Best way to leave empty beer lines (that have previously had beer run through them).

[HalfPint]

Well, this is the first time it's happened since I got my kegerator, but since I've been busy lately and didn't have time to brew, I'm out of beer. After running out of beer, I cleaned my kegs/sanitized the lines and flushed with water. There is currently water sitting in the lines, and I have fermenting beer, but won't be ready to go on tap for another 3 weeks or so. What do you think the best option is short of buying something from the LHBS.

Thanks,
J

 

[Loudog]

If I run out of beer I just leave the lines alone till my next batch is done, If i don't have one in the pipeline. this way at least I know no Ox or bad beer bugs can get in...

 

[TomSD]

I keep a pressurized keg full of StarSan... just enough to push the liquid. When I tap out a keg I push some StarSan through it then attach it to one of my empty kegs (I keep them sanitized and pressurized) and blow enough CO2 through to blow out the lines.

After that they get a new keg or they sit empty, depending on what I have ready.

Might be overkill but I always have what I need sitting around so it only takes a couple minutes and gives me some peace of mind.

 

[wedge421]

Yep keg full o' Star San always does the trick for me. Just hook it up and pull the tap. Clean lines!

 

[JonW]

StarSan is a sanitizer and won't clean the beer stone deposits. If you're not going to use the lines for a period of time, I would use BLC (or other acid based cleaner) to soak the lines for a period, then flush with water. You can then remove the QD's and open the tap to drain the remaining rinse water. I wouldn't leave water sitting in the lines.

 

[Scut_Monkey]

I run oxiclean free through them followed by a substantial volume of star san to both rinse the oxiclean and sanitize the line. I leave the lines filled with either starsan for a short period or allow them to air dry for a longer storage.

 

[HalfPint]

So you let them air dry by just unscrewing the top of the QD's and opening the taps?

 

[Scut_Monkey]

I'll either push the fluid out with CO2 or I'll unhook them and hang them up if there is not going to be something there to replace it in the next few weeks.

 

[HalfPint]

I'll either push the fluid out with CO2 or I'll unhook them and hang them up if there is not going to be something there to replace it in the next few weeks.

Hmm, I don't think I'll unhook them since they're attached to the tower and that's a pain, but I may just push the liquid out with some gas.

 

[Scut_Monkey]

Yeah that would be a big pain. I wouldn't remove them either but they are quite easy for me to remove and very easy to get to. You could always use an air compressor to blow the lines out as well.

 

[HalfPint]

Yeah that would be a big pain. I wouldn't remove them either but they are quite easy for me to remove and very easy to get to. You could always use an air compressor to blow the lines out as well.

That's true, I don't get to use the air compressor as often as I'd like!

 

[Sacdan]

If you use an air compressor, you could get bacteria from the water buildup in the compressor tank and/or oil in your lines. I wouldn't recommend it.

 

[HalfPint]

If you use an air compressor, you could get bacteria from the water buildup in the compressor tank and/or oil in your lines. I wouldn't recommend it.

Luckily my lazy self hasn't done that yet.

 

[ScubaSteve]

If you clean with hot oxiclean you can SEE it effervescently moving through the line leaving things clean. Star-san won't do that. Rinse with star-san for sanitation purposes and you're good. In a cool environment with a low pH very little will grow in there. When you do hook it up, just bleed off about 250 mL......

 

[HalfPint]

If you clean with hot oxiclean you can SEE it effervescently moving through the line leaving things clean. Star-san won't do that. Rinse with star-san for sanitation purposes and you're good. In a cool environment with a low pH very little will grow in there. When you do hook it up, just bleed off about 250 mL......

Are you saying to leave Oxy-Clean in the leans for 3 weeks? I'm not so sure about this. The thing is, since I'm not using my kegerator right now I've got it unplugged and all of the lines are sitting inside of it full of clean water. I sanitized the lines with iodophor before flushing/filling the lines full of clean water and that's how they're sitting right now.

 

[Scut_Monkey]

Are you saying to leave Oxy-Clean in the leans for 3 weeks? I'm not so sure about this. The thing is, since I'm not using my kegerator right now I've got it unplugged and all of the lines are sitting inside of it full of clean water. I sanitized the lines with iodophor before flushing/filling the lines full of clean water and that's how they're sitting right now.

I don't think he is saying that at all. He advised to rinse with starsan following the oxiclean soak. This is what I do as well.

 

[HalfPint]

I don't think he is saying that at all. He advised to rinse with starsan following the oxiclean soak. This is what I do as well.

Oh, I see. That makes sense, and that's just about what I did. Except I used Iodophor instead of starsan.