DIY Beer Line Cleaner

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I've been running a two tap kegerator for a couple of years, using an empty keg to flush hot water and then sanitizer through my lines. But like many others, I hate to waste the CO2 to do that. I'm working on a five tap keezer build, and was looking for a way to initially clean the lines when I came across this post. Great idea- just what I was looking for!



I thought I'd add my two cents worth - I only browsed through the 56 pages of this post, so apologies if this has been covered. I have pin lock kegs, which from the posts I'd read seem to be harder to get the right fittings for. All my liquid lines have FFL fittings on them, so I thought I'd go to Home Depot and see what I could find.



First off, it's great that they still sell the same sprayer ($6.87), almost four years after this post began! I took a FFL fitting with me, and talked to a guy in the plumbing department. He set me up two fittings - a 3/8 FIP x 1/4 FIP coupling ($2.98) and a 1/4 MIP x 1/4 MFL union ($3.40). So for just $13.25 (plus tax), one trip to Home Depot, and just three pieces, I have a sprayer that will attach to any FFL connection.



Thanks to geniz and everyone else that helped out with this post!


That's an excellent variation to the original! I like the fact that you can screw the 1/4 FFL directly to the sprayer without any adapters. This can be used with either ball or pin lock systems with flare fittings.
 
Ive kind of been out of the loop for a while but I want to provide an update to this thread.
I was able to track down the manufacturer of my original liquid post.
Its an Eaton Hansen 2-KL-F fitting which has a 5/8-18 UNF thread.

You can get them on AmazonSupply:
http://www.amazonsupply.com/dp/B00F4L0MUI?ref_=sr_1_2_txt


Also it looks like you can get this with 1/4" FPT threads too!

Female:
http://www.amazonsupply.com/dp/B00F4L0PJ6?ref_=sr_1_5_txt

Male:
http://www.amazonsupply.com/dp/B00F4L0OFG?ref_=sr_1_4_txt

This opens up a whole new world of mounting gas and liquid lines to a bunch of stuff.
 
I finally completed this project today. Works great! I bought the sprayer and the adapter at Lowe's and ordered the Firestone ball lock post online. Great idea. Thanks.
 
What a fantastic thread, I read all 57 pages of it and people here sure are crafty!

I would like a better solution to line cleaning. I've got two ideas:

1) DIY Sprayer from this thread

2) Pond pump for recirculation from a bucket

The pond pumps are about $20 alone, so a little more dough, but I like the idea of just hooking it up, plugging it in, and letting the pump do all the work.

Anyone think of any pros/cons to these ideas?
 
Just thought of/experienced another benefit of this system over using a spare keg. Right now all my kegs are spoken for (either on tap or filled and ready to go). One of my lines was experiencing some residual watermelon flavor from the previous keg (which is now filled and carbonating with something else). Thanks to this handy little pump I was able to disconnect the line, fill it with cleaner, and then reconnect it and let it sit with the cleaner in the line. (all in about 5 minutes) If I used a spare keg to clean my lines, I would never have been able to do this so easily.

Not saying this is the only way, but it sure is a great way.
 
I've been running a two tap kegerator for a couple of years, using an empty keg to flush hot water and then sanitizer through my lines. But like many others, I hate to waste the CO2 to do that. I'm working on a five tap keezer build, and was looking for a way to initially clean the lines when I came across this post. Great idea- just what I was looking for!



I thought I'd add my two cents worth - I only browsed through the 56 pages of this post, so apologies if this has been covered. I have pin lock kegs, which from the posts I'd read seem to be harder to get the right fittings for. All my liquid lines have FFL fittings on them, so I thought I'd go to Home Depot and see what I could find.



First off, it's great that they still sell the same sprayer ($6.87), almost four years after this post began! I took a FFL fitting with me, and talked to a guy in the plumbing department. He set me up two fittings - a 3/8 FIP x 1/4 FIP coupling ($2.98) and a 1/4 MIP x 1/4 MFL union ($3.40). So for just $13.25 (plus tax), one trip to Home Depot, and just three pieces, I have a sprayer that will attach to any FFL connection.



Thanks to geniz and everyone else that helped out with this post!


Put one together using these parts. I use pin lock kegs and couldn't find a post to fit. Nice alternative if you use MFL connections. Thanks
 
Helibrewer have you gotten this product yet? I made an order on 1-25-15 and have not received it or gotten any indication of when it is going to get here.

No, just checked AliExpress and it shows a status of shipped. Here's what the tracking number returns:

item No Year Status Location Destination Date
RM610311406CN 2015 Received by China Post Zhengzhou USA 20150131 2132
RM610311406CN 2015 Export Security Scan Zhengzhou USA 20150201 0751
RM610311406CN 2015 Import Customs Scan Zhengzhou USA 20150201 1427
RM610311406CN 2015 Export Customs Scan Zhengzhou USA 20150201 1433
RM610311406CN 2015 Sent to airline Beijing USA 20150205 2339


So I guess there is hope :)
 
Mine supposedly shipped but all i have is this:

Logistics Information:
International Shipping Company Tracking Number Remarks Details
ePacket LN702633720CN
2015.01.29 08:57 (GMT-7): Processed Through Sort Facility
2015.01.28 10:21 (GMT-7): Acceptance
(GMT-7): Origin Post is Preparing Shipment

I went ahead and opened a dispute asking for info on my package or a full refund. My order was processed originally on the 26th of January. Hopefully it's just a slow trip from China.
 
I built one of these this weekend. Picked up the parts at HD and put it all together for less than 15 bucks. It works great too!
 
No, just checked AliExpress and it shows a status of shipped. Here's what the tracking number returns:

item No Year Status Location Destination Date
RM610311406CN 2015 Received by China Post Zhengzhou USA 20150131 2132
RM610311406CN 2015 Export Security Scan Zhengzhou USA 20150201 0751
RM610311406CN 2015 Import Customs Scan Zhengzhou USA 20150201 1427
RM610311406CN 2015 Export Customs Scan Zhengzhou USA 20150201 1433
RM610311406CN 2015 Sent to airline Beijing USA 20150205 2339


So I guess there is hope :)


Did you get it? If so, you like it?
 
Just wanted to shout out a thanks to the OP, I just built one! Works fantastic!

:ban:

:rockin:

Beer_line_cleaner.jpg
 
Great post. I just found this site and saw this post. Immediately subscriber and joined the site. Put this together this last night and it works perfectly. Awesome! thanks for posting.
 
The last time (and I do mean LAST) I ordered anything shipping directly from China via Amazon was April 2014. They supposedly shipped or re-shipped on 5 different occasions!
I NEVER received anything. I did get a refund.
I'll NEVER order via direct from China again.
 
I'm lost - I built the same design as post 1 in this thread except not a single post in my house will properly fit onto the 3/8 flare to 3/8 fip adapter.

The best I can do is half a turn onto the adapter and then hope and pray I don't put any sideways force on the connection or it falls off.

I tried to look for a 3/8 post at ontariobeerkegs but all they list are: 19/32 and 9/16 liquid posts.

Are both of these post types simply wrong or is there another easy option to fix this?
 
Thanks, I just bought one on ebay (I'm in Canada). Will be nice to get this working properly for a change :)
 
I've been following this thread having purchased the pump can at Lowe's and picking up a beer out post from my LHBS but it didn't thread on easy so I've been following for better ideas. Everyone has some great ideas but none worked for me

Until my Ah-ha moment. Take the beer out fitting push on some gas line to the barbed end then on the other end a barbed to threaded connector at the air tool section and then hook up the female fitting for the air compressor. Volia!!

I fill a corny keg with beer line cleaner pressurize with the compressor and run through all my empty lines and out the tap into a bucket. Rinse with fresh hot water then follow up with Iodophor

how easy was that
 
The OP listed the Firestone beer post because that's the one with the 5/8"-18 threads that will fit the A/LFA-176 brass adapter.

I just learned this at my LHBS. They we tried 4 different liquid posts, and one of them worked. They're ordering me a Firestone which should be in on Monday or tuesday. I'll report back to confirm it all works.
 
Carbination Cap with 5/8ths barb, some line and a 2L pop bottle. Multi-use. $25CDN so like $5US [emoji12]

4:30

http://youtu.be/KQg8Qb3OS7U


yes indeed I got three of them from this guy on aliexpress...works great...I've read some people say they are using them to fill Growlers, but I'm not exaclty sure how...the only thing I can think of is, attached the beer line, and then feed that into a rubber stopper and put that on top of the growler...maybe...

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Ball...rb-fit-soft-drink-PET-bottles/1774215362.html

good luck and enjoy, but it works great on a two liter pop bottle.
 
I have filled a growler successfully with mine but like bottling you are not 100% keeping O2 out...basically just pissed CO2 in with another line then filled it from the bottom using this cap and a liquid jumper. When full I would hit it again w some CO2 then cap it.....only because I haven't bought a filler for my 630 tap.

Nice price on aliexpress. Bought mine from OBK in Canadaland.
 
I too am in the great white north, but I bought from Ali instead of from OBK...Patrick was my second choice, :)
 
NIIIIIICEEE!!!

If only they made them in pinlock versions...

:mug:

Do you have threaded disconnects?? It wouldn't be too bad to screw on a ball lock. Or just make a pinlock to ball lock jumper tube to use when you want to bottle something.
 
Do you have threaded disconnects?? It wouldn't be too bad to screw on a ball lock. Or just make a pinlock to ball lock jumper tube to use when you want to bottle something.

I do use threaded disconnects - so yes I could go that route, but the idea being that I could sanitize the pinlock connection as well as the line/tap would be awesomely easy vs what I do now with unthreading the pinlock, hooking it up to my sprayer pump setup and going that route while I disassemble and soak the pinlock connection.

:mug:
 
Anyone know if there is a vendor that sells the barbed carbonater from the US? I'd rater not wait six weeks. Maybe I should have just ordered the thing 6 weeks ago:(
 
Do you have threaded disconnects?? It wouldn't be too bad to screw on a ball lock. Or just make a pinlock to ball lock jumper tube to use when you want to bottle something.


The jumper tube is a great idea! I'm gonna make one of those so I can easily carbonate bottles on my (barbed) pinlock system!
 
The jumper tube is a great idea! I'm gonna make one of those so I can easily carbonate bottles on my (barbed) pinlock system!

I use that with my current bottle filler and it works great. I'm not sure if it matters when you fill with counter pressure, but I made mine 10' long just like my tap lines.
 
Anyone know if there is a vendor that sells the barbed carbonater from the US? I'd rater not wait six weeks. Maybe I should have just ordered the thing 6 weeks ago:(

I spoke to Phil, the owner of Indoor Garden and Brew Supply (My local homebrew shop) and he already does business with the US distributor for these. He was going to get a few of them in. I told him I'd take at least one when he got them.

You can look them up here:
http://www.indoorgardensupply.net/

They won't have them online yet, but you can email or call and they can work with you that way.
 
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