Frozen Kegs

[Wesc]

I had a malfunction of the temperature controller attached to a chest freezer where I keep 6 1/6 bbl kegs. The kegs, which had cider of 7%ABV, froze solid. Some of the cider came out of one or more of the kegs (about 2 gallons). I think it came thru the valve, though it's hard to tell - the kegs are still frozen.

I am wondering if some damage (split seams, valve damage?) has been done to the kegs by the expansion of freezing cider. Can I trust these kegs?

I was thinking of pressure testing them to ~45 psi within a larger vessel of water to contain any rupture.

-Wes

[CopperKettle]

I had a wedding planner purchase some kegs from us and she put them in a walk-in freezer to "cool down" and forgot to take them out. The next day they were frozen solid. They cracked the stainless welds at the top of the keg where the spear attaches. We took the spears out and used them as small batch fermenters.

[Junkyard]

We went to an outdoor beer festival in mn a couple weeks ago and our kegs froze, there doesn't seem to be damage to any of them.

[TGTimm]

1/6 barrel kegs are hard to inspect, due to the rubber base and cap most have. Any distortion anywhere on the keg; any leakage at all, anything not perfectly normal should be reason to discard them or retire them to a non-pressurized use. Be sure retired kegs are clearly marked as such so they don't accidentally get returned to use.

Rupturing kegs can kill.

When in doubt, throw them out!

Kind of expensive, but you can write it off as a learning experience.

[Natrat]

Yup, I second that...get rid of kegs that froze solid. Better yet, repurpose them to something that doesn't require pressure.

[C&C Kegs]

Frozen kegs

An expanded keg can not be repaired. Once the stainless is expanded too far the keg is shot. Your best bet is to re purpose them or toss them.