smitty8202
Well-Known Member
So will be finally getting around to putting together my keg kit I have. I will be cleaning and sanitizing everything tonite and racking my beer to the keg and carbing it. What is the process everyone uses for this.
Cleaning lines and keg
- Thread starter smitty8202
- Start date
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I am BRAND NEW, and everyone on this site is smarter than me, but this is basically what I have done:
I watched a few youtube videos about cleaning and sanitizing corny kegs. And I have done a lot of reading on this site.
I built a line cleaner following these instructions:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f254/diy-beer-line-cleaner-226497/
I use starsan. I also have a wallpaper tray like this (http://www.homedepot.com/s/wallpaper%20tray?NCNI-5)
that I use to soak long items in to sanitize which, if I remember correctly, was a tip from searching this site.
I dipped the parts, (connectors, lines, etc.), into sanitizer as I assembled. Maybe a little overboard, but that's me. Then used my line cleaner to wash, flush, and sanitize lines.
I use oxyclean free to soak and clean the keg and little pieces. I bought a used keg and changed the o-rings. I have o-ring lube on hand when assembled. Then a real good rinse of all parts and put them in starsan. When assembling the little parts of the keg I took the pieces out of the sanitizer and assembled.
Filled the keg about 1/2 full with sanitizer, shook, turned upside down, shook, let it set in upright and upside down for 10-15 min. each, drained and then racked in beer with sanitized tubing. Sanitize the the posts and make the connections. Wait for the CO2 to get dissolved, about a week, drink, smile!
Don't introduce oxygen when you transfer, the transfer line should go to the bottom of the keg to prevent splashing and let it fill from there. As long as the transfer line is sanitized, inside and out, no problem.
Starsan is a little harsh on my hands so I use gloves, nitrile or latex.
Other, more experienced brewers, will chime in and hopefully I haven't given any bad info.
Good luck and enjoy!
I watched a few youtube videos about cleaning and sanitizing corny kegs. And I have done a lot of reading on this site.
I built a line cleaner following these instructions:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f254/diy-beer-line-cleaner-226497/
I use starsan. I also have a wallpaper tray like this (http://www.homedepot.com/s/wallpaper%20tray?NCNI-5)
that I use to soak long items in to sanitize which, if I remember correctly, was a tip from searching this site.
I dipped the parts, (connectors, lines, etc.), into sanitizer as I assembled. Maybe a little overboard, but that's me. Then used my line cleaner to wash, flush, and sanitize lines.
I use oxyclean free to soak and clean the keg and little pieces. I bought a used keg and changed the o-rings. I have o-ring lube on hand when assembled. Then a real good rinse of all parts and put them in starsan. When assembling the little parts of the keg I took the pieces out of the sanitizer and assembled.
Filled the keg about 1/2 full with sanitizer, shook, turned upside down, shook, let it set in upright and upside down for 10-15 min. each, drained and then racked in beer with sanitized tubing. Sanitize the the posts and make the connections. Wait for the CO2 to get dissolved, about a week, drink, smile!
Don't introduce oxygen when you transfer, the transfer line should go to the bottom of the keg to prevent splashing and let it fill from there. As long as the transfer line is sanitized, inside and out, no problem.
Starsan is a little harsh on my hands so I use gloves, nitrile or latex.
Other, more experienced brewers, will chime in and hopefully I haven't given any bad info.
Good luck and enjoy!
1975brewer
Well-Known Member
PBW in a Marks carboy & keg washer & leave it rinsing for at least 20 min. I have tubing & quick disconnects attached to the gas & liquid posts so everything is washed at the same time. Followed by a warm water rinse with another set of quick disconnects attached to the faucet. Then I use Starsan in a spray bottle to spray the keg top, inside & depress the post stops to spray in them.
I use Oxyclean and warm/hot water to clean my kegs. Put in about 2/3 scoop and about two gallons of water and seal it up and slosh it around a lot. Rinse 3-4 times. For sanitizing I use about 2.5G of StarSan solution, seal the keg and slowly turn the keg around to coat all surfaces a few times, let sit until I'm ready. After the beer has been in the keg and it's emptied I also clean the diptube by dipping the brush into the Oxyclean in the keg and pushing it though a few times and rinsing the tube before reinserting.
For the lines, I clean them with BLC but using a hand pump kit going from the faucet end through to the end of the line (disconnect removed). I then rinse twice with water. The disconnects and faucets I clean and sanitize separately. It's actually a very quick process and I save gas not pushing cleaner/sanitizer from the keg through the faucets.
Rev.
For the lines, I clean them with BLC but using a hand pump kit going from the faucet end through to the end of the line (disconnect removed). I then rinse twice with water. The disconnects and faucets I clean and sanitize separately. It's actually a very quick process and I save gas not pushing cleaner/sanitizer from the keg through the faucets.
Rev.
bobeer
Fermentation Specalist
Honestly this is the part of my overall beer making process I spend the least amount of time on atm. I should spend more time in caring for my stuff but I just don't have the time--usually. I still clean everything but I don't really "flush" the lines in the traditional sense. I have a dark beer line and a hoppy beer line since those are the two styles I make the most often. If a line looks too grungy to use again I just put another 5 ft for less than $4 at my lhbs.
I rinse each line with hot water after a keg kicks. Then I use my carboy brush to clean out the inside of the keg with some very hot water. I try to not use any chemicals on my kegs if I can help it. If I can get to the kicked keg shorty after it kicks I don't have any issues getting it clean.
I remove the pop-its and clean them as well as the dip tube. I disassemble the faucet and clean all the parts of that as well.
I then make a 2.5 gallon batch of starsan and sanitize everything. Put about a 1/2 gallon in the keg, attach the lid, and swish it around for a few minutes. I make sure to sanitize the pop-its, the keg lid, the beer line, and the faucet. Then I sanitize the auto-siphon. I rack the beer to the keg then immediately pump hot water through the auto-siphon to clean it out. Any leftover starsan goes into my spray bottle for later use for gravity samples or whatever else.
I then attach the gas, purge the oxygen, and set it to 20 psi. I carefully put the keg on an angle and swish the beer inside so the gas can into solution a little faster. I do this for a minute or two then put it all in the fridge for a 3 days or so. After 3 days I put the psi down to about 5 and serve.
I used to spend a lot more time deep cleaning but since the birth of my daughter I don't really have time for it. My process still works for me and I've yet to have any issues. As long as I can clean the kegs and everything shortly after they kick it seems to be working. I've done about 10 kegs or so this way with no issues.
I rinse each line with hot water after a keg kicks. Then I use my carboy brush to clean out the inside of the keg with some very hot water. I try to not use any chemicals on my kegs if I can help it. If I can get to the kicked keg shorty after it kicks I don't have any issues getting it clean.
I remove the pop-its and clean them as well as the dip tube. I disassemble the faucet and clean all the parts of that as well.
I then make a 2.5 gallon batch of starsan and sanitize everything. Put about a 1/2 gallon in the keg, attach the lid, and swish it around for a few minutes. I make sure to sanitize the pop-its, the keg lid, the beer line, and the faucet. Then I sanitize the auto-siphon. I rack the beer to the keg then immediately pump hot water through the auto-siphon to clean it out. Any leftover starsan goes into my spray bottle for later use for gravity samples or whatever else.
I then attach the gas, purge the oxygen, and set it to 20 psi. I carefully put the keg on an angle and swish the beer inside so the gas can into solution a little faster. I do this for a minute or two then put it all in the fridge for a 3 days or so. After 3 days I put the psi down to about 5 and serve.
I used to spend a lot more time deep cleaning but since the birth of my daughter I don't really have time for it. My process still works for me and I've yet to have any issues. As long as I can clean the kegs and everything shortly after they kick it seems to be working. I've done about 10 kegs or so this way with no issues.
JONNYROTTEN
Well-Known Member
I use one of these http://www.googleadservices.com/pag...=pla&catargetid=320012430000210412&cadevice=c Fill with oxyclean,open faucet for a bit,let it sit 15 minutes,and empy tank through faucet.Fill tank with water,flush...real easy
dlester
Well-Known Member
Here's a good way to clean your kegs:
http://brewboobs.blogspot.com/2013/12/clean-beer-lines-cheap-and-easy-how.html
http://brewboobs.blogspot.com/2013/12/clean-beer-lines-cheap-and-easy-how.html
bobeer
Fermentation Specalist
Sorry for the OT, but congrats bro!
Rev.
Thanks Rev!
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