Cleaning and storing Keg Lines?

[RabbitHole]

Sooo I always just have a keg full of starsan as when ever I change a keg I pump starsan through. And don’t have a keg ready to tap. I just fill the line with star San and leave. Anything wrong with this method?

 

[Brooothru]

IIRC, Star San is mostly phosphoric acid. In a stainless steel keg, it seems like you'd get enhanced passivation. Not sure about gaskets and/or seals, however.

FWIW when a keg kicks on me it gets cleaned and washed, sanitized with Star San, filled to the very top with an NaMeta hot soak to absorb O2, and then purge the NaMeta out with CO2 from an active fermentation. Often I'll daisy chain two or more kegs so the CO2 discharge from a single fermentation purges multiple kegs.

The empty keg gets cleaned, sanitized, purged of Star San and NaMeta with free CO2 and sits sealed, free of oxygen, until I do a closed pressure transfer from a closed fermenter. Sometimes the kegs will be stored that way for months. Works great.

Brooo Brother

 

[gnef]

I've found that some plastic doesn't like to be left in starsan solution for too long. When I was using PVC lines, they would turn cloudy if I left them overnight in starsan, and would become almost slimy.

I now use Bev Seal Ultra 235, which uses two different types of plastic, but I still don't leave it soaking in starsan longer than needed.

In my opinion, the best way to leave lines between kegs is to leave it empty and dry. If you are going to do that, then I would still do the star san, then purge with CO2, and make sure they are completely dry for long term storage.

The better way, if at all possible, is to never run out of beer, and always keep it flowing!

 

[day_trippr]

Definitely agree with NOT leaving lines full of Star San.
I keep reading of them turning white inside. Bad juju.
If I ever have a tap go idle (crosses self three times ) I'd go the sanitize then CO2 blow-out route. Sounds solid

Cheers!

 

[gnef]

Definitely agree with NOT leaving lines full of Star San.
I keep reading of them turning white inside. Bad juju.
If I ever have a tap go idle (crosses self three times ) I'd go the sanitize then CO2 blow-out route. Sounds solid

Cheers!

If I ever have a tap go idle, it is definitely the apocalypse!

 

[DosGatosBrewing]

I use party taps, so they are pretty portable. When a keg kicks, I seem to always have another ready to go. If I don't, then I just leave the line, party tap and QD in the beer fridge until the next keg is ready to come online.

 

[RabbitHole]

yes. They def got cloudy which is what prompted me to ask. Soooo should I replace them? Or just pbw them and the star San and then c02?