Advice for filthy kegs

I just bought used ball lock kegs and these things are FILTHY. Syrup gunk on the inside and sticky to the touch on the outside. I'd like to just use pbw and hot water. Will this be enough or should I use something stronger for this initial clean?

I've found PBW to do a pretty good job of cleaning some nasty stuff. I'd suggest you give it a try. Given that the syrup is basically sugar (and should be water-soluble), hot water & PBW should probably do the trick.

Yep, soak in hot water and PBW, then scrub it with carboy brush if necessary. Consider running some of the PBW solution out of the keg as though you were serving beer...ie. via Co2. That will clean the diptube, post, and your serving line, too. Then rinse, fill with some water and flush it again with Co2.

Yep....

1. Hot water rinse
2. Cold water and Oxyclean and leave it over night
3. Clean it with brushes or "drill attachment"
4. Hot water rinse
5. Hot Sanitizer rinse and you should be good.

For cleaning the inside/ outside I use a bucket that is larger than the diameter of the keg. I fill the keg 1/2 way or so with hot water and oxyclean, and I fill the bucket the same way. I put the keg in the bucket to soak and use a green scrubbie to clean the outside. I then flip the keg upside down and repeat scrubbing the top side. I use a razor to clean off any stickers. If you are careful you wont scratch.

I see a lot of "cold water and oxyclean"...why cold? I figured hot water is a better solvent, no?

Yeah I don't get it either, I've always used OxyClean with hot water, and think that cold water does a really lousy job of dissolving the powder. (Or I just prepare it too damn strong!)

Oxyclean and hot water.

I read where someone had posted that you can also use some Barkeepers Friend on the outside to get rid of some of the skidmarks and light scratches.

As far as the inside goes...another bid for Oxy and hot water.

Oxyclean uses Oxygen to clean, Oxygen is held better in cold water. (at least I believe is the logic) I always clean my carboy with a cold water and oxiclean soak, scrub then thoroughly rinse with really hot water.

You should probably take it apart as well. Put all the small pieces in a pint glass (or something) with hot water and pbw. Place the dip tube in the keg filled with hot water and PBW.

@ mtyquinn I can understand the logic with a carboy - avoiding temp changes, etc.

My logic with corny kegs is - Stainless Steel - hotter = better. I did not think about the solubility of Oxygen though... curious point... hm... We need us a Scientist!

+1 to taking it apart. I rebuild my kegs almost each & every use. (Only *sometimes* do I skip it - for example, if I cold crash a beer in a freshly rebuilt keg, for only 5-6 days, then I immediately clean it with Oxy and refill it with StarSan - then I will reuse it one more time before I rebuild it.)

I go through a lot of O-Rings - but when you buy them in 200pks from McMaster - you stop caring about wasting a $0.02 O-Ring in exchange for the promise of a cleaner keg. Plus - I add Keg Lube to every single O-Ring and poppet, every single time. I do not like hissing posts or leaky kegs. Not in this house, nossir.

PBW really is the best cleaner for dirty kegs. Cascade also does a great job.

thargrav said:

Cascade also does a great job.

Click to expand...

You aren't supposed to use those until after the keg is clean.

Oxyclean and hot water inside, Bar Keepers friend on the outside. They will be clean and purty in no time.

I've found that just flushing the dip tube with co2 and oxy solution is inadequate. I was amazed at the gunk I got when running a diptube brush through tubes I thought should be clean.