Best way to clean corny keg
- Thread starter mattyb85
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I fill it full of PBW/water.
Let it sit for a half hour.
Hit it with a brush, and hook up a beer disconnect to my racking cane/tubing. Suck PBW solution back and forth through the dip tube.
Rinse.
Fill with Iodaphor/water.
Let it sit for 10 min.
Dump.
Rack beer and put on the cap.
Carb up.
Let it sit for a half hour.
Hit it with a brush, and hook up a beer disconnect to my racking cane/tubing. Suck PBW solution back and forth through the dip tube.
Rinse.
Fill with Iodaphor/water.
Let it sit for 10 min.
Dump.
Rack beer and put on the cap.
Carb up.
I like it, I just flush with my faucet but this seems easy and more thorough.
I rigged up one of these with spare parts and a couple things from the LHBS.
I run all the water used in the cleaning process thru the posts and dip tubes this way. I use all hot water so I think the tubes/posts/poppets all get a pretty good cleaning - if you're going to use the water any way, might as well run it through them the same way the beer comes out
I run all the water used in the cleaning process thru the posts and dip tubes this way. I use all hot water so I think the tubes/posts/poppets all get a pretty good cleaning - if you're going to use the water any way, might as well run it through them the same way the beer comes out
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beertastic
Well-Known Member
I rigged up one of these with spare parts and a couple things from the LHBS.
I run all the water used in the cleaning process thru the posts and dip tubes this way. I use all hot water so I think the tubes/posts/poppets all get a pretty good cleaning - if you're going to use the water any way, might as well run it through them the same way the beer comes out
Would make a good DIY thread!
I use a fountain pump with a PVC pipe on the discharge side. Set the rig in the bottom of a 15 brew kettle, keg goes inverted over the pipe, turn the pump on and walk away. The fluid sprays into the bottom of the keg and drains out through the bung back into the barrel. I generally do several at once, starting with hot water, then transition to a cleaning / sanitizing agent and lastly with very hot water again to rinse. By using very hot water in the last stage, they dry almost instantly. It also gets your brew kettle clean at the same time. Cheap fountain pumps are a dime a dozen at Harbor Freight.
I rigged up one of these with spare parts and a couple things from the LHBS.
I run all the water used in the cleaning process thru the posts and dip tubes this way. I use all hot water so I think the tubes/posts/poppets all get a pretty good cleaning - if you're going to use the water any way, might as well run it through them the same way the beer comes out
That thing's sweet! The picture is pretty tiny, but is it just tubing, stainless "T", gas and liquid disconnects, garden hose adapter and some clamps?
Yeah, it looked like such a good idea but I thought $40 was kinda steep...especially since I had most of the parts sitting around.
To make it the easiest/cheapest way, you can use:
-Garden hose to 3/8" barb adapter
-3/8" tubing
-3/8" tee
-5/16" ID keg gas tubing
-5/16" swivels nuts
-pair of flare thread QD's
-connect all tubing connections with your choice of clamps
That's it.
I made mine a little nicer, and went with a special SS tee that has a 3/8" barb "top" and 1/4" barb "sides."
Then I used 3/16" keg beverage tubing for the runs off the 1/4" barbs to the QD's. I used Oetiker clamps on all the connections, I figure it should last just about forever.
I was lucky enough to find the special TEE at my LHBS but you can get them at CHI Company and Grainger too I believe. The SS tee obviously costs a little more in money and effort than a plastic tee from HD/Lowes, but then you can use the smaller tubing and use barb QD's without the swivel nuts. So it may all net out about the same.
I have a faucet to garden hose adapter on my utility sink. I keep one of those garden hose quick connections on that adapter as well. And then I have the hose quick connects on this thing and my other "cleaning hose" as well, so it makes for easy & quick cleaning for kegs, fermenters, kettles, etc.
oasisbliss
Well-Known Member
Bad67 looks good ! would this work just as well with picnic taps ?
remandsager
Well-Known Member
Pretty much what I do - except after putting some PBW & hot water in the keg, and sloshing around, I hook up to CO2 & tap line, and run some PBW/hot water through the tap line - then let everything sit for 15-30 minutes. Then empty the keg through the tap, pushing it out w/ CO2. Rinse with water, same process. Sanitize everything with the same process. Cleans keg & tap line at the same time - seems to work...
It should. The picnic taps I have disassemble.
i just took some kegs apart on a whim. No problems with beer etc. But wanted to see if my method worked. You would NOT believe the amount of crap in the poppet. For the extra 2 min it takes, worth while to disassemble everything and clean it all.
+1
Wow bad67z, that was a very thorough cleaning of the keg/lines. These videos make me rethink my sanitization methods of my keg, and how I rack into the keg. This may sound crazy, but I've never cleaned the valves, and the out "pipe" on my corny keg. Beers always tasted real good, but maybe they'll last longer, or taste better upping my standards . Thanks!
. Thanks!
