Hoff-Stevens Fermenter Dip Tube Question

[BornInaHoller]

I have a 15.5 gallon Hoff-Stevens keg I would like to use as a fermenter. It has been sitting in a barn with the bung removed for over 20 years. I have been soaking it with oxyclean for the last 24 hours. My question is:

Will soaking it with oxyclean and scrubbing it inside good with a brush and later sanitizing it with idophor be GOOD enough?

Or, will the dip tube need to be removed because it is so old?

Thanks.

Edit: One more question: How much apfelwein could I ferment in this keg? Would 15 gallons leave enough headspace. I know my 5 gal carboy was filled all the way too the top with apfelwein and did just fine.

 

[TXCrash]

Posting just so that this shows up in "my replies". I have a hoff stevens that I'll be turning into a fermenter as well.

If the dip tube is plastic (mine is), I'd remove it.

 

[BornInaHoller]

^^Do you know how to remove the dip tube? I have a hoff-stevens tap and I am getting ready to start kegging so I will soon have a co2 tank. If I tapped the keg and ran oxyclean through the keg and later sanitizer, would that sanitize the dip tube good enough? I really would rather not cut the dip tube off because I may wan't to use this keg for serving beer through one day.

 

[kirscp]

There is a way to remove the stem, but I'd have to do some research on how that is done.

"The outer ring has three allen head set screws in it. Loosen these. Hold the inner piece (with the holes for CO2 in and beer out.) A set of needle nose pliers works for this. Insert the "noses" into the hole. Back off the outer ring with a pipe wrench or water pumps. The inner piece drops into the keg and can be fished out through the bung hole.

This is, of course, a great way to tear up your valve too. All depends on how tight things are and how careful you are. "

 

[BornInaHoller]

^Thanks for the info!

 

[BornInaHoller]

Today, I tried to remove the valve on the hoff-stevens keg using the method above. The allen head screws easily came out. However, the rest of it was much more challenging. I do not have a pipe wrench, so, I used a large pair of vice grips to tightly grip the very top of the outer ring and needle nose pliers to go into the two holes and hold the middle part. At first, I was able to loosen the outer ring 3 or 4 revolutions. But, it finally came to a stop. The problem is that the needle nose pliers just don't want to hold onto the inner ring. So, does anyone have any suggestions on any other tools that would fit down into the two holes and hold the inner ring in place? Dang, I'm close to a huge batch of apfelwein!!