Brett & Tap Lines

[m00ps]

Ive seen this addressed in some other topics, but it was more a side comment and I never could find some good solid consensus

Ive got 2 100% brett IPAs that I would really like to put on tap, but I dont want to have to change everything out (lines would be fine Im talking about tap faucets, john guest fittings, beer shanks, etc). Has anyone had experience putting an all-Brett beer on tap and whether it passed along to any subsequent beers? I also have a beergun that I use to purge and bottle some fo my IPAs on tap. I'd be most worried about that getting infected

 

[microbusbrewery]

I've put sours (brett, pedio, and lacto) on tap a bunch of times. I haven't changed out any lines, shanks, faucets. The following regimen has worked for me and I haven't had any noticeable cross-contaminations.

Hot water rinse > BLC soak > hot water rinse > StarSan soak > hot water rinse > Iodophor soak (usually 2x concentration) > hot water rinse

 

[m00ps]

hmm ok thats good to hear. I dont really feel like making a recirulating cleaning pump assembly, but I do keep a keg filled with starsan to clean a bit between kegs. I guess I'll just fill that with BLC first then starsan or something. Probably have to take apart the keg and the beergun and soak in PBW or something too

 

[microbusbrewery]

i just use a garden sprayer for mine. Fill it, pump it, then hook it up to your beverage line. A recirculating pump system would probably be better, but the garden sprayer seems to work. Check out this thread, https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=226497

For the kegs, I disassemble every time, whether it's a clean beer or a wild beer. I clean them well, then if it's a keg that had a wild beer, I'll put the posts, poppets, dip tubes, and lid in a steamer basket on the stove for about 15-20 minutes. So far I haven't had any issues with the gaskets or pressure relief valve being exposed to steam temps.

 

[Mar10]

Doesn't Brett form a biofilm that needs to be physically scrubbed off before sanitation can occur? I'm also brewing Brett beers and thought of a Brett only tap vs bottles

 

[youreanimpulse]

The line cleaner breaks up the biofilm. Like soaking a carboy with PBW, same idea.

 

[m00ps]

I chickened out and bottled my black brett IPA. Tried purging the bottles beforehand though so hopefully theyll have a bit longer shelf life. Ive got a rebrew of my first Brett IPA going now. Maybe ill try making on of those pump things to clean it out with BLC after its on tap