Beer line cleaning system with gravity - am I missing something?

[jonpecan]

Howdy folks,

I am long overdue for a beer line cleaning on my converted kegerator. I've used CO2 to pump PBW before. But due to moving to a new house, my system has gone unused, with old sediments (including brett funk), for quite some time. So I wanted to get my pipes clean with some BLC.

Everywhere I read, people are using pumps of various sorts. Plenty of things to buy.

I tried an experiment with just water. I put a gallon of water in a bottling bucket on a platform well above my kegerator faucet. I attached a hose from the spigot of the bottling bucket to the beer line - secured the loose connections with hose clamps. Turned on the spigot, then turned on the faucet. The water flowed just fine into another bucket to catch what comes out.

I haven't seen anyone try this in my google searches, so I wanted to make sure I'm not missing anything before I start pumping the BLC/water solution.

Also - any reason I can't put BLC solution in a bottling bucket?

Thanks all!

 

[GrillaRays]

I can't imagine BLC would harm a bottling bucket as long as it's rinsed in a timely manner, but I guess your process should work sufficiently well enough.
From what I've read on cleaning and servicing draught systems; if you use a pump for cleaning solution through the lines, it's ideal to run it at 2 gallons per minute for 15 minutes at a temperature starting at 125 degrees F. Or if you are cleaning using a static approach, it's best to leave the cleaning solution in the lines for a minimum of 20 minutes before flushing with water.
That seems like a lot of times of refilling and lifting the bottling bucket above your kegerator faucet?
Myself, I use a submersible fountain pump (that I picked up at my local discount hardware store for less than $10) and recirculate beer line cleaner through my lines with the pump in the bucket that hangs off my faucets.
Easy to do affordable and saves me more time for my other chores

 

[BrunDog]

Howdy folks,

I am long overdue for a beer line cleaning on my converted kegerator. I've used CO2 to pump PBW before. But due to moving to a new house, my system has gone unused, with old sediments (including brett funk), for quite some time. So I wanted to get my pipes clean with some BLC.

Everywhere I read, people are using pumps of various sorts. Plenty of things to buy.

I tried an experiment with just water. I put a gallon of water in a bottling bucket on a platform well above my kegerator faucet. I attached a hose from the spigot of the bottling bucket to the beer line - secured the loose connections with hose clamps. Turned on the spigot, then turned on the faucet. The water flowed just fine into another bucket to catch what comes out.

I haven't seen anyone try this in my google searches, so I wanted to make sure I'm not missing anything before I start pumping the BLC/water solution.

Also - any reason I can't put BLC solution in a bottling bucket?

Thanks all!

I do exactly this. Admittedly though, I don't use BLC. I use hot water, then star san. Maybe not clean enough, but my lines are faucets are new enough that it is a non-issue. At some point maybe I do the pump-thing.

 

[jonpecan]

Grilla: I wasn't aware of the 2 G/min flow recommendation. That might explain why I haven't seen anything on this. I think I'll start with my lazy, static approach and see where that gets me. Thanks for the pic of your set-up, very helpful: I think I'll replicate it if results are lacking!

Brun: Thanks for confirming the process! I'm hoping the BLC will give my previous process that extra oomf.

 

[Firewalker11]

When cleaning the tap lines I use pressurized hot water to flush the lines first then pressurized hot StarSan. I haven't found the need for using BLC yet since I clean my lines every keg.

 

[day_trippr]

When cleaning the tap lines I use pressurized hot water to flush the lines first then pressurized hot StarSan. I haven't found the need for using BLC yet since I clean my lines every keg.

What do you use to clean your lines?

Cheers!

 

[Firewalker11]

What do you use to clean your lines?

Cheers!

Ummmm.... "When cleaning the tap lines I use pressurized hot water to flush the lines first then pressurized hot StarSan. I haven't found the need for using BLC yet since I clean my lines every keg."

Pressurized hot water then StarSan?

 

[day_trippr]

Right. You do realize that's not actually going to "clean" stuff like beer stone?

Cheers!

 

[GrillaRays]

Grilla: I wasn't aware of the 2 G/min flow recommendation.

Hi Jon,
Here's a link to something I found on DraughtQuality.org

http://www.draughtquality.org/wp-co...r-The-Facts-About-Draught-System-Cleaning.pdf

 

[Firewalker11]

Right. You do realize that's not actually going to "clean" stuff like beer stone?

Cheers!

Why not? Clean is clean and if the lines are clean, they are clean. Beer stone isn't going to remove what isn't there.