Replacing Poppet On Weird Cornie

[Bribie G]

I'm a member of the Pine Rivers Underground Brewing Society (PUBS) and we have a club keg which is filled by brewers on rotation and tapped at the meetings. I've currently got stewardship of the keg and there's an English Special Bitter in it, ready for next meeting. It's not your normal cornie, it's a weird all metal variety:



The gas post poppet is leaking and it won't hold pressure while not actually in the kegerator on gas. I took the post off. With a normal cornie the poppet just falls out and you put the new one in. Simple. But with this strange one, the post is different. Inside the post the poppet lurks behind a little perforated metal screen that is held in place with a spring-ring. So if you can picture it, poppet goes in, perforated screen goes in against it, spring ring goes in last to keep screen in place. <_< <_< I haven't taken it apart yet as I'm a klutz when it comes to dismantling things, I usually destroy them.

Does anyone have this style of keg and replaced a poppet? Ross might know? I have a spare poppet on hand but wondering if the standard poppet would work with this post. Tempted just to buy another standard post although that's going to end up nearly the price of half a keg.

 

[DU99]

is it pin lock keg..

 

[praxis178]

I'm a member of the Pine Rivers Underground Brewing Society (PUBS) and we have a club keg which is filled by brewers on rotation and tapped at the meetings. I've currently got stewardship of the keg and there's an English Special Bitter in it, ready for next meeting. It's not your normal cornie, it's a weird all metal variety:

View attachment 43373

The gas post poppet is leaking and it won't hold pressure while not actually in the kegerator on gas. I took the post off. With a normal cornie the poppet just falls out and you put the new one in. Simple. But with this strange one, the post is different. Inside the post the poppet lurks behind a little perforated metal screen that is held in place with a spring-ring. So if you can picture it, poppet goes in, perforated screen goes in against it, spring ring goes in last to keep screen in place. <_< <_< I haven't taken it apart yet as I'm a klutz when it comes to dismantling things, I usually destroy them.

Does anyone have this style of keg and replaced a poppet? Ross might know? I have a spare poppet on hand but wondering if the standard poppet would work with this post. Tempted just to buy another standard post although that's going to end up nearly the price of half a keg.

Sounds like you need some fine tipped circlip pliers, to remove the clip, a bit of bent wire to remove the screen if it won't drop free, and to hook out the poppet for the same reasons. just remember which way everything came out (and the right order, but with three parts that should be easy) and put it all back the same way. Should only take a couple of mins plus sanitizing.....

 

[Bribie G]

Ball lock.
I'll be round at my KnK mate's for our Tuesday pissup, I'll see if he's got circlips pliers, he's got a shed full of stuff I'm keen to check if the poppet is standard. Probably not. :angry:

 

[NickB]

I believe they're the Coke kegs, as opposed to the standard Pepsi Cornies we all use and love.

Poppets may be different, but a bit of disassembly, some keg lube and re-assembly may get you going again.

Cheers

 

[winkle]

Ball lock.
I'll be round at my KnK mate's for our Tuesday pissup, I'll see if he's got circlips pliers, he's got a shed full of stuff I'm keen to check if the poppet is standard. Probably not. :angry:

You will need a top-hat seal, the whole thing pulls apart to enable you to replace the small seal that usually is the first thing to fail.

 

[mxd]

if you can't leave it on gas, you can leave a disconnect on with a one way vale or tap, till you get it all sorted.

 

[np1962]

Ball lock.
I'll be round at my KnK mate's for our Tuesday pissup, I'll see if he's got circlips pliers, he's got a shed full of stuff I'm keen to check if the poppet is standard. Probably not. :angry:

Looks like a Coca Cola keg, would of originally been pin lock, and as Winkle has said would need a top hat seal. Bit hard to be sure of what is in the posts of this one as it has likely been converted to ball lock with new posts or adaptors.
Nige

 

[Bribie G]

and a top hat seal is.............??

 

[winkle]

and a top hat seal is.............??

A small seal shaped like a "top hat" - provides the seal between the pin and the hole in the post. You can replace it without circlip pliers but its very fiddley. Most home-brew shops should have them, Reem kegs use the same things.

Edit: assembly - pin, top hat seal, collar, spring, disc, circlip (lube up the seal first, big side to pin).

 

[Jerry]

and a top hat seal is.............??

This is a top hat seal......

Link

A bit fiddly to change the first time you do it.

Easier once you know how!

Good luck,

Scott