# Vaseline V's Keg Lube



## mobrien (25/10/05)

What are peoples thoughts on vaseline V's keg lube? I ws going to bu some lube last time I was at Andale, but the guy convinced me that vaseline was just as good and cheaper!

However, in this thread:
http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...ssure%20release

it is suggested that vaseline is no good?

Whats the go?

M


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## Murray (25/10/05)

I've used vaseline in the past, though I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't much good.


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## deadly (25/10/05)

KY does the trick (water based)


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## Tony M (25/10/05)

Keg lube will be silicone grease available from any pool shop. Vaseline is petroleum based and in theory could soften your 'O' rings but as I see it, 99% of O rings run in oil anyway. Having said that, when I ran out of silicone, I grabbed the vaseline a couple of years ago and have not noticed any problems.


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## Wortgames (25/10/05)

Is that serious about KY being OK?

Not the flavoured stuff presumably, but I'd be happy to use it if the consensus was good...


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## Wortgames (25/10/05)

Also not sure if my kegs would appreciate "a gentle warming sensation on contact"...


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## muga (25/10/05)

^
LOL


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## sosman (25/10/05)

I use this stuff:
http://www.inox-mx3.com/inox.htm

I have seen it at various bearings/seals joints.

One cartridge will last you a lifetime.


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## delboy (25/10/05)

ky is good but as we always stress buy a new one not a half used tube nothing worse than a "pube" in your beer.

and keep the wifes away from the keg spears

LoL 
delboy


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## Thunderlips (25/10/05)

Wortgames said:


> Is that serious about KY being OK?
> 
> Not the flavoured stuff presumably, but I'd be happy to use it if the consensus was good...
> [post="85483"][/post]​



I've used it in the past on fermenter lid o-rings, but that's about all I've used it on.
What's good about it is that since I sanatise those o-rings each time the KY jelly is real easy to get off, as compared to proper keg lube.


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## BrissyBrew (26/10/05)

Is KY water soluable hence does it mean you beer might pick up a certain flavour.


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## warrenlw63 (26/10/05)

Leavin' that one alone. :lol: 

Warren -


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## sluggerdog (26/10/05)

why do you lube your kegs up? i've never used anything. What is the benifit of doing this?


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## devo (26/10/05)

sluggerdog said:


> why do you lube your kegs up? i've never used anything. What is the benifit of doing this?
> [post="85598"][/post]​



Same here, never done it, please explain???


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## pint of lager (26/10/05)

Dragging this thread out of the gutter and back on topic.

I was under the impression that vaseline was bad for rubber components as it is petrochemical based and can lead to deterioration of these rubber components.

Keg lube and KY jelly are non petroluem based and do not cause deterioration of the rubber components.

You want food grade non petroleum based grease. KY is a much cheaper option than keg lube. Easy to buy too as it is available in just about every supermarket and Chemist.

The o'ring on the keg post often needs a small amount of grease for lubrication, this makes the removal of the gas and air disconnects much easier.


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## Wortgames (26/10/05)

sluggerdog said:


> why do you lube your kegs up? i've never used anything. What is the benifit of doing this?
> [post="85598"][/post]​




Most kegs are about 25cm in diameter - that's an awfully tight fit without any lube!


Alternatively it just makes fittings (like disconnects and lids) easier to fit and remove, and helps create a tight seal.

Take your pick...


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## Trough Lolly (28/10/05)

pint of lager said:


> [snip]
> The o'ring on the keg post often needs a small amount of grease for lubrication, this makes the removal of the gas and air disconnects much easier.
> [post="85679"][/post]​



You betcha - I rebuilt a keg from the US the other day - the disconnects (especially the gas in one) was very stiff and hard to get on and off easily.

One smear of keg lube (from Northern Brewer) worked a treat - smooth as silk now!

Use water based, not petroleum based, lubricant...

Cheers,
TL


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## paul (28/10/05)

I used an aerosol can of cooking spray on my post orings


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## Wortgames (28/10/05)

I think oil would be best avoided, as it plays havoc with head retention.


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## Trough Lolly (28/10/05)

And over time you will get a horrid buildup of grease on the posts that is hard to remove without near boiling water and a detergent that probably wasn't meant to be used near kegs!

TL


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## Fingerlickin_B (9/12/05)

After finding one of my PRVs to be leaking I was wondering about lube options (having not used it, or had need to use it before). 

I think I'll go with the KY. 

Just as a point of interest, the keg lube sold by BD is Petroleum-Based<_< 

PZ.


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## poppa joe (9/12/05)

Would rubber grease as in "brake cylinders " do the same job?
Cheers
PJ>


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## Fingerlickin_B (9/12/05)

poppa joe said:


> Would rubber grease as in "brake cylinders " do the same job?
> Cheers
> PJ>
> [post="96687"][/post]​



PJ, 

I'm sure it would help the seal, BUT...if you smoke and work on cars sooner or later you accidentally taste everything...that sh*t tastes...no good for beer vessels  

PZ.


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## Fingerlickin_B (9/12/05)

Plus I'm pretty sure it isn't food-grade :lol: 

PZ.


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## poppa joe (9/12/05)

Just a thought ..fingerlicken ...... Thanks...But got a bottle of ky at
Big W last week ....in the specials bin...1/4 the usual price.....
And i havent got a keg system yet...????????????
Good to have around as a standby.....
chjeers 
PJ>


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## dougy (10/12/05)

There is an article on this you can find at http://www.ipass.net/~mpdixon/Homebrew/Lubricants.htm
Hope it helps - I just have to wait for my kegs to arrive! dougy.

*Lubricants for Keg Parts*

By: Mike Dixon, [email protected]


Due to some discussions on the lubrication of keg parts when reassembling, and a little confusion, I thought it would be nice to go over what exactly keg lube may be. In all cases it should be tasteless, odorless, and FDA approved for food contact. Keg lube prolongs the life of the O-rings, and can assist in sealing the keg. Generic keg lube is usually one of two things, silicone compound (grease/lubricant), or petrol gel.

The differences between silicone compound and petrol gel are the price, and some of the properties. The price of petrol gel is about 6 times less than the price of silicone compound. Petrol gel also can inhibit head retention.

In theory the beer only comes in contact with the poppets. Petrol gel can be used everywhere but on the poppets if the brewer is worried about an effect on head retention, and silicone compound can be used on the poppets. If the brewer shakes the keg for carbonation, then he or she should take care to utilize silicone compound everywhere to insure no loss in head retention due to beer contact with all lubricated surfaces.

Even a small tin of keg lube will last a very long time. Most of the lubricants come in small one ounce or less tins, 4 oz or greater tubes, or silicone in spray cans. They may have many names Petrol Gel, Lubri-Film, Silicone Compound, Silicone Lube to name a few. If purchasing outside of a homebrew shop, be sure they are FDA approved, and no problems should arise. Scuba shops also sell a food grade silicone lube.

Some suggested replacements have been Vaseline, and KY Jelly. Vaseline can be used, but it does not have the properties of being tasteless and odorless. KY Jelly is water soluble, and could become dissolved in the beer. It also dries over time, and would not be a good choice. In general if I did not have either silicone, or petrol gel, and had to reassemble the keg, I would use nothing at all.

The wholesale cost of silicone spray in a 13 oz can is $5.64, silicone compound in a 5.3 oz tube is $12.00, petrol gel in a 4 oz tube is $1.54, and lubri-film in a 4 oz tube is $3.30. Since it lasts virtually forever, my choice is silicone compound from my local brew shop.


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## Burchman82 (5/5/06)

im using a dow corning product that i got from work, it is an electrical insulative compound that contains mostly silicon. From what i can tell its just a simple silicon grease. It seems to do the trick. Ill have to look up the safety datasheets oneday to check the health risks but im not too concerned.


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## Justin (5/5/06)

I use a small tub of silicone grease from the Scuba shop. I find the most useful application is on the post orings to help those QD slide on and off easily.

It's food grade and you know what your dealing with. Anything else and you have to be suspect.

While I have no doubt petroleum based stuff will do the job why use it when you've got a better alternative. The stuff lasts for ages as you use very little.

Cheers, Justin


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## MVZOOM (5/5/06)

Ahh, yeah - this is why my disconnects were so hard to get off this morning! Do you just smear the lube right around the gas in and liquid out plugs? 

What about inside the disconnects?

Cheers - Mike


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## KillerRx4 (5/5/06)

We sell some of this type of stuff at work so I have tried a few different products.

Tried a tube of Rocol Sapphire silicone Oring grease. its pretty thick & you have to smear it on with your fingers. Ive found this good for the fermenter lid seal & airlock oring when they dont want to seal.

Stuff im using at the moment & am happy with is Helmar Aerosol silicone spray. use it on kegs & QD's. Also is great for fermenter taps, a quick spray when reassembly after cleaning & they turn very easily. No more twisting out of its thread with a full fermenter. Best thing about this stuff is its dirt cheap, bout $4 per 300g can.

Both say food grade too.


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## ChefKing (28/4/16)

Hi All,

Would this be ok to use as "keg lube"?

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/222066369277


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## Camo6 (28/4/16)

ChefKing said:


> Hi All,
> 
> Would this be ok to use as "keg lube"?
> 
> http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/222066369277


That's what I use as sold by kegking (or maybe Craftbrewer? Can't remember the tubes that old).


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## Bribie G (28/4/16)

Same as CraftBrewer, which is only $8.


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## wide eyed and legless (28/4/16)

I would be going with the KY jelly double the amount for $6.00.


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## JDW81 (28/4/16)

wide eyed and legless said:


> I would be going with the KY jelly double the amount for $6.00.


And you can use it for other household applications


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## wereprawn (28/4/16)

KY or wetstuff. Just ask the pharmacy for something to grease your ring. They'll look after you.


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## Droopy Brew (28/4/16)

10 years between posts- Impressive.

Lube threads never get old.


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## spog (28/4/16)

ChefKing said:


> Hi All,
> 
> Would this be ok to use as "keg lube"?
> 
> http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/222066369277


I love the description in features of this product. "Thicker and longer lasting", I dare not show this to my wife !


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## fdsaasdf (28/4/16)

Droopy Brew said:


> Lube threads never get old.


As long as they don't dry out and crack..


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