Advice on cleaning Used kegs

Hi I just got some used corny kegs from a local brewery here. I was told they had been cleaned before being put in storage, so they should be good to go. Well surprise surprise I opened them and they were disgusting.

I broke them all down and started cleaning today. The worst of it is that they are all covered in beer scale (or maybe it is stone?). I let them set for three hours full of oxi and even that didn't loosen it much.

Anybody with more kegging experience then me have a good method of getting this stuff off? Thanks in advance!

PBW overnight would be my next attempt. Make sure you are using warm enough water to dissolve the PBW or oxyclean.

Yeah I heated the water in my electric boiler up to 75 C (no hot water in my brewhouse). Will PBW work better then oxi? I think one of my friends has some...not so common in Denmark.

PBW or Oxy won't do anything to beer stone, you need an acid cleaner like starsan. It might take a few iterations of PBW then Starsan (or similar chemicals).

Oh and I think PBW is better than Oxyclean, but I buy PBW by the giant tub (it is pretty cheep that way), and have even used it in my kitchen to clean stubborn pots.

If you really have problems you could look into caustic, although I suggest being very careful as caustic is dangerous.

Vinegar works well, especially if you can scrub it. Other things you can try; beer line cleaner, StarSan, Bar Keeper's Friend . And yes, PBW will work better than Oxyclean it contains Soda Ash and TSP, but maybe not on this .

Bar keepers friend takes off beer stone in a hurry. And it's cheap. I use it in the brewery and in the kitchen when I burn dinner.


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burdbrew said:

Bar keepers friend takes off beer stone in a hurry. And it's cheap. I use it in the brewery and in the kitchen when I burn dinner.


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Bar keepers friend is the ultimate cleaner but comes with a warning to brewers. It does contain yeast killers and leaves a film if not wiped off. No recommended in carboys where wiping that film off is very difficult to do. Clean using the stuff then let it dry. Youll see the film.