leaking gasket or off center ferrule

[distillrook84]

So I have been reading on here and learned that the gaskets are prone to leak from the keg to the ferrule.

When I clamp my column to the keg it does not look right.
1 side has a very large gap and the opposite side has a very thin gap.
Question is did I buy a bad prefabricated piece that doesn't fit the tri clamp correctly
or
Is the actual tri clamp possibly bad.

it does not appear that the clamp is not grabbing on side of the ferrule enough.
it holds up but leaks.
I hand tighten it. Do I need to crank down on it more with a cheater bar and see what happens possibly?

the gasket is in great shape.
Pictures below.
(The blue is from the vinegar/water run I'm doing at the time of pictures taken.)
(The vapor at the beginning of the video is from the soaked paper towels)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nfia6gMScmw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[WalkingWolf]

Looks like a non-altered keg.

Is that a standard gasket for a tri-clamp?

The gasket has a elevated ring on each side of the gasket to fit inside the groove on each side of the tri-clamp connection. The keg doesn't have that groove and the gasket will need to have the elevated ring removed. I've found a single-sided razor blade and patience to slowly remove the ring.

In the pic it looks like the clamp and the keg top don't line up -- they will though if all is right.

[distillrook84]

Ah ok. That makes sense. Maybe after slicing 1 side off it will line up better.
Thanks.

[WalkingWolf]

Ah ok. That makes sense. Maybe after slicing 1 side off it will line up better.
Thanks.

Kool -- CAUTION: in my brother's words, "you got a rattlesnake in your hands, please handle with care" -- when working with a razor blade.

[distillrook84]

Yes. It already bit me once when I was younger working on model cars. Thanks for the advice WW!

[googe]

This would.make a great sticky, good pictures and a simple explanation from ww.

[bearriver]

This would.make a great sticky

Indeed. This isn't the first time I have seen members bring this issue to the forums.

(A fan of unmolested kegs)

[LWTCS]

Also not all clamps are the same. Some do a better job of coping with thicker ferrule flanges.

If you modify a teflon gasket, make sure the surface is very smooth. Expect to experience a bit of leaking until your kettle heats up....Or you could preheat the gasket in boiling water to soften prior to installation.

[Bushman]

I had to do what WW said with my 2" VM, also I found that as it started to heat up I would tighten it a little bit more and this would stop any leaking. If you are using a propane burner as your heat source it is very critical that you monitor the fitting throughout the run.

[CR33G3R]

You could also make an everlasting gasket from cardboard and pipe tape or if you search 1/2 flat gaskets you will find a brew house that sells gaskets for attaching to a keg, only draw back is that they are silicone.(kind of frowned upon here)

Never tried cutting the standing rib off of one side of the gasket

[heartcut]

What they said about the gaskets.
With a known good gasket and clamp, I had that problem after increasing the offset weight on the column. Started putting the hinge on the clamp opposite the condenser and parrot and the leak went away.

[distillrook84]

Update:

I used a Dremel and a 240 grit sanding bit to grind down one side of the gasket flat.
a razor would work just as well pretty easily.

I will update again once I have tested the gasket out.

Before:


After:


Dremel tool and bit:

[CR33G3R]

Well done.!
Please update with how it works. I'm sure it will work fine now

[Truckinbutch]

VERY well done . I've found that my skills with a Dremel and other abrasive means trump my skills with a blade . Please let us know if that solved your problem .

[distillrook84]

Update:

Installed the new gasket and added about 9 gallons of tap water to the keg.

I could instantly see that the fit was much better an I could crank the tri clamp down tighter.

After a hour of liquid coming out of the condenser I noticed no vapor or liquids leaks from the gasket.

this modification definitely works on non altered kegs. (I cannot speak on altered kegs)

Thanks to Walkingwolf and everybody else above.

[ben stiller]

Next run have a mirror handy and move it around the joint. It will fog if there is a vapor leak.

[Truckinbutch]

Next run have a mirror handy and move it around the joint. It will fog if there is a vapor leak.

+1 You have won the war . There still may be a minor skirmish or two to clean up . Mirror checking is ab absolute . The colder your mirror is the more efficient the check . A leak may show as only a small dot that disappears in an instant if the mirror gets hot .

[distillrook84]

Will do next test run guys. Thanks again.

[WalkingWolf]

Glad it worked out for you. Looking at your clos-up pics I'm noticing some nice fabrication on your still. Looking forward to your future builds as well.

[Prawnstarr13]

Looks like a non-altered keg.

Is that a standard gasket for a tri-clamp?

The gasket has a elevated ring on each side of the gasket to fit inside the groove on each side of the tri-clamp connection. The keg doesn't have that groove and the gasket will need to have the elevated ring removed. I've found a single-sided razor blade and patience to slowly remove the ring.

In the pic it looks like the clamp and the keg top don't line up -- they will though if all is right.

Yup as above when you clamp it blow in from end of leibig if you get massive back pressure when you remove your kits it's good !
Give it a nip up with a screwdriver through the eye of the tri clampnand crack on!

[still_stirrin]

Ah ok. That makes sense. Maybe after slicing 1 side off it will line up better.
Thanks.

Kool -- CAUTION: in my brother's words, "you got a rattlesnake in your hands, please handle with care" -- when working with a razor blade.

This may be too late for the OP, but a hint for future readers:

To remove the seal bead from your "keg side" of the TFE gasket, get some fine sand paper (I used 120 grit) and lay it flat on a hard flat surface. The simply slide your gasket back and forth to sand the seal bead off. Uniform pressure while sanding will make the surface flat and smooth and it will seat perfectly on the keg ferrule when you set up.

I hope this helps some.
ss

[Sambo_Jones]

+1
I used an extra ferrule over the gasket rotating as I sanded to get a smooth even finish.

[still_stirrin]

+1
I used an extra ferrule over the gasket rotating as I sanded to get a smooth even finish.

Excellant idea! It saves knuckles.
ss