Budget barrel - faulty valve?

[ukwrighty]

Evening all,

I recently purchased my first barrel from home brew online.

It has a plastic cap with a plastic valve in it, problem is I can easily blow/suck air through it.

When I blow through the tap it hisses through the valve.

Is that normal? I hope so!

I've just put a dasher the flasher brew in it so I hope it will be ok.

Thanks for your help.

 

[caerleon]

Can you post a photo?

 

[evanvine]

Were there any little rubbery tube bits in the bottom?

 

[the shadow]

the rubber seal is probs not over the inlet hole

 

[evanvine]

the rubber seal is probs not over the inlet hole

Well spotted :thumb:
Edit - Must read posts more accurately

 

[ukwrighty]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for your replies, I can't see any rubber thing to cover the hole so maybe it's missing?

Below are some images to help with diagnosis:

I hope someone can shed some light on this, if it is a dodgy valve is there anything I can do (ie stick duck tape over it?) to save the brew that's been put in it yesterday?

Thanks

 

[evanvine]

Sorry, but I've not come across that type of cap fitting before.
If your beer is primed and in secondary ferment, it will maintain a layer of CO2 on top of the beer protecting it.
Just hope that some one with experience of that type of keg spots this thread.
There does not appear any way of injecting CO2 into it!
It looks like you've only got a pressure relief valve.

 

[Sean_Mc]

I used to find with those kegs that if you over tighten them the white rubber seal buckles and isn't air tight.

I use to finger tighten and then give it a little more of a turn, also apply a thin smear of Vaseline to both sides of the rubber seal.

 

[TheMumbler]

As Sean_Mc says you can over tighten them. Is the rubber seal inside the cap twisted at all? If it is try putting it in some freshly boiled water. I used to find that doing that gets them back to their proper shape.

Looking at your photo the other seal they are talking about is present, see pic below. I've had more problems with those not releasing gas but it would be worth checking that it does cover the hole on the side of that post. I would avoid blocking the holes as those barrels have been know to split under pressure (I have a mate it has happened to twice).

 

[ukwrighty]

@ Themumbler - Thank you you are a legend.

After close inspection A found the rubber seal was twisted, I've now sorted it and can no longer blow air through it (no matter how hard I try).

Should I put vaseline on the band so that it can move if it needs too as it really is air tight now?!

Thanks again.

 

[TheMumbler]

Sorry mate, didn't see this until now. Got ill, then Christmas etc. I'm not sure which band you mean. I usually put a bit of vaseline on the big seal that goes inside the cap. I don't put any on the little one on the outside. Hope that helps, sorry for the late reply.