Kegger newbie

I just bought a couple of cheap 3 gallon kegs for force-carbonization (they will fit in my fridge). On the top of the keg it says, "DO NOT EXCEED 60 PSI" - which makes perfect sense, but it also says, "DO NOT REMOVE LID" - which does not - maybe they mean "don't remove lid while under pressure?" You must remove the lid to clean it and add every new batch! OTOH, I might be missing something critical... So I thought I would ask...

Thanks,
Patricia

 

Mine warn about the lid under pressure, which is nearly impossible with my kegs as the lid seals from the inside and I don't think I could possibly open them under pressure.

 

yeah, I'm guessing it means just under pressure.

 

Thanks - how do you clean these things? A long brush would be OK for all but the dip tube. A long soak in dilute bleach before a power rinse?

TIA
EDIT: Found a couple of youtube videos ....
This guy says Oxyclean works well, but National Chemical Keg Beer Line Cleaner gets better reviews

 

Bleach or chlorine can corrode stainless, so best to avoid.

PBW or oxi clean to clean, then star San to sanitize would be my choice.

 

I clean mine each time they are emptied. A 30 minute (or sometimes 2 or 3 hours if I get distracted) soak with warm water and PBW (avoid chlorine) with all the fittings and lid inside. I have found that if I put the top of the dip tube into the little depression in the center of the bottom of the keg, I can get it all the way in. I clean mine within a day of them being emptied, so I really don't find that I need to scrub them at all. Every few cleanings I do runa abrush down the dip tubes. I put the keg back together and I rinse 3 times with hot water. Then I put a couple of cups of StarSan inside, give it a good swirl and dump it out. I put the keg upside down for a little while, put the lid back on and pressurized the keg to about 5 lbs. That seals it nicely and I'm then sure it's ready to refill. I have 16 kegs, so in order to know which ones are ready, I store the clean kegs upside down - a quick glance at the empties and I know how much beer I can brew!

 

OK, what's PBW?

 

Powdered Brewery Wash...

Cheers!

 

To add to your earlier comment, you can buy a long brush (called a dip tube brush) that is big enough to get all the way through the liquid dip tube. It's also a good idea to take off the posts, poppets, etc. and make sure everything is in order, especially for a used keg. And make sure you have extra o-rings on hand!