advisabledata
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hey guys I'm looking into buying a Mini Keg system what should I be looking for, and what counts as a good deal.
minikeg system
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Tony1951
Bungling Amateur
I bought a Brewfirm MiniKeg starter kit a couple of months back and was very disappointed. My first two kegs filled (and I'm not an idiot, so I did it right) lost pressure. After a month, I broached the keg and it had no pressure at all, as if it hadn't been primed, but it had. I used up a co2 bulb about 16g and between pours, the keg lost pressure. You could pressurise the keg, pour half a pint and by next morning, the keg was flat with no pressure at all. I pulled the tap system off, re-primed and corked it up again and left it in the garage to re-condition and broached the other keg. It was exactly the same -a dead loss. I was very disappointed since this outfit had cost a bit over ã60. I complained and the seller refunded the money but refuse the return of the goods..... No worse off then, but a dead loss set of equipment.
Now the funny stuff.... Last weekend, I cleaned out the empty keg and sterilised it and broached the one I had first used and then re-primed. COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. The beer delivered with great pressure and over the next few days it continued like that. I've served maybe two litres over a few days and it keeps on giving - just like I'd hoped when I bought it.
The only thing I can think of is that this time, when I did the re-priming about a month ago of the keg that wouldn't hold pressure, I rubbed Vaseline all over the mating surfaces of the rubber bung that seals the keg. There is a deep groove which mates with the top of the keg and I coated this with the Vaseline. Not massive amounts, but enough to make sure it was lubed and would have agood chance of a decent seal. That seems to have solved it, but I won't know until I re-use the kegs and try again.
If it works reliably, I will of course send back the refunded money, or at least most of it. There was no quibble about the refund, I complained and he refunded me without my asking for it. Least I can do if it works eventually is to play fair and send the cash back.
I'm not the only one to have this kind of trouble. Google 'mini keg + leaks + pressure ' and you will see. Nothing in the instructions suggests greasing the bung and really, I don't think you should have to do it.
Now the funny stuff.... Last weekend, I cleaned out the empty keg and sterilised it and broached the one I had first used and then re-primed. COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. The beer delivered with great pressure and over the next few days it continued like that. I've served maybe two litres over a few days and it keeps on giving - just like I'd hoped when I bought it.
The only thing I can think of is that this time, when I did the re-priming about a month ago of the keg that wouldn't hold pressure, I rubbed Vaseline all over the mating surfaces of the rubber bung that seals the keg. There is a deep groove which mates with the top of the keg and I coated this with the Vaseline. Not massive amounts, but enough to make sure it was lubed and would have agood chance of a decent seal. That seems to have solved it, but I won't know until I re-use the kegs and try again.
If it works reliably, I will of course send back the refunded money, or at least most of it. There was no quibble about the refund, I complained and he refunded me without my asking for it. Least I can do if it works eventually is to play fair and send the cash back.
I'm not the only one to have this kind of trouble. Google 'mini keg + leaks + pressure ' and you will see. Nothing in the instructions suggests greasing the bung and really, I don't think you should have to do it.
