Do you disassemble corny post poppets when cleaning?

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Brew2Be

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Hi guys. I am a bit in doubt as to whether i should fully disassemble my corny posts when cleaning my keg. I'm thinking some hop gunk / yeast could be hiding but I cant seem to find a non-destructive way to take out the poppets in the posts. What do you guys do? Is it enough to pump some PBW followed by some iodophor through them the next time I keg a batch?

Thanks in advance.
 
I take mine apart every time I kick a keg. Sometimes there is some gunk in there, so I am glad that I do. What kinds of posts do you have that you can't just slip the poppets out? With mine the poppets fall out if I tip over the post.
 
I take mine out most of the time. I brew a lot of IPAs and always seem to have hops debris in mine. My long diptube is usually full of gunk too, so when I hear that some people have never disassembled theirs, it grosses me out. I eyeball mine by holding up to the light, and sometimes it's completely full of crud and I can't see through it. Often it rinses out, but not always, and I use the long diptube brush to clean it.
 
For some reason they were not attached. Here they are :)
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I disassemble every time. The keg posts spin off with a socket wrench and the poppet falls out. Then you pull the dip tube (short one for gas, long one for beer). I dump all the little parts in basin of my keg cleaner. Then I dump the keg in a slop sink, give it a rinse to get majority of yeast and crap out of there, then run it on my keg cleaner for 10 min with warm PBW.

I have the Mark II keg cleaner and it has served me well. But am curious about people with the SS Brewtech keg washer. Seems like that is designed to avoid having to disassemble and could be a time saver if it is really effective.
 
Brew2Be said:
For some reason they were not attached. Here they are :)View attachment 610063View attachment 610064View attachment 610065
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Intersting. Looks like a needle nose plier would get it out but understand your concern about not wanting to damage it. If you have a keg washer with a pump you could rig up a hose to a ball lock disconnect (one for gas and another for beer) and pump PBW backwards through that thing.

I'd do hose > flare fitting > MFL disconnect to make the switch over from the gas fitting to the beer fitting easy. Anyway these poppets do foul all the time with my hoppy beers and if you have similar issues you will need a way to get that gunk gout.
 
I have some poppets like that.

I use an awl to push the poppet out from the top. I've ruined some trying to pry them out with pliers.
I set the post upright on the table, then push down with awl in the center of the poppet head(some times it takes a little whack with my palm), the poppet will come out the bottom of the post.

I keep some universal poppets on hand just in case.
 
They come out. Sit the post thread side down on a table or work bench . Get a philips head screw driver and push the poppet down. They will pop out. If you don't clean them properly you will eventually cry.

Wow! Took me five minutes to write that. You beat me to it @tll77
 
Thanks for all the inputs! It seems there are a number of ways to go about this. I think I will opt for the screw driver option since I don't have a keg washer. Do you have some way not to scratch the post / poppet? Put some cloth in between screwdriver and post?
 
Brew2Be said:
Thanks for all the inputs! It seems there are a number of ways to go about this. I think I will opt for the screw driver option since I don't have a keg washer. Do you have some way not to scratch the post / poppet? Put some cloth in between screwdriver and post?
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The top of the poppet is not a sealing surface, so minor scratches or dings are not a problem. The seal is created by the "O" ring on the poppet and a surface inside the keg post, near the top. You don't want to damage that surface, but doing so would require extra effort.

Brew on :mug:
 
Scratching is inconsequential. The metal part of the poppet and post do not play a part in the seal. But if you want, use a rag. Or maybe a pencil. Lead or wood should not leave much of a mark.
 
doug293cz said:
The top of the poppet is not a sealing surface, so minor scratches or dings are not a problem. The seal is created by the "O" ring on the poppet and a surface inside the keg post, near the top. You don't want to damage that surface, but doing so would require extra effort.

Brew on :mug:
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Great! Thanks a lot. Since I got my keg system built a few months ago I've been brewing like crazy compared to what I used to (thanks to HBT convincing me to build the keg setup!). I also got a Grainfather now. I have 10 gallons bubbling away right now and it will be nice to be able to properly clean the kegs so I can sleep at night.
 
I never take them apart and have never had a single issue. I do however remove the liquid out post and soak it in BLC when I clean the keg. I run some BLC through it by pushing the center pin down and then when rinsing also push the pin down to let clean water flush through the post.


Rev.
 
I used to.. then realized it was overkill I pressurize some starsan in the keg after cleaning and push it through both poppets to clean them... I also dont put hops or trub in my kegs so...
 
I didn't always do a complete tear down until I started working at a brewery. We would take everything apart after every brew, transfer, kegging, etc. It taught me a lot. And made me much more tolerant of those little inconveniences of cleaning every possible hiding place.
 
Homergah said:
I didn't always do a complete tear down until I started working at a brewery. We would take everything apart after every brew, transfer, kegging, etc. It taught me a lot. And made me much more tolerant of those little inconveniences of cleaning every possible hiding place.
Click to expand...

This is valid. Little things mean a lot (I know, I know a cliche, but true).
 
Brew2Be said:
Hi guys. I am a bit in doubt as to whether i should fully disassemble my corny posts when cleaning my keg. I'm thinking some hop gunk / yeast could be hiding but I cant seem to find a non-destructive way to take out the poppets in the posts. What do you guys do? Is it enough to pump some PBW followed by some iodophor through them the next time I keg a batch?

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
You push them out, or I guess you could pry at the posts from behind. Mine pop straight out. Use a chopstick small end maybe.
 
Sorry, no pku,

ahh, I see, a small jewler screw driver with a little touch back there ought to do the trick. Maybe push on the top somehow while feeling around gently from behind with the jeweler tool.
 
Tobor_8thMan said:
Absolutely. Amazing how much gunk is in the post and/or poppet. Why chance it?
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chance what though a spontaneous infection? if the keg sat around opened and unsealed I could see your point.
I really think this is dependent on the process and whats stored in them. there was a thread on this about a year ago and after that I started pulling my poppets to check them for a while after cleaning and preassure washing the poppets without disassebly.
Not once did I find any "gunk" if I dry hopped or didnt use the side valve on my conicals to keg from I could see things being different.

At the brewery we use a keg washer to wash our sanke kegs but we do not disassemble them there either. ive talked to brewery owners who actually just rinse and sometimes skip even that when refilling with the same beer.. Not something I would do but my point is the beer does not become infected with these pratices or they wouldnt do it that way right? it very well could have negative effects but it seems they arent noticable enough to effect practices at those places.
 
augiedoggy said:
chance what though a spontaneous infection? if the keg sat around opened and unsealed I could see your point.
I really think this is dependent on the process and whats stored in them. there was a thread on this about a year ago and after that I started pulling my poppets to check them for a while after cleaning and preassure washing the poppets without disassebly.
Not once did I find any "gunk" if I dry hopped or didnt use the side valve on my conicals to keg from I could see things being different.

At the brewery we use a keg washer to wash our sanke kegs but we do not disassemble them there either. ive talked to brewery owners who actually just rinse and sometimes skip even that when refilling with the same beer.. Not something I would do but my point is the beer does not become infected with these pratices or they wouldnt do it that way right? it very well could have negative effects but it seems they arent noticable enough to effect practices at those places.
Click to expand...

Nope, no infection(s).
 
augiedoggy said:
chance what though a spontaneous infection? if the keg sat around opened and unsealed I could see your point.
I really think this is dependent on the process and whats stored in them. there was a thread on this about a year ago and after that I started pulling my poppets to check them for a while after cleaning and preassure washing the poppets without disassebly.
Not once did I find any "gunk" if I dry hopped or didnt use the side valve on my conicals to keg from I could see things being different.

At the brewery we use a keg washer to wash our sanke kegs but we do not disassemble them there either. ive talked to brewery owners who actually just rinse and sometimes skip even that when refilling with the same beer.. Not something I would do but my point is the beer does not become infected with these pratices or they wouldnt do it that way right? it very well could have negative effects but it seems they arent noticable enough to effect practices at those places.
Click to expand...
Agreed. However..... At the brewery we expose the keg to 180f water and acid. Every cleaning. Just seems like cheap insurance. I can't imagine sending a dirty keg out with a product that has my name on it. Or even serving it at my home. But, everyone has their process, and what they can live with. Not judging at all. I guess if you KNOW your beer will be consumed quickly a certain amount of risk is mitigated. I don't trust bars and restaurants to that extent. But this is homebrewing. So, I digress. I wish I could relax to that degree. Where is Charlie when you need him?
 
Homergah said:
Agreed. However..... At the brewery we expose the keg to 180f water and acid. Every cleaning. Just seems like cheap insurance. I can't imagine sending a dirty keg out with a product that has my name on it. Or even serving it at my home. But, everyone has their process, and what they can live with. Not judging at all. I guess if you KNOW your beer will be consumed quickly a certain amount of risk is mitigated. I don't trust bars and restaurants to that extent. But this is homebrewing. So, I digress. I wish I could relax to that degree. Where is Charlie when you need him?
Click to expand...
A pro told me, after explaining the acid washer, hell no we dont touch them after that, all that would do is disturb a sanatized environment.
 
Homergah said:
Scratching is inconsequential.
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On the liquid side beer flows over it so I do not think it is inconsequential. Anything the beer touches should be easily sanitized; scratches are not easy.

I disassemble every time, with a small, #1, phillips head screw driver. It fits into the rivet on the inside as well. I will have to try a chop stick, at least for removal, but it might bend the 'legs' putting it back in.
 

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