Difficulty removing posts on new used keg

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by pweis909, Jun 29, 2014.

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  1. pweis909

    pweis909 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,250) Aug 13, 2005 Wisconsin
    Pooh-Bah

    Just got a keg a used ball keg from Adventures in Homebrewing. It's in great shape and held pressure. I want to give the posts a soak in sanitizer and pull the dip tube and brush it out, but the posts were apparently tightened by a gorilla, or else my brewing muscles atrophied in 8 homebrew-less months. All I have at my disposal is a wrench. How do I put enough torque on the wrench while simultaneously holding the keg in place?
     
    #1 pweis909, Jun 29, 2014
  2. PortLargo

    PortLargo Pooh-Bah (1,831) Oct 19, 2012 Florida
    Pooh-Bah

    The keg will want to "push" away from you . . . I stand mine up against a wall, better yet a corner. Then push for all you are worth . . . and no foul if you have to use four-letter words.
     
    #2 PortLargo, Jun 29, 2014
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  3. scurvy311

    scurvy311 Savant (1,135) Dec 3, 2005 Louisiana

    Put on a pair of jorts, get on top of it like it was a pony and you were riding it. Now your bare legs can apply some lateral grip while you can push down on the post from the top.
     
    #3 scurvy311, Jun 29, 2014
    jtmartino, inchrisin and pweis909 like this.
  4. JohnSnowNW

    JohnSnowNW Initiate (0) Feb 6, 2013 Minnesota

    When I only had a wrench, and was in the same situation, I made sure the wrench had a secure hold on the post and then hit the very end of the "handle" with a rubber mallet.
     
    #4 JohnSnowNW, Jun 29, 2014
  5. pweis909

    pweis909 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,250) Aug 13, 2005 Wisconsin
    Pooh-Bah

    How did you hold the keg still?
    I'm going to try a hot water soak to expand the metal a bit. Works with mason jars...
     
    #5 pweis909, Jun 29, 2014
  6. pweis909

    pweis909 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,250) Aug 13, 2005 Wisconsin
    Pooh-Bah

    Success. Combined the jorts and the mallet approach. What a beast! Well, bike shorts and hammer. I don't own jorts and a mallet.
     
    #6 pweis909, Jun 29, 2014
    inchrisin, scurvy311 and JohnSnowNW like this.
  7. JohnSnowNW

    JohnSnowNW Initiate (0) Feb 6, 2013 Minnesota

    Yeah, I just sort of squeezed the keg between my legs to hold it. Congrats on the removal!
     
    #7 JohnSnowNW, Jun 30, 2014
  8. FATC1TY

    FATC1TY Pooh-Bah (2,564) Feb 12, 2012 Georgia
    Pooh-Bah

    I just have a ratchet that gets them off... no jorts involved.
     
    #8 FATC1TY, Jun 30, 2014
  9. ccs

    ccs Initiate (0) Sep 9, 2005 New Hampshire

    Put a broomstick through the handles, brace that on your butt while you push on the wrench with your arms.

    Bonus points if you break the broom.
     
    #9 ccs, Jun 30, 2014
    FeDUBBELFIST and scurvy311 like this.
  10. sarcastro

    sarcastro Savant (1,133) Sep 20, 2006 Michigan

    I generally use a deep well socket wrench for the tough ones. Those are less likely to slip. I hold it with my legs or have my wife hold it. Adventures in Homebrewing is my local shop and I have bought a couple tough kegs from them in the past.
     
    #10 sarcastro, Jun 30, 2014
  11. Joe_Grizzly

    Joe_Grizzly Pundit (754) Jul 27, 2013 New Hampshire
    Trader

    iso: jorts
     
    #11 Joe_Grizzly, Jul 1, 2014
  12. atomeyes

    atomeyes Initiate (0) Jul 13, 2011 Canada (ON)

    dumb question, perhaps.
    i haven't seen dip tube brushes around here.
    how important do you think it is to take your kegs apart and brush the fuck out of the dip tubes?
     
    #12 atomeyes, Jul 1, 2014
  13. mikehartigan

    mikehartigan Maven (1,421) Apr 9, 2007 Illinois

    The first time I brushed the dip tubes, I nearly puked! :grimacing: With regular cleaning, the brush stays white, now.
     
    #13 mikehartigan, Jul 1, 2014
  14. sarcastro

    sarcastro Savant (1,133) Sep 20, 2006 Michigan

    I dont go crazy, but I try to clean the dip tube after each beer. It only takes a small amount of time.
     
    #14 sarcastro, Jul 1, 2014
  15. atomeyes

    atomeyes Initiate (0) Jul 13, 2011 Canada (ON)

    any websites that you know of that have them and that ship to canada?
    northern b didn't have any
     
    #15 atomeyes, Jul 1, 2014
  16. mikehartigan

    mikehartigan Maven (1,421) Apr 9, 2007 Illinois

    #16 mikehartigan, Jul 1, 2014
  17. pweis909

    pweis909 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,250) Aug 13, 2005 Wisconsin
    Pooh-Bah

    I never thought about it until mikehartigan mentioned his nearly puke-inducing experience in another thread. I didn't see a lot of crud with mine, but it is so easy to do that I have no regrets about getting a brush for this and incorporating it into the keg cleaning routine.
     
    #17 pweis909, Jul 1, 2014
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