Cleaning multiple keg lines at once

[Bobby_M]

I've had my five tap kegger for a while and I really do hate cleaning the lines and faucets. Probably the most prevalent process I've used is filling a spare keg with BLC and pushing it through all the lines one at a time either with CO2 or compressed air. The down sides are many; time, wasted gas, manual switching to each faucet, and then changing out the BLC to water, then to starsan. Also, in trying to cut down on time invested, I never really run the BLC through for what I'd consider long enough and static soaking is not a substitute.

I wanted to move to a pumped solution that I can just let run for a while so I'd drop a pond pump into a bucket of BLC, connect it to the front spout on the Perlick faucet with a hose, take the keg connector apart and just drop it down into the bucket and let it run. This works better but it's still one line at a time.

This is the little doohicky I came up with and I hope it works out because I made 100 of them.

Ball lock connectors lock on to both sides and let's you daisy chain as many lines as you want. Even better, you don't have to take the guts out of the connector.

So, here's how I see it going. You still connect a pump to the front of a faucet, but then on the back end, you link it to the next faucet. Then you clamp a piece of tubing onto that faucet spout and either run that back down into the cleaner bucket, or continue on to the next faucet and on and on. The biggest challenge with adding multiples is having enough pressure to push through the long lines.

More testing to come.

 

[Hoppity]

Very clever idea. With two of those and some silicone hose I could clean all four of my lines anytime I want, save CO2 and not have to hump a keg around.

 

[maierhof]

Uh - yeah it is a clever device!
I have a tool that I made because they didn't make this yet...

Ok - I can't believe I am the first person to ask but:
How do I get four of these? Can I PM you my info or do you want me to hit you on your site? I want these please!!

 

[The_Bishop]

Only drawback is you need to be using perlicks, or a perlic type faucet. A standard beer faucet will have the cleaner blowing out around the front piston.

 

[milldoggy]

I will take 3

 

[Yesfan]

I may be interested in a few myself. Looking forward to your results Bobby.

 

[Bobby_M]

Oops, I forgot to mention that I already have these in hand and available for ordering on the website.

https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/ball_lock_jumperpost.htm

 

[orangehero]

Although a bit more expensive, there's also this product:

http://www.ritebrew.com/product-p/843692.htm

I don't know how your fittings are machined, but I have a carbonator cap that accepts both liquid and gas ball lock disconnects. If they are being custom machined, I think that might be a useful feature for these.

I see you carry the carbonator caps with the hose barb on the bottom. Perhaps it's the same one? I think the double scores on the side signify that it accepts both liquid and gas connectors.

I don't see it mentioned on the website, but another use for those caps is to counter-pressure fill soda bottles from a keg. I think it's an awesome product.

There are some videos on how to do it in my thread:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=494050

I guess you could even use those carbonator caps the same way for cleaning. Usually I hook a couple up if I want to flush a utility transfer line.

 

[Hoppity]

Only drawback is you need to be using perlicks, or a perlic type faucet. A standard beer faucet will have the cleaner blowing out around the front piston.

Why would an open tap not allow flow in either direction, regardless of manufacture?

 

[Bobby_M]

Why would an open tap not allow flow in either direction, regardless of manufacture?

It would flow cleaner into the lines through rear seal faucets, but the point I think he was making was that it's not perfectly liquid tight. These are the faucets that have a visible piston that sticks out of the front of the faucet when it's in the open position.

 

[milldoggy]

OK, any thoughts on what pump to use? I have 25 ft of 1/4 bevflex with a 10 ft rise. 4 taps. Thinking a sump pump over pond pump. I have perlick 425s. Do the ventamics cleaning or growler adapters fit?
http://www.chicompany.net/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=376_17_16&products_id=3306

 

[Yesfan]

OK, any thoughts on what pump to use? I have 25 ft of 1/4 bevflex with a 10 ft rise. 4 taps. Thinking a sump pump over pond pump. I have perlick 425s. Do the ventamics cleaning or growler adapters fit?
http://www.chicompany.net/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=376_17_16&products_id=3306

Yes they do.

I also have the cleaning adapter Chi sells. (link)


I figured since the cleaning adapter was listed as being for both the Ventamatics and the Perlick 425, then the growler filler should fit as well, and they both do.

I have not tested them yet to make sure they do not leak as I'm still using my 525 taps. I plan on switching out my taps this week and will be glad to report back.

 

[milldoggy]

Yes they do.

I also have the cleaning adapter Chi sells. (link)


I figured since the cleaning adapter was listed as being for both the Ventamatics and the Perlick 425, then the growler filler should fit as well, and they both do.

I have not tested them yet to make sure they do not leak as I'm still using my 525 taps. I plan on switching out my taps this week and will be glad to report back.

Please do, in the same boat, using my 525s now, about to switch to the 425s I just got.

 

[gnef]

That's a great idea for those that only use ball lock!

Unfortunately, I have a mix of ball lock and pin lock. I have to take off the disconnect from the tubing to create my loops for cleaning, but it isn't too bad, especially once I convert everything to John guest, and just have to pull the tubing out.

 

[Bobby_M]

I'm in the same situation. I got some double ended male flare fittings for that situation. I used to have all barbed QDs and eventually converted over the MFL for ball lock to pinlock switches and then for easier tubing replacement.

 

[maierhof]

So I received mine this last weekend.

Used a few of them the first day. Took my 2gal pump sprayer filled it up with hot water and brewclean then connected my two transfer lines and a cobra tap line at the same time. Pushed half of the stuff into the lines - then walked away for an hour. Came back and pushed the rest out, ran a rinse cycle 3 times then ran starsan and I was done. No leaks at all.

It took quite a bit of pressure to push this stuff through three lines - had to add pressure through out the run. Perhaps it would be easier to setup a corny keg and fill it with lots of cleaner then push it all through the lines with co2 and into a new keg - cleaning the lines and the kegs at the same time? So many places to use this connectors! Oh - stay away from using these with the gas qd lines as they can be pretty difficult to get out...imho.

You just made my cleaning day routine faster! Nice....
Thank you Bobby!

Here are some pics for you...

 

[Bobby_M]

Thanks for the update. On the CO2 thing, I mistakenly modeled it after the liquid post which doesn't work well on gas QDs but I could have used the gas post model instead as it works for both.

 

[milldoggy]

Ordered my connectors and the cleaning adapters from chicompany for my 425, they only had the three on hand, one is on back order. Going to use a 1/8 hp submersible pump since I have 4x 27 ft 1/4 bevseal lines with a 13 ft vertical rise. Hope it works.

 

[milldoggy]

Finally installed my 425s. Here are some pics of my recirc cleaner using Bobby's jumper post.

View attachment 1446122467313.jpg

View attachment 1446122474596.jpg

 

[Yesfan]

MillDoggy,

Sorry I didn't reply back sooner. Looks like you already know the adapters work with the 425 taps.


Nice looking draft tower!

 

[westo2]

Any plans to make another run of these? I'm in for 4 of them as soon as they are back in stock.

 

[Bobby_M]

300 coming this time

 

[westo2]

Fantastic. Hope to have them in soon, or will it be a bit?

 

[brrman]

awesome I need a couple of these as well.

 

[Bobby_M]

2 weeks

 

[westo2]

2 weeks

Ho ho ho, it's time to clean some keg lines. Any update as to availability? I need to order sone cam lock fitting too.

 

[Bobby_M]

I wish.. delayed

 

[Wash1]

Just ordered the locline sparge arm from you, very pleased! Love to have a couple of these to clean the keg lines.... let us know when they're in. Thanks

 

[westo2]

Is your website correct in listing these in stock again?

If so, I'll get an order placed ASAP.

Thanks!

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Oops, I forgot to mention that I already have these in hand and available for ordering on the website.

https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/ball_lock_jumperpost.htm

Do you have any sealed in a plastic baggy?

I dunno where your hands have been.

 

[Carlscan26]

I'm having the worst time getting my QDs onto this - they just don't want to go on fully. Any ideas?

 

[milldoggy]

They work fine for me, no lube used

 

[Yesfan]

I'm having the worst time getting my QDs onto this - they just don't want to go on fully. Any ideas?

I have 8 black disconnects. One or two of them are really tight with the couplers, but they still work. Those, I just kept working the disconnect on/off. They seem to go on better now, but it's still a tight fit compared to the others.

 

[Bobby_M]

The latest batch of these have the locking groove moved a half millimeter closer to the end and should work smoothly with all disconnect brands.

 

[plan_ahea]

Hi Bobby_M, looks like you're out of stock of these pieces. Any clue when you'll be getting more in stock?

 

[Bobby_M]

couple weeks

 

[passedpawn]

couple weeks

eta?

 

[Bobby_M]

3 weeks

 

[The_General]

Is there any chance these will be in stock any time soon? I just ordered parts for a recirculating cleaner and would love to get this so I can clean all my taps at once.

 

[mongoose33]

I use those connectors to clean a 5-tap keezer. I daisy-chain them using 1/2" silicone tubing fit over the spouts. It works remarkably well.

Starting w/ the tap on the right, the Liquid QD for that tap connects to the pump; the cleaning solution runs into that, out the tap, where it then moves to tap 2; the liquid QDs for taps 2 and 3 are connected w/ Bobby's device.

Then the spouts for taps 3 and 4 are connected with silicone tubing, while the liquid QDs for taps 4 and 5 are connected with Bobby's device.

Finally a longer piece of silicone tubing drains from spout 5 back into the bucket.

I've since found I get better flow if I put the bucket on a chair or crate, but given all the resistance present in all these thin ID lines, it's amazing that it works.

I typically do a solution of BLC and set it in motion; I'll drain off the beer that is displaced into a small bucket, and when the solution flows clear I'll then return that to the bucket for recycling through the system. I let the system do its thing for 20-30 minutes, then flush with water (draining about 1/2 gallon off into a bucket again), then I'll add a little star-san just because.

PS: I've found it doesn't work so well if the tap handles are pushed back.