What's your view on Plastic Pressure Barrels (PBs)?
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What should I do when the "foible" is the the PB has a hole in the join between the two halves? No beer ever even made it in!
I'll tell you what I did do. I got a corny, as they are made to last.
That’s not a “foible“, that’s a shoddy product and you have every right to shout at someone about that (probably not me though, I didn’t sell it to you and I can’t fix it for you).I have no issue with corny kegs - enjoy if that’s your jam.
Out of interest, cos I can't find any reference to the make of your PB in any of your posts, what make?
As a King Keg owner and user, I am well aware of their ability to leak! While I have no experience of the barrel moulding leaking (splits or pinholes), I have experienced leaks around the cap assembly. I bought a new King Keg recently and made a YouTube video of me checking out the neck.
I didn’t check it out to see if it would seal, but it demonstrates the sealing face as delivered undulates and that is the challenge for the rubber o-ring seal. As the cap is tightened the high spots will compress first leaving the hollows with reduced compression. There’s probably a variation in this variation
that means some kegs seal easier than others or require more/less grunt to get them to seal. Having achieved (perhaps) a seal you’re faced with the challenge of undoing a much lighter empty keg that just wants to dance around!
The other cause of leaks, and equally frustrating, is the HB valve with it’s slowly perishing rubber band valves and the rubber seal under it’s collar that gradually exudes under pressure. Cheap? Yes. Reliable? Not so (IMHO).
All need to be replaced with something more reliable and, yes, a bit more expensive. Then you will have a better chance at a serviceable product.
Having spent the best part of £80 on my first King Keg and S30 cylinder, I decided to see if I could fix it rather than right-off the £80 and spend another £200 or thereabouts on a Corny keg, regulator and CO2 cylinder.
I didn’t check it out to see if it would seal, but it demonstrates the sealing face as delivered undulates and that is the challenge for the rubber o-ring seal. As the cap is tightened the high spots will compress first leaving the hollows with reduced compression. There’s probably a variation in this variation
that means some kegs seal easier than others or require more/less grunt to get them to seal. Having achieved (perhaps) a seal you’re faced with the challenge of undoing a much lighter empty keg that just wants to dance around!The other cause of leaks, and equally frustrating, is the HB valve with it’s slowly perishing rubber band valves and the rubber seal under it’s collar that gradually exudes under pressure. Cheap? Yes. Reliable? Not so (IMHO).
All need to be replaced with something more reliable and, yes, a bit more expensive. Then you will have a better chance at a serviceable product.
Having spent the best part of £80 on my first King Keg and S30 cylinder, I decided to see if I could fix it rather than right-off the £80 and spend another £200 or thereabouts on a Corny keg, regulator and CO2 cylinder.
It was this one, which looks like Youngs, though the barrel did not have a Youngs sticker on it.
https://www.brewstore.co.uk/23l-pressure-barrel-with-co2-injector-system-and-bulbs
I should credit Brew Store for their excellent customer service and swift refund.
It would be interesting to see of those who have had issues, what they were i.e were they "user error", problems that could be fixed, or, as in my case, just plain defective from the outset.
I have no issue with corny kegs - enjoy if that’s your jam.
JohnnyPitralon
Active Member
A very intersting poll and discussion.
I am a beginner and, at the moment, concentrating on cider but with the same problems as, apparently, many others. With my initial kit I bought a King Keg pressure barrel, because they seemed to be popular. However, my entire first brew disappeared beneath the floorboards because the tap leaked around the seal under pressure from secondary fermentation (the top was okay). The seller advised me to lubricate the seal with Vaseline with the same result, when testing with water and CO2 from a bulb. I am currently waiting for a new tap and will post the next test result in my own thread.
Can I assume Corny keg refers to Cornelius kegs?
I am a beginner and, at the moment, concentrating on cider but with the same problems as, apparently, many others. With my initial kit I bought a King Keg pressure barrel, because they seemed to be popular. However, my entire first brew disappeared beneath the floorboards because the tap leaked around the seal under pressure from secondary fermentation (the top was okay). The seller advised me to lubricate the seal with Vaseline with the same result, when testing with water and CO2 from a bulb. I am currently waiting for a new tap and will post the next test result in my own thread.
Can I assume Corny keg refers to Cornelius kegs?
Did you position the seal on the outside? I hold the tap at 'ten o'clock' while tightening the nut and then, still holding the nut, bring the tap to the 'twelve o'clock' position. This ensures tightness.
Cheshire Cat
Landlord.
I gave up on plastic barrel (not KK) when I joined this forum back in August 2019 and discovered Cornies. The PB's leak from the tap thread and the tap inself during 2 fermentation so if we were going away for a week or more I had to leave it on the draining board. The threads on these barrels are tapered with no back nut but they do hAve a washer. The pressure release does not work. I would recommend people not to buy as would you be happy to buy a car that is 50% reliable and leaks oil on your drive way. Fair enough if you've got one that works or you've reengineered then fine but don't buy a new one. Buy cheap and you'll buy twice.
Vaseline won’t help at all in this scenario. The rubber washer needs a good squeeze so the tap fixing nut has to be tight. To achieve this you will need to wrap 15-20 turns of PTFE tape round the tap thread or the nut will jump the threads as you tighten it.
JohnnyPitralon
Active Member
I tried the tape and THEN it jumped.
Cheshire Cat
Landlord.
When at first you don't succeed try, try, try again then give up.
Maybe the threads were already damaged from previous attempts? Maybe not enough PTFE tape?
For me the biggest advantage of king kegs is that I can still carry on brewing 23L brews without having to bottle the surplus from the 19L that a corny holds. I also like being able to see how much is left in the keg without having to get scales to weigh the corny or count the number of pints drawn off.
I guess I'm the perfect example of the split in the poll, I have two cornies and two king kegs. I've had leaks from both. Rather ignominiously on about the third time I used my cornies I lost about 3/4 of my new gas bottle in one night because the lid hadn't sealed properly. I also have a third "dead" corny bought 2nd hand which leaks around the weld where the post thread is. When cornies work well they are good............ but then so are KKs!
I guess I'm the perfect example of the split in the poll, I have two cornies and two king kegs. I've had leaks from both. Rather ignominiously on about the third time I used my cornies I lost about 3/4 of my new gas bottle in one night because the lid hadn't sealed properly. I also have a third "dead" corny bought 2nd hand which leaks around the weld where the post thread is. When cornies work well they are good............ but then so are KKs!
I also like the 23 litre batch size - just enough to make it worthwhile!
Being able to see the beer level is mixed blessings - I can instantly see how much is left and I start getting anxious when it’s less than half full!
Timberwolf
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And cornies have no problems, ever!!!
Timberwolf
New Member
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I have three king kegs. On all three I have changed the taps to ball valves, copper pipe and tank connectors;, They look good and simply don't leak.
Got a pic?
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