32 replies to this topic

[Stout_fan]

I always do a complete teardown of my cornies when one blows.Here's a few things I've observed that might benefit others.1. Get a pair of #0 rubber stoppers and stick them into the in & out post openings. That way you can fill it to the top with PBW.2. I recycle my PBW and do 5 or 6 kegs with a 5 gal batch I keep in a 6 gal food grade plastic bucket. I found out before grabbing my big funnel and filling the keg with PBW, If I throw in a tablespoon (my convenient Miraclegrow® plastic measure) of powered PBW not only do I increase the effectiveness of the old PBW, I also notice it doesn't foam as much when I pour the old PBW into the keg.3. Although I put the poppets, and lid in a plastic container of PBW, I throw the dip tube into the cornie to get it clean.4. SS pitting occurs at the juncture of wetted SS to dry SS. So always fill the cornies up to the top (well almost). The #0 stoppers make this possible. Letting the level drop puts it in the juncture in the lid sealing area. Not a good thing.5. I have some leftover plastic replacement glazing (.080" thick polycarbonate) and I cut a rectangle out to cover the cornie opening. This way the evaporation of liquid is reduced and the level stays up in the rim for several days, until I'm ready to dump / recycle the PBW.When done rinse, air dry and CO2 purge. Nothing will grow in that environment.Hope this helps some...

[gnef]

I am impressed that you do a complete tear down of each keg after it empties. I usually just rinse it out, put star san in through the gas, sanitize the keg, then blow the star san out the liquid side. I rarely completely tear down kegs except for when I first want to use them and change out all the gaskets.I haven't noticed any ill effects, but perhaps I should also be tearing down my kegs more often. Not sure about after every beer, but I think I will start doing this more often.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

I am impressed that you do a complete tear down of each keg after it empties. I usually just rinse it out, put star san in through the gas, sanitize the keg, then blow the star san out the liquid side. I rarely completely tear down kegs except for when I first want to use them and change out all the gaskets.I haven't noticed any ill effects, but perhaps I should also be tearing down my kegs more often. Not sure about after every beer, but I think I will start doing this more often.

I also do a full tear down. To avoid the pitting issue (if there is one with oxiclean) I fill the keg a little more than half way and flip it half way through a 12-24 soaking period. I haven't noticed any pitting on the sides of my kegs.I also usually fully break down my faucet every time I kill a keg. I only breakdown the shank about once a year though b/c that's kind of a pain in the arse.

[Howie]

Here are some pics of automatic keg cleaner (basic design courtesy of Doc and Tasty from the BN). You can build from scratch for $30-40My linkMy linkMy link

[3rd party JKor]

I usually end up cleaning and sanitizing kegs right before I refill them, very rarely do I have the motivation to pre-clean kegs before I need them. I do break them down completely though. I'd like to put an automatic system to clean them without breaking them down every time. The design I'm thinking of would have 3 outlet manifold with one outlet going to each disconnect and a third going to a spray ball.

[Big Nake]

This must be one of my lazier areas. I do completely break down my kegs when I get them... but between batches I clean it out with hot water and EasyClean (a soak of about an hour) and then it gets filled with Starsan solution. When the keg has EasyClean in it, it comes up into the liquid-out tube and I'll use a small, thin brush to clean it further. I will also run the EasyClean & StarSan through my tap lines. If I had to break down the kegs between each use, I'd probably have to find another hobby... I don't have that kind of time.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

For rinsing the bev lines I use a soda bottle with the bottom cut off and a carbonator cap. I sanded down the plastic on the carbonator cap so that it's easy to get the liquid QD on it.

[Howie]

The design I'm thinking of would have 3 outlet manifold with one outlet going to each disconnect and a third going to a spray ball.

That's more or less how mine is. No "spray ball," just a bunch of holes drilled into the PVC

[Bigeasy]

I always do a complete teardown of my cornies when one blows.Here's a few things I've observed that might benefit others.1. Get a pair of #0 rubber stoppers and stick them into the in & out post openings. That way you can fill it to the top with PBW.2. I recycle my PBW and do 5 or 6 kegs with a 5 gal batch I keep in a 6 gal food grade plastic bucket. I found out before grabbing my big funnel and filling the keg with PBW, If I throw in a tablespoon (my convenient Miraclegrow® plastic measure) of powered PBW not only do I increase the effectiveness of the old PBW, I also notice it doesn't foam as much when I pour the old PBW into the keg.3. Although I put the poppets, and lid in a plastic container of PBW, I throw the dip tube into the cornie to get it clean.4. SS pitting occurs at the juncture of wetted SS to dry SS. So always fill the cornies up to the top (well almost). The #0 stoppers make this possible. Letting the level drop puts it in the juncture in the lid sealing area. Not a good thing.5. I have some leftover plastic replacement glazing (.080" thick polycarbonate) and I cut a rectangle out to cover the cornie opening. This way the evaporation of liquid is reduced and the level stays up in the rim for several days, until I'm ready to dump / recycle the PBW.When done rinse, air dry and CO2 purge. Nothing will grow in that environment.Hope this helps some...

It helped me for sure.I just started kegging and didn't see any good info on keg cleaning protocol anywhere.I was on the fence about complete tear down and this convinced me to do it.It just makes sense.I'm scared of what might grow in an empty corny with beer shputz still in it.I'd also like to add that I'm using cobra taps for now and didn't like the idea of leaving bits of foam and crud to dry in the lines between uses so when there's about a half gallon of cleaner left in the tank I hook up the beer line and push that last bit of cleaner through the line till it blows gas.PS....anybody need 10 cases of bottles?

[Big Nake]

Here's a question: Does anyone empty a keg and then just leave it laying around for days or weeks that way? If a keg blows, I take it out of the draft fridge, leave the pressure in it and either clean it out that day or the next. It gets cleaned, sanitized and refilled with a new beer. My thinking is that if my last beer (and the ones before that...) were okay, then the keg must be pretty damned clean.

[3rd party JKor]

That's more or less how mine is. No "spray ball," just a bunch of holes drilled into the PVC

Meh, same thing as far as i'm concerned.How's it work? Are you using a sump pump to recirc?

[siouxbrewer]

Here's a question: Does anyone empty a keg and then just leave it laying around for days or weeks that way? If a keg blows, I take it out of the draft fridge, leave the pressure in it and either clean it out that day or the next. It gets cleaned, sanitized and refilled with a new beer. My thinking is that if my last beer (and the ones before that...) were okay, then the keg must be pretty damned clean.

I don't pull a keg from the fridge until I have at least three kegs to clean, so they just kick it in there empty. For me I need to justify filling the keg washer with hot water and oxycean because I'm an unabashed cheap-skate.

[Howie]

Meh, same thing as far as i'm concerned.How's it work? Are you using a sump pump to recirc?

Yeah, I think I paid less than $30 for a submersible pump from Northern Tool. Hooked up a t-splitter with a CVC pipe with holes drilled standing straight up (keg inverts on this). Then, the other two go to hoses with ball lock fittings that attach to the upside down keg. Then, put it in a bucket of warm PBW solution

[MakeMeHoppy]

Here's a question: Does anyone empty a keg and then just leave it laying around for days or weeks that way? If a keg blows, I take it out of the draft fridge, leave the pressure in it and either clean it out that day or the next. It gets cleaned, sanitized and refilled with a new beer. My thinking is that if my last beer (and the ones before that...) were okay, then the keg must be pretty damned clean.

As soon as a keg kicks, even in the middle of a party I flush hot water down both the air in and beer out connections. I have a 1 liter bottle that came with the kegerator and I have a beer gas connection with a short hose on it that connects to the bottle. I make sure the inside is rinsed clean so any yeast does not harden then I turn upside down to dry. I only sanitize just before I fill the next time. I've been kegging for 2 years and have no problems with infection or taste carrying over from one beer to the next.

[gnef]

I definitely wait, sometimes it can be weeks until I get to it. Timing really depends on if I need the keg or not - most of the time I have enough spares that I can put it off for a while.Am I the only lazy kegger her? Haha.I haven't had issues with it, and some hot water almost always gets any gunk out of the keg. I used to be very anal about these things, but once I got more kegs, and started having to deal with many kegs at once, I had to parse my time with what I did. Especially since I haven't noticed any ill effects from it, I'm not too worried about it, but I will definitely keep a close watch over it to make sure everything is still ok.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

Here's a question: Does anyone empty a keg and then just leave it laying around for days or weeks that way? If a keg blows, I take it out of the draft fridge, leave the pressure in it and either clean it out that day or the next. It gets cleaned, sanitized and refilled with a new beer. My thinking is that if my last beer (and the ones before that...) were okay, then the keg must be pretty damned clean.

pretty consistently when a keg kicks it has new beer in it within 24 hours.

[3rd party JKor]

I definitely wait, sometimes it can be weeks until I get to it. Timing really depends on if I need the keg or not - most of the time I have enough spares that I can put it off for a while.Am I the only lazy kegger her? Haha.I haven't had issues with it, and some hot water almost always gets any gunk out of the keg. I used to be very anal about these things, but once I got more kegs, and started having to deal with many kegs at once, I had to parse my time with what I did. Especially since I haven't noticed any ill effects from it, I'm not too worried about it, but I will definitely keep a close watch over it to make sure everything is still ok.

Weeks? Shoot, I've had empty, uncleaned kegs sit for YEARS. No problems at all. It's completely sealed so it doesn't dry up even when left for years.

[siouxbrewer]

Weeks? Shoot, I've had empty, uncleaned kegs sit for YEARS. No problems at all. It's completely sealed so it doesn't dry up even when left for years.

These were my thoughts, I have some brett/sour kegs that have been sitting for quite some time, months probably. Starsan heals all wounds, not too worried about it. FWIW rubber gaskets are cheap, like me

[Big Nake]

As soon as a keg kicks, even in the middle of a party I flush hot water down both the air in and beer out connections. I have a 1 liter bottle that came with the kegerator and I have a beer gas connection with a short hose on it that connects to the bottle. I make sure the inside is rinsed clean so any yeast does not harden then I turn upside down to dry. I only sanitize just before I fill the next time. I've been kegging for 2 years and have no problems with infection or taste carrying over from one beer to the next.

Yep. Me too. Well, I don't know if I've ever done it in the middle of a party, but right after, for sure.

pretty consistently when a keg kicks it has new beer in it within 24 hours.

Yep. Me too. They are lined up waiting and would bug me relentlessly if I didn't give them a home. Cheers!