Cleaning tubes and hoses

[Layne]

How do you clean tubes and hoses used for circulating,transfer, blow off, ect.?
I soak in Oxiclean, but there seems to still be a film inside.

 

[jiggs_casey]

I have been using c-brite on mine. I don't soak them either. I clean them as soon as I am through with them. Soaking them in oxyclean just turns them white...

 

[EarthBound]

After soaking them in oxiclean, soak them in starsan to remove the film.

 

[Coldies]

I run my keg dip tube brush through them with a oxyclean solution and then let them soak in oxyclean. When I take them out I run my brush through them again to get the film out while rinsing with fresh water.

 

[PistolPete2]

Use a weak acid solution of 3 tbs. white vinegar in a 5 gallon bucket of the same hard tap water that is responsible for the white film after an oxy soak.

 

[Zorin]

I put them on my car antenna and run them through the car wash...

 

[BargainFittings]

I've used a piece of nylon fishing line and pulled a cotton wad through my hoses and raking tube.

I did this to some "clean" hoses and found the wadding to be dirty.

 

[dfess1]

I've never really given it a second thought. They are in place when I'm running my PBW solution through my MLT, BK, and both pumps, as well as the rinse water for each. I figured that was enough to get them clean.

 

[BargainFittings]

I've never really given it a second thought. They are in place when I'm running my PBW solution through my MLT, BK, and both pumps, as well as the rinse water for each. I figured that was enough to get them clean.

I've done both - soaking and the active pumping. Pumping gets the hot solution where it needs to be to clean the inside of your tubing and fittings. I'm sure the recirculation keep the soils and oils in solution.

My personal experience is that soaking for a short time in pbw or oxyclean does not always get the oils and film off the inside.

Of course I do get lazy sometimes and will just rinse them in cleaner and then water at the end of long brew days!

 

[shelly_belly]

It's like the "no touch" car wash - You can run it through as many times as you want but some of that soil is not coming off without mechanical action. I do the string and cloth bit, although not every time.

 

[lamarguy]

My personal experience is that soaking for a short time in pbw or oxyclean does not always get the oils and film off the inside.

Yes, you either need to (1) increase the temperature and time or (2) agitate (recirculate or scrub) with the cleaning solution.

For example, I formally used a keg line cleaning kit between kegs:

My kegerator lines are 4 years old. I noticed a slow infection (6 months) in my last keg on line #3, so I disassembled the tower and found a ~1 inch section of hard brown film in the tubing near the shank.

I've since adapted my recirculating keg cleaner to attach to my kegerator lines and faucet. Recirculation is the easiest, most reliable solution.

 

[Layne]

OOH, I like that!