9.5L Ball Lock Keg Valve Issues

[Sean Dawson]

Hey guys,

I have an issue with my kegs and I can't seem to turn up anything on Google.

I got myself a couple of 9.5L kegs (https://www.kegland.com.au/9l-ball-lock-keg-brand-new.html) about 7 months ago and they've generally been great.

However, one of the kegs started having an issue where it wouldn't pour even though there was pressure in the keg. When I plugged in the connector on the beer side it will get a small spurt of pressure and then slow to a trickle stop after only about 50ml. I know there is plenty of pressure in the keg because I can pull the pressure release and watch the regulator gauge.

I tried a different connector with no success. I then got a chopstick and pressed in the middle of the valve to see if the valve was working at all. There was a small sweet spot where beer sprays out but if I push it down too far the flow stops. Unfortunately, the connector pushes it down pretty far so the flow gets cut off.

I just assumed I had a dud keg and kept using the other one. Now the other one is having the same issue only about a month or two after the other one had the issue. It's a real pain because I can't get the beer out, I have to just release all the pressure open it up and pour it into a jug every time I want some beer. Not ideal!

Has anyone had an issue like this before? It might be just a dodgy batch of kegs.

It might also be that I force carbonate at about 30 psi for 48-72 hours before I bleed it back down to drinking pressure. I think that's pretty common but it might be doing something to my valves.

Thanks!

 

[booyablack]

Could your dip tube be blocked with hops? I have certainly had that happen to me before.
I rectified the issue by connecting my gas line to a liquid out disconnect and then blasting CO2 back through the liquid out dip tube to clear the blockage.
It worked but not for too long because quite obviously, the hops eventually blocked it again!

If that's not your problem then you could try swapping a liquid out post from a keg that is not blocked and see if that's where your problem lies.
(I do suspect that you have a blocked dip tube though).
If for some reason you do need to replace your liquid out post, they are not very expensive to buy a new post and poppet:

https://www.kegland.com.au/cornelius-type-liquid-post-female-thread.html
https://www.kegland.com.au/10-x-poppet-poppit-value-bulk-pack.html

I hope that helps. Good luck!

 

[goatchop41]

@Sean Dawson have you disassembled the out post so that you can have a look at the poppet and the dip tube? There could be hops stuck in the poppet or dip tube, or the o-ring on the poppet could be knackered. That seriously sounds like your issue - something along the lines of the poppet compressing to the point that it somehow blocks the flow around it

 

[Frothy Boi]

+1 checking the liquid out post, I have had flow issues if the spring is new and too firm, but in your case maybe too soft?

 

[Sean Dawson]

Thanks for your help guys!

I just tried switching around the valves so the gas ran into the out post and then bled the gas from the top pressure release for a few seconds and it’s all working perfectly again.

It must have blasted the blockage out.

It was a real pain to crimp all the piping again, I need to get some sort of screw connector or spare connectors if I’m going to have to do this frequently. I suppose the real solution is to filter my beer better. I’ll have to do some research about how to prevent this kind of thing.