Keg cleaning & beer line cleaning & maintenance

**Sherpa FE** · 11-27-2007, 10:39 AM

I have some questions about the cleaining and maintenance of kegs and such.
1) How often do you have to clean the beer lines and faucets on a keggerator? Is it after every keg?
2) How much cleaning time and maintenance time is added when you keg beer instead of bottling?
3) How often do you have to replace the o-rings, on a corny keg? Is there a lot of maintenance behind it?

Thanks for all the help,
Josh

**Chris_Dog** · 11-27-2007, 11:28 AM

I can only answer part of the 3rd question...
Replacing the O-rings is not bad. The biggest problem I have run into is breaking the posts free the first time. It should much easier going forward if you put keg lube on the treads.

Cheers!!!

**Bobby_M** · 11-27-2007, 12:50 PM

1. I clean all four faucets/lines whenever a keg kicks because i'll already be filling the empty with sanitizer.I might as well force it through the lines. If I'm a little slow drinking and no kegs kick, i'll do it after a month.

3. First time you use them, then probably 20 batches later....or never again if you lubricate.

Donasay · 11-27-2007, 02:16 PM

1. I also fill my kegs with Star San to clean them, and I figure the best way to get it out is to run it through my draft system. Other than that I don't do any cleaning of the lines, I just replace them if they get super funky.

2. Once you are set up and have a system down, you will actually save time, the kegs don't need to be dismantled and scrubbed for every single brew. I just reuse them after running 5 gallons of sanitizer through them, as they should already be sterile. If a beer has gone off in the keg or after 3 or 4 batches I dismantle and scrub the whole thing out.

3. Replace the O rings as soon as you get a new to you keg, unless it is brand new from the factory replace them. The rubber soaks up the smell from whatever was in the keg before you got it. If it was something like rootbeer or gingerale, your beer will get a slight rootbeer or gingerale flavor. Other than the first replacement I have not as of yet changed any of the new O rings, but I have only been kegging for 6 months.