Okay, my kegs are kicking my butt...

[JaySchafer]

Gents,

I've been having some trouble with my kegs of late. I know I'm not the most mechanical person, and maybe I'm assembling them wrong for all I know, but it's just one thing after another...

My latest issue is that the CO2 output from the regulator is now stuck on a poppet. Took the poppet off the keg, but still can't get it off. Any ideas, or am I just left to cut the tubing and sacrifice the poppet and plastic CO2 connector?

Also have a keg that's not holding pressure; I can hear the hiss. It did before I reassembled it, so I know it's something stupid that I did. Haven't yet bothered to troubleshoot it.

In any event, I'm currently 2 for 4 on reassembling kegs. On the bright side, I have two kegs that work. Thanks for the help.

...And to think that I thought getting into kegging would make life easier (I know it should, but...)!

[Dave Warner]

I'm not sure on the sticking disconnect. Is it a ball or pin lock?

On the leak, you could have a bad poppet or (and I've done this myself) you may have mixed up your poppets during cleaning. Almost every keg manufacturer has their own poppet design and if you use the wrong one they can leak. Check online for the way your poppet should look for your keg manufacturer.

[MixnMatchBrew]

If the disconnect is stuck on the post, then you most likely mixed them up.

You will have to pry it off. Its best to do this with the post installed on the keg so you can leverage it off the post.

You can identify ball lock post by looking at the base. The gas post has a groove cut into it. Also many gas posts have a difference looking hex pattern than the liquid post.

Here is a decent guide with some pictures of different poppets and parts

http://hbd.org/carboy/ballkegclean.htm