DIY Beer Line Cleaner

Looking at the way the post threaded onto the green piece in the recent pic, I recommend using the original build with rhe A176 adapter...

Cheers!

Here's my version, setup for pin-lock kegs.

I followed the examples previously given and cut off the nozzle end of the sprayer. I trimmed the shape down with a razor blade so that it was more cylindrical than cone shaped. I tried to force it on and use the pin-lock post to thread it without success.

Used taps to figure the pin-lock post was threaded 9/16x18 inside, so I trimmed the nozzle down to a little proud of 13mm by threading the nozzle onto a 5/8x11 tap and mounting the whole thing in a drill press. A mill file a few minutes later I had it trued up and "turned" down to 13mm+ and was able to use the correct die to cut 9/16x18 threads.



A little teflon tape and ready to clean.



The moral of the story, if you can't get the forced-threading to work, find a friend with a SAE tap set.

Ok, so I've assembled just like I've seen on here. Flo master, minus the small green part, minus the clear plastic piece, brass adapter so I can thread my ball lock fitting on.

If I pressurize it over the sink, the spring sits and even if I hit the trigger, I get nothing coming out.

So I hook it up to my kegerator knowing that the interior portion of the fitting has a small piece to press in that spring. Still nothing. I can pump and pump and have plenty of pressure but the trigger won't do anything. The tap is open so it's not back pressure.

What am I doing wrong here? All of the components are new and should be functioning. Any help is appreciated.

Remove the beer line quick disconnect and press the post poppet in with something pointy. You should get wet. If not, something's plugged up the works.

If you left out the little plastic insert, there is no trigger function...

Cheers!

Thanks for this geniz I was looking for a cheap and effective beer line cleaner. I bought everything, assembled it in 5 minutes and it works flawlessly.

Thanks again for everything this works great!

Just built this. Thanks

ChrisL_ said:

The sprayer is from Home Depot. If you click the "Pick Up in Store" button it will show you locations around you that have stock:
http://www.homedepot.ca/product/sprayer-mister-25-pints-translucent-white-polyethylene-tank/310114

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Ah crap. No longer available. I knew I should have picked one up when they were in stock 1-2 months ago.

Anyone know somewhere else in Canada to get this?

Kal

kal said:

Ah crap. No longer available. I knew I should have picked one up when they were in stock 1-2 months ago.

Anyone know somewhere else in Canada to get this?

Kal

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I was living in Canada (Alberta) when I built mine (last year). Homedepot.ca never even showed the item as available. I went to two different home depots and managed to find a bunch on the shelf. I can't remember if I asked them to check the in-store inventory system for the US part number or not. If you have a HD near by it is definitely worth checking the store for one.

Thanks! I've been to a couple and without the SKU, it's hard to find/hard to have them help me. It was listed on their Canadian website a month or so ago... I just forgot to print out the sheet to take with it with the product name/number so that they could look it up in their computers.

Anyone have the Home Depot Canada SKU?

Kal

kal said:

Thanks! I've been to a couple and without the SKU, it's hard to find/hard to have them help me. It was listed on their Canadian website a month or so ago... I just forgot to print out the sheet to take with it with the product name/number so that they could look it up in their computers.

Anyone have the Home Depot Canada SKU?

Kal

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I strongly suspect it's because this is a seasonal item, and it's not exactly gardening season in Canada right now. If you're set on Home Depot, you may be waiting until Spring.

However, it's worth noting that Home Hardware also sells this brand - check your brick and mortars. Bring the flare fitting with you and try it in store. There's nothing super special about the specific model in OP, just that it's the one that OP happened to buy and that it had the right threads to match the flare fitting.

These sprayers are common and can be found. Just hit a couple of gardening stores, and go from there.

Thanks - Makes sense. I'll throw the QD in the car and bring the kids shopping.

Kal

I just built a second one of these today so now I have one to fill with BLC solution and the other with rinse water. Home Depot still carries both the sprayer and the A-176 fitting (which has been subbed by Watts LFA-176 for lead free brass) and my primary LHBS had the right liquid post to fit...

Still should be a sticky thread...

Cheers!

Here's my pin lock cleaner. Threading it worked like a charm.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/p1zr2ktkfer84k3/2013-11-19 20.03.39.jpg

evandena said:

Here's my pin lock cleaner. Threading it worked like a charm.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/p1zr2ktkfer84k3/2013-11-19%2020.03.39.jpg

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Very nice!

kal said:

Thanks - Makes sense. I'll throw the QD in the car and bring the kids shopping.

Kal

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If you find it here, please post the SKU!

Will do! Hopefully tomorrow....

Kal

Just used mine for the first time, worked like a charm! I pushed BLC through to the faucet, let it sit for about 20 minutes, then pumped the rest through, poured it back into the sprayer and pushed it through twice more. Then rinsed with hot water. Done. Sooooo much easier than dealing with a keg and gas to clean the lines.

I did have to put tape around the threads of the sprayer as well as the adapter, and it doesn't really develop any significant pressure but enough to push liquid through the lines as a modest pace but IMO that's all that is necessary -- the 15-20 minute rest should be enough for the BLC to "unseat" any beer stone or other gunk in the line (assuming the lines aren't super cruddy, in which case you're better off just replacing them -- if you clean the lines regularly, after ever keg switch or two at the most, the inside of the lines should never get crusty!).

Thanks to the OP for this great DIY project!

Can also use your siphon tool to "push" cleaner through the faucet into the corny without disconnecting much of anything. A 3 inch peice of beer line fit in the nozzle of the Perlick and also accepted my siphon hose.

Made one. Used it. Works perfectly.

Nothing more to say except thank you for sharing and great job!!!

I think I need to make one.

How much time do you think this saves vs normal methods?

The inner pump tube of the Flo-Master has some sort of lubricant in it. Shouldn't this thing be thoroughly cleaned before running it through our beer lines?

I'm a little late to the party here, but this is genius!.

well done OP....

This is a great idea! But I have a logistical question on using it. How do you keep the hot/warm PBW solution from getting cold sitting in the fridge? Are most people just running the hot PBW solution through with the fridge door open to prevent it from getting cold? Or, not caring if it gets cold?

And second question - how much water do you push through to rinse the PBW solution? I'm over the top now with my rinsing - curious what others are doing.

Cheers!

tides said:

The inner pump tube of the Flo-Master has some sort of lubricant in it. Shouldn't this thing be thoroughly cleaned before running it through our beer lines?

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I contacted Flo-Master and here is their response...

"We are just a distributor so we do not know what they use to lubricate. Our suggestion for lubrication is petroleum jelly , or any non-soluble grease . These sprayers are not FDA approved."

I think I'm going to clean off their lubricant just to be safe and if a lubricant is needed to pump, I'll use a little bit of vegetable oil.

Another question is if the container is food grade? I doubt it. Some info on HDPE#2:

Buckets that are not food grade will out-gas and leach into the container, and whatever is in the container.

HDPE #2 buckets that are not food grade will have been manufactured with a non-food-grade “mold release agent”.

A mold release agent is what is used to help get the newly shaped plastic off of the hard mold that it was shaped from during the manufacturing process. Without the release agent, the new plastic shape will likely stick to the mold. Some mold release agents enable much faster production than others, but may be toxic to your health if later used with food stuffs.

If the bucket is marked specifically as food grade or USDA approved (or FDA or NSF approved), then it is food grade. Otherwise contact the supplier or manufacturer to confirm.

tides said:

I contacted Flo-Master and here is their response...

"We are just a distributor so we do not know what they use to lubricate. Our suggestion for lubrication is petroleum jelly , or any non-soluble grease . These sprayers are not FDA approved."

I think I'm going to clean off their lubricant just to be safe and if a lubricant is needed to pump, I'll use a little bit of vegetable oil.

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As the sprayer body itself is clearly blow-molded (or rotary molded) any release agent would only be on the outside. For everything else, hopefully folks are cleaning before using - a sound practice for everything used for brewing...

Cheers!

slcdawg said:

Another question is if the container is food grade? I doubt it. Some info on HDPE#2:

Buckets that are not food grade will out-gas and leach into the container, and whatever is in the container.

HDPE #2 buckets that are not food grade will have been manufactured with a non-food-grade “mold release agent”.

A mold release agent is what is used to help get the newly shaped plastic off of the hard mold that it was shaped from during the manufacturing process. Without the release agent, the new plastic shape will likely stick to the mold. Some mold release agents enable much faster production than others, but may be toxic to your health if later used with food stuffs.

If the bucket is marked specifically as food grade or USDA approved (or FDA or NSF approved), then it is food grade. Otherwise contact the supplier or manufacturer to confirm.

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Personally I would not be too worried about it being food grade. You are not leaving anything in it for any extended period of time. And you will be rinsing very well won't you?

Clean everything very carefully before use and you could use keg lube in place of any lubrication there already.

Remember these are made for applying stains, pesticides, fertilizers etc. If this scares you, you will have to buy one of the pre-made units for $$$$

kh54s10 said:

Remember these are made for applying stains, pesticides, fertilizers etc. If this scares you, you will have to buy one of the pre-made units for $$$$

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The commercial cleaners are spendy, aren't they? Will need to think about this...but first thoughts are in agreement that its ok.

I just made this today. Very easy. Make sure to take the white gasket from the green nozzle and place into your coupler to prevent leaks. Btw, the packaging has slightly changed since the original post for the coupler. Thanks for such a great post!!!


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How do people clean the sprayer before first use? It smells like chemical fertilizers. Bleach, PBW, oxyclean, Starsan?


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I pumped a quart of warm OxyFree through mine, then pumped hot clean water through it until it stopped foaming plus a bit more...

Cheers!

Winters49441 said:

How do people clean the sprayer before first use? It smells like chemical fertilizers. Bleach, PBW, oxyclean, Starsan?

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I wouldn't worry about it. You're going to be filling it with a fairly caustic cleaner (PWB/Oxiclean/LLC/BLC/etc) which will then be pumped through your beverage lines, which will then have to be completely flushed with lots of water.

Cleaning it first to then fill it again with the same cleaner for use seems like overkill.

Kal

Been getting a foam problem that was only resolved when I finally cleaned my beer lines. At the time I used some BLC solution in an empty corny keg and gassed it up to push it through the line and faucet. (i removed and soaked faucet parts as well). 6 weeks later I notice the foam building up a again. This device would be perfect and will avoid needing an extra corny and CO2. Just found the parts on Home Depot's site and will pick it up tomorrow so I can easily clean out my lines.

Thanks!

geniz said:

First, I got a 56oz hand pump sprayer from Dome Hepot. It was a Flo-Master Model 56HD.

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This was one of my favorite DIY projects in turns of cost and utility. So easy now to clean my beer lines, and my kegged draft beers always taste great now.

Does anyone know what size flare fitting fits on the firestone gas post? Thanks

Subscribed, thanks!

DrPhilGood said:

Does anyone know what size flare fitting fits on the firestone gas post? Thanks

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The 3/8 JIC 37 degree flare fits the firestone ball lock gas post as well as firestone pin lock posts. It has the 9/16-18 threads. I got an adapter from Mcmaster that works. Part #50675K174.

Winters49441 said:

How do people clean the sprayer before first use? It smells like chemical fertilizers. Bleach, PBW, oxyclean, Starsan?


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If you have one that smells like chemical fertilizers, you probably got one that somebody bought, used, and returned to the store. That's one thing that drives me nuts about Lowe's; getting home and find whatever I bought has been used.

I built one today and it works very well. I had to scavenge the post from one of my kegs. I had a bunch of extra posts, but none of them fit.

I also found that a universal poppet works well and doesn't need any spacers.

Someone mentioned threads earlier and I thought I would add some info. Pipe threads are tapered but mechanical threads are not. So for instance the threads on the posts are mechanical, same with the flare-fitting end of the adapter. The FIP end of the adapter is going to be tapered and the plastic threads on the sprayer are mechanical and so not tapered. In this application it's not a huge deal but mixing tapered and mechanical threads is going to damage whichever is softer and is not likely to make a good seal with out a bunch of filler like teflon tape. As long as you can get a seal and you are not going to remove and reassemble forcing the parts together should work, but you do want to make sure one side is a lot softer than the other so you can deform the softer to get a seal. With the original design of steel to brass to plastic you should be able to make it work even if you are mixing and matching a bit.

Since I'm pin lock I'm going to be playing some games to get it all to work, but I also have a shop so I may be able to just make the adapter.