

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Re: Keg posts that don't fit
« Reply #10 on: February 11, 2012, 02:55:14 pm »
Sometimes the poppet legs need to be carefully adjusted to allow it to seat where it needs to. 
Otherwise, it can fall out of alignment when you try to tighten the QD.

perhaps this is the case. I will check that out when the keg kicks. the poppet does appear to be sitting ever so clightly above the grade of the post.
"Creativity is the residue of wasted time"
-A Einstein

"errors are [...] the portals of discovery"
- J Joyce

Offline MYR

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Re: Keg posts that don't fit
« Reply #11 on: May 16, 2018, 07:58:47 pm »
I have exactly the same problem on a brand new torpedo keg.
I also made sure the posts were not inverted by mistake and did use keg lube.
But no matter what, the ball lock is incredibly hard to fit on the out post. No problem on my other torpedo I have using the same ball lock fitting.
If you ever figure it out, please let me know because I’m out of ideas beside buying a new post...


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