i think his system is alright. it's not what i do, but that doesn't really matter. the iodophor will sanitize while it is effective in the kegs, and i assume he will slosh it around to sanitize the keg, and as long as he doesn't open it later, but only to fill, i think it should remain sanitized, even if left for such a long period of time.
Every six or seven times I might disassemble the keg and rinse the parts in iodophor.
Sometimes, when I'm really lazy, I'll put beer back in the keg WITHOUT washing it! Hey, if the beer that was there before was clean...
I force carbonate after a secondary in which I drop the temp of the beer to refrigerating temperatures. There is almost no sediment in my homebrew kegs.
Wow... can't believe no one has responded to this yet.
I've run two brews through each of two kegs and I only rinsed 'em out with hot water in between. I left the kegs in the fridge when empty, figuring that would keep the nasties at a minimum. When the next batch was ready, I fetched the keg from the fridge and rinsed it out good and then filled it. Total time with beer in them is around four months (been drinking most of it myself, hence the long drain time). I'm nearing the end of the second batches and they still taste fine.
The eBay beer guy I bought my kegerator parts from says he only breaks his down every third batch. With my success thus far, I'd say that's pretty safe.
i agree with this post except i slip in a bit of my favorite sanitizer iodine (iodophore).
I seldom take mine completely apart. I clean/sanitize before and after use, and store them with some CO2 pressure inside.
Complete list of parts for kegging assuming you buy used kegs:
Corny keg (buy two or three preferably)
New poppets (2 ea. per keg)
New o-rings (1 set of 5 per keg)
Full CO2 cylinder (leased or bought)
CO2 regulator (eBay is good for these)
One set of ball lock fittings for each tap (black is beer, white/gray is gas)
1/4 or 3/16 beer/gas line (a debate in and of itself - I like 1/4)
And last, but certainly not least, a kegerator!
Depending on your setup, you may find that you'll need a couple of assorted barbed hose fittings and some hose clamps from the hardware store. They're cheap and easy to use. Be sure to use teflon tape on anything that has NPT (pipe) threads. You can use a 7/8" 12 point wrench or deep well socket to remove the posts for cleaning/changing o-rings (Pepsi style kegs).
Hey, I just figured that this should probably be in the FAQ's since it is a pretty basic question :
If I wanted to invest in a keg (which I do), what is the complete list of parts that I would need. Assuming that I would get a corny. Thanks.
Good call! Here's my shopping list so far:
4 cornies @ ~$20 ea
1 single regulator from Chimone @ $35
1 4-way distributor @ $45.00
1 tub PBW @ $7
4 sets of O-rings @ $3.00 ea
4 Gas-Ins @ $5.00 ea
2 Beer-Outs @ $5.00 ea
2 outs w/faucets @ $13.00 ea (to hold me over until I get my kegerator)
1 20lb Co2 tank @ $90 (filled. I'm buying it this week)
I have an old dorm fridge that I'm trying to convert into a kegerator but I don't think it'll work very well. I'm holding off on buying a fridge and tap set up until it's warm outside. I need to let these costs cool down before dropping a couple more bills. I'm sure that there's a few other pieces I'll need. I know I'll need the sockets and some line.
Don't forget the keg lube. It's cheap ($5), will last you through at least a hundred keg break-downs, and keeps all the rubber parts in top shape.
I've broken down, cleaned, and rebuilt at least seven kegs and haven't had a pinched o-ring or CO2 leak yet. The lube container still looks full. It'll take me years to use it up.
Started putting a little on the hard plastic feet at the ends of the latch (?) that holds the lid in place, too. Makes it a lot easier to open/close the lid.
__________________ So long, and thanks for all the beer...
Tap 1: Empty Tap 2: Zippo Tap 3: Nada Tap 4: Man... I gotta get brewing Bottles: Dust
I was also wondering if I could use a two way CO2 distributer but for one keg. Is there a cap or somthing that I can put on the other? Because I want to get another keg down the road, but I'm not sure If I need two now. Or should I just get 2 kegs? Thanks.
-Cheers
__________________
"I wish it were winter so we could freeze it into ice blocks and skate on it and melt it in the spring time and drink it!"
It's been said many times (and will many more) that you can never have too many kegs. You may not use it right away, but you'll find use for a second keg soon.
Regarding the CO2 regulator: If you're talking about two regulators in tandem, just turn the control screw on the unused regulator all the way in to stop the gas from flowing through it. If you're splitting a gas line with a tee, install a quick disconnect at the end of the unused line and leave it hanging. If the disconnect isn't connected to a keg post, it won't flow any gas. Hope that makes sense.
I have one regulator with a split gas line and frequently leave one lead hanging (not attached to a keg) while the other lead is pushing gas to another keg.
__________________ So long, and thanks for all the beer...
Tap 1: Empty Tap 2: Zippo Tap 3: Nada Tap 4: Man... I gotta get brewing Bottles: Dust
Last edited by DrewsBrews; 11-06-2006 at 10:49 PM.
I installed a 3 way distributor on mine that had individual shut off valves and a safety pressure release valve. That way if you are not using one, just turn the quarter turn to off.
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Linear Mode
