Hi all I have recently started home brewing in the UK and have been using
Hambleton bard 10 psi pressure kegs for secondary fermentation and
storing/serving beer. My first 2 batches (2 kegs) both did not pressurise
and I had to pump with c02 to serve. I have found both lids did not seal. I
have applied plenty of Vaseline as instructed but no matter how hard I do
them up they leak.

Has anyone else had this problem? If so how do you get them to hold
pressure?

"joanne fee" <joanne.fee@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:VwJjf.8091$a15.955@newsfe5-win.ntli.net...[color=blue]
> Hi all I have recently started home brewing in the UK and have been using
> Hambleton bard 10 psi pressure kegs for secondary fermentation and
> storing/serving beer. My first 2 batches (2 kegs) both did not pressurise
> and I had to pump with c02 to serve. I have found both lids did not seal.
> I have applied plenty of Vaseline as instructed but no matter how hard I
> do them up they leak.
>
> Has anyone else had this problem? If so how do you get them to hold
> pressure?[/color]

Yes, I have had this problem with my beerspheres.
The tap is not at the bottom, so it needs pressure to force the liquid out.

Basically I don't think simple compression (parallel to the axis of
rotation) is enough to make the O-ring gas tight. Unless you are
exceptionally strong tightening it up.

I reckon the O-ring needs wedging to get enough compression with
hand-tightening. That is, it needs to be trapped between two tapered
surfaces.

I get round it by giving it a short burst of CO2 before each supping
session.
It loses pressure over 24 hrs, but I guess it stops leaking as the pressure
goes down because my cider does not oxidise (from air let in).

Gas also leaks from around the tap, so that needs to be really tight.

IMHO I don't think Hamilton Bard products are that well designed.

On Thu, 01 Dec 2005 23:13:13 GMT, "Kryten"
<kryten_droid_obfusticator@ntlworld.com> wrote:

<SNIP>[color=blue]
>IMHO I don't think Hamilton Bard products are that well designed.[/color]

Hi

After having had 2 of my HB beerpheres split and deposit several
gallons of homebrew over our spare room carpet, I have completely
stopped using them and gone over to Kingkegs - which, incidentally,
still need a cap spanner to get gastight (see my other post).

Regards

KGB

On Thu, 01 Dec 2005 21:01:41 GMT, "joanne fee"
<joanne.fee@ntlworld.com> wrote:
[color=blue]
>Hi all I have recently started home brewing in the UK and have been using
>Hambleton bard 10 psi pressure kegs for secondary fermentation and
>storing/serving beer. My first 2 batches (2 kegs) both did not pressurise
>and I had to pump with c02 to serve. I have found both lids did not seal. I
>have applied plenty of Vaseline as instructed but no matter how hard I do
>them up they leak.
>
>Has anyone else had this problem? If so how do you get them to hold
>pressure?[/color]

Hi

Buy yourself a cap spanner - they aren't expensive. It is the only
way I have found to get them to seal.

Regards

KGB

KGB wrote
[color=blue]
> gone over to Kingkegs - which, incidentally,
> still need a cap spanner to get gastight[/color]

Yes, I had guessed that other kegs would have the same sort of top and
therefore difficulties.

joanne fee wrote:[color=blue]
> Hi all I have recently started home brewing in the UK and have been using
> Hambleton bard 10 psi pressure kegs for secondary fermentation and
> storing/serving beer. My first 2 batches (2 kegs) both did not pressurise
> and I had to pump with c02 to serve. I have found both lids did not seal. I
> have applied plenty of Vaseline as instructed but no matter how hard I do
> them up they leak.
>
> Has anyone else had this problem? If so how do you get them to hold
> pressure?
>
>[/color]


I had exactly this problem with HB kegs. They are cheap and you get what
you pay for.

What you must do to get them to seal is:

Remove the o-ring from the lid and coat it with a layer of vaseline a
couple of milimetres thick
Spread a good thick smear of vaseline into the groove in the lid in
which the o-ring sits.
Replace the o-ring.
Apply the lid and use a cap spanner:
[url]http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/item374.htm[/url]
to tighten it - hand tight is never enough.

This should hold enough gas to condition the beer and let you serve the
first few pints. After that you will still need to top up the gas to
serve, but it should hold pressure between servings.

On 2005-12-03, Sam Wigand <brewer@_REMOVE_redactive.demon.co.uk> wrote:[color=blue]
>
> I had exactly this problem with HB kegs. They are cheap and you get what
> you pay for.
>
> What you must do to get them to seal is:
>[/color]
[snipped]

Great advice, this is exactly what I do with my Kingkeg, though
after I've tightened it I give it a quick burst of gas just to check
that nothing escapes. I find the natural carbonation stays until
the keg is about 1/2 to 1/3 full, at which point gas top ups are
needed to get the remaining beer out.

I'd also be careful not to put the cap on too tight as you can burst
it and/or destroy the threading of the keg.