# Keg Won't Dispense



## sluggerdog (23/5/05)

One of my kegs simply will not dispense for some strage reason and I cannot work out why, it is still holding gas, there is beer in there which is fully gassed.

I changed disconnects and taps but still nothing so this rules all that out, I blasted gas into the out hole incase the tube was blocked but this didn't fix it.

Anyone else got any other ideas on something I can try?

Starting to really piss me off, I have an AG German Pils in there that I have not been able to try yet because of this reason..

HELP!


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## jgriffin (23/5/05)

When you blasted gas into the out post, did you release the head pressure first, then hear the gas bubbling through the liquid?


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## sluggerdog (23/5/05)

jgriffin said:


> When you blasted gas into the out post, did you release the head pressure first, then hear the gas bubbling through the liquid?
> [post="60388"][/post]​



No I didn't release the head pressure before hand.... Why's that?


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## jgriffin (23/5/05)

If you don't release the head pressure, the keg is already gassed, so it won't give it a good blow through the post and dip tube.


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## sluggerdog (23/5/05)

Ok Mate, will give that a go now, thanks


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## dreamboat (23/5/05)

Maybe the dip tube is blocked as you think... try to pull the post off again, and then lift the tube out to see how it looks. Pour a bit of water through it or something to make sure it passe water easy if it is bent and you can't see down it. They are pretty simple things really.. not too much that can go wrong.


dreamboat


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## sluggerdog (23/5/05)

Nah, still no good.


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## sluggerdog (23/5/05)

dreamboat said:


> Maybe the dip tube is blocked as you think... try to pull the post off again, and then lift the tube out to see how it looks. Pour a bit of water through it or something to make sure it passe water easy if it is bent and you can't see down it. They are pretty simple things really.. not too much that can go wrong.
> 
> 
> dreamboat
> [post="60396"][/post]​




Will give this a go tomorrow, thanks sounds like an idea seeing nothing else is working.


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## GMK (23/5/05)

Any chance that the problem could be in the beer gun/tap - ie that might be blocked with soem hop debris.....

Just an idea to look at....


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## big d (23/5/05)

funny you should mention this sluggerdog.had the same thing re occur with one of my kegs recently.my money is on your disconnect.i found mine was icing up on the inside and not engaging properly hence no beer flow from keg.i just cleaned it up and pushed the spigot/valve bit in a few times,reconnected and away i went.may be worth a look just incase its the same or slightly gummed up stopping flow.

cheers
big d


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## sluggerdog (24/5/05)

Thanks guys but I have tried oth the tap and disconnect, I swapped them both over but still the same problem (2 taps on the fridge) so this eliminates that and it must be somethign to do with the keg. I'm guessing the tube


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## Batz (24/5/05)

Could the brew be frozen in the bottom of the keg?
This has happened to me a few times

Batz


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## warrenlw63 (24/5/05)

Slugger,

Second what Batz said. I've done the same thing a couple of times. Very easy to do if you serve your beer from a converted chest freezer.

One thing you can also try. You may lose a squirt of beer in the process. Get a small Phillips Head Screwdriver or a nail. Give the beer out poppet a very light (careful) push. 

One thing though. Put a rag over the poppet or turn your head, otherwise you'll get a face full of beer.

This at least eliminates the possibilities of blockages in the dip tube or popppet.

Warren -


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## sluggerdog (24/5/05)

Nah it isn't frozen, this happened to me a few weeks ago with the same brew, I took it out of the fridge and left it out for a week while I drank anohter keg, returned it and tested while still warm but still the same problem.

I do get a little dribble come out but mostly foam.

How do I remove the dip tube to flush this?


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## warrenlw63 (24/5/05)

Slugger,

It's not losing pressure is it? The foam sounds a little like you might even have escaping gas. I assume it's holding pressure? 

One thing you could try out of sheer desperation is to crank your reg up to about 200kpa (make sure your hose fittings are secure) and try and push some beer out. If it's a blockage anywhere this may or may not be purged.

Also pressurise the keg and get a pump bottle with some soapy water. Spray it around the fittings just to make sure you're not getting any leaks.

What you're stating is quite puzzling. Because in the last 6 years I can't say I've ever encountered it. 

Might not even hurt to go to your LHBS and purchase a new beer out tank plug. There may even be something lodged in the poppet that's causing the blockage.

Good luck with it.

Warren -


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## homebrewworld.com (24/5/05)

I had the same prob with one of my kegs.
It turned out to be the rubber seal under the post (out-let).
I think the post may have squeezed it and restircted the flow of the beer,thus giving me foamed trickle out of the tap.
I replaced the seal (new) and put the post back on and fixed !!

Oh, i couldnt work out what the prob was. ...............then when i filled the keg with another brew and the same thing happened i nutted it out.
Hope this makes sense,
Cheers


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## sluggerdog (24/5/05)

warrenlw63 said:


> Slugger,
> 
> It's not losing pressure is it? The foam sounds a little like you might even have escaping gas. I assume it's holding pressure?
> 
> ...




No it isn't loosing pressure, it held it for 2 weeks while I was drinking another keg.

Already tried cranking it up and blasting it out too.

I am 99% sure it is a blocked tube though, it is the only time I used plugs and some leaves got through, I am guessing that the tube is partly blocked by these, am using hop hags from now on.

Bit of a bugger hey...

I will change the o-ring on the post outlet tonight and see if that does the trick, heres hoping that is the problem.


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## Steve Lacey (24/5/05)

sluggerdog said:


> How do I remove the dip tube to flush this?
> [post="60423"][/post]​


You need to degas the keg via the pressure release valve or by depressing the poppet valve on the gas turret. Then, with your trusty turret spanner, remove the turret. The turret comes off and you will see the poppet valve inside the turret; it may even fall out as you lift off the turret. The dip tube will then be just sitting there. It is flanged at the top and there is an O-ring under the flange. The flange can be grasped betwixt fore finger and thumb and withdrawn from the keg. When you put it back together, the legs of the poppet rest on top of the flange and you just carefully screw the turret back on without dislodging said poppet.

My money says that if you have never done this before, then you may have gummed up the poppet valve at some time in the past, probably with a bit of hop debris. It is a good idea to get into the habit of disassembling and thoroughly cleaning the keg turrets every few brews (soak in napisan). You have to put it back together carefully and pressure test it. It is easy to have the O-rings too tight or not tight enough. I foolishly filled some kegs the ther day after a disassembly and neglected to purge and pressure test the kegs. In one I got gas leakage through the cover O-ring and in the other I got a bit of beer leakage out of the base of the turret. Doh!

Steve


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## GMK (24/5/05)

Run the Beer thru a GMK IN-Line filter into the Keg - this will get rid of the hop debris.....pellets and plugs.


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## Samwise Gamgee (24/5/05)

> Run the Beer thru a GMK IN-Line filter into the Keg - this will get rid of the hop debris.....pellets and plugs.



I can vouch for this filter! It's a very effective and economic way to filter hop particles out of your brew. I normally used it when racking from primary to secondary.


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## quincy (25/5/05)

Slugger

How did you get on ??


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## Ross (25/5/05)

sluggerdog said:


> I am 99% sure it is a blocked tube though, it is the only time I used plugs and some leaves got through, I am guessing that the tube is partly blocked by these, am using hop hags from now on.
> 
> Bit of a bugger hey...
> 
> ...



Slugger,

I'd put money on this being the problem, a hop leaf under your poppet, that's why its allowing you to blow air through the other way, but then blocking again as soon as you pour...
Hope you're drinking again soon.... :chug:


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## sluggerdog (25/5/05)

I couldn't get the tube out.. buggers me how to do it, will try again tomorrow as I have drunk too much now to care...


QUEENSLANDER


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## sluggerdog (25/5/05)

whats a turret spanner? is this something special that I need to get? (IT Guy here)


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## sluggerdog (25/5/05)

NEW o-ring didn't help


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## warrenlw63 (25/5/05)

Slugger,

I think it's something you should learn. I suspect if you can't pull your kegs apart there's a fair chance you're not cleaning them very thoroughly either. :blink: 

They should really be dismantled, hosed out and filled with napisan after each use. Too many places for old beer crud to hide otherwise. Dip tube is a good place.

Warren -


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## jgriffin (25/5/05)

sluggerdog said:


> whats a turret spanner? is this something special that I need to get? (IT Guy here)
> [post="60675"][/post]​



I just use a ring spanner - one with the double hex pattern to fit both disconnects. I think it's like 23mil.


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## Asher (25/5/05)

> whats a turret spanner? is this something special that I need to get? (IT Guy here)



Then you'll probably need a turret spanner v1.1 ...... h34r:

Seriously, any ring spanner that fits will do. Shifters(adjustable spanner) work sometimes...but try not to round the nut!!

Simply unscrew the whole male ball lock fitting from the keg to reveal the diptube & poppit inside... and do as Steve suggested below

Asher for now


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## sluggerdog (25/5/05)

I tried my shifter but it didn't what to budge without eating at the nut.. haha


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## GMK (25/5/05)

Slugger 

I use deep sockets on mine - find they work best.
See if u can find/borrow a set....

Good luck - but i would not do it pissed and make sure the keg is depresurised first.


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## quincy (26/5/05)

Slugger

Check this out. Keg Rebuild
I found it a great help when learning the in's and out's of kegging.
I am a little tool challenged as well but find rebuilding/maintaining kegs pretty simple.
As Warren says cleaning and maintaining kegs is vital to the process.

BTW to remove the ball lock fitting I use a tube spanner 23mm. Sometimes referred to as a sparkplug spanner (well that's what my old man used to call them  ).

Hope that helps.
Cheers


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## sluggerdog (26/5/05)

Thanks Quincy, will look into now.


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## sluggerdog (26/5/05)

GMK said:


> Slugger
> 
> I use deep sockets on mine - find they work best.
> See if u can find/borrow a set....
> ...




I think I will give the deep sockets a go, anyone know the size I am looking for? Don't want to buy a set and find out the largest in the set still isn't big enough.

Thanx


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## sluggerdog (17/6/05)

I know it has been a few weeks but today i finally got around to buying the deep socket and checking out the tube.

Just as suspected there were hop leaves stuck in the connector?? (connects the tube to the keg)

All fixed now, I have also given all the kegs a good clean under each.

Cheers for the help!


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