Corny Keg Cleanup

[etxflyer]

I just floated my very first kegged homebrew which was an extract kit Saison which I fermented and served from the same keg with a floating dip tube (it’s the first one I’ve ever brewed that I couldn’t wait to get a refill!). I opened it up and there was surprisingly very little yeast cake or trub left in the bottom. As a matter of fact, with just a little hot water rinse it cleaned up pretty much completely. I’m still gonna mix up some PBW and give it a once over on the inside, but I’ve seen posts of folks complaining about cleanup and building keg cleaning contraptions. Is it dirtier than I think it is or am I just unknowingly an expert right off the bat making the cleanest beer ever?!?

 

[fluketamer]

it may be a little dirtier than it seems . some organisms form biofilms that adhere very well to surfaces, i know bacteria do im not sure if yeast do as well but the point is there may be something there thats invisible to the naked eye. im guilty of not cleaning my kegs and lines often enough ( i sometimes just rack beer to a keg after just spilling a little boiling water in there to loosen the sediment and shake and drain. then just refill not even sanitizing between. ) not ideal i know but i think the pbw rinse will easily get anything out of there that you cant see.

and yes you prolly do make the cleanest beer.

edit from google yeast do make biofilm
"In natural environments, microorganisms form microbial aggregates called biofilms able to adhere to a multitude of different surfaces. Yeasts make no exception to this rule, being able to form biofilms in a plethora of environmental niches."

i think maybe the keg cleaning contraptions are for ease of use more than necessity . i have noticed that my garden hose nozzle on jet setting cleans out the bottom of a keg very well.

 

[bailey mountain brewer]

Typically stainless will clean rather easy especially when tended to right away. I have a commercial wash sink and sprayer in my brewery (basement) that gets them clean as far as visual inspection goes. After that I do a pbw soak followed by thorough rinse, then it's ready for sanitizing. All that said, I dont ferment in my kegs.

 

[day_trippr]

I can say that almost without exception I can get a keg "free of evident debris" using a hose hooked to my brew sink faucet with the hot water faucet on "blast". I do that every time as a pre-rinse - but I would never put beer in it without an actual cleaning, and for that I like my Mark II with a couple of tablespoons of PBW...

Cheers!

 

[redrocker652002]

I made a DIY keg and bucket cleaner that works really well for under 50 bucks. But, I had all the stuff here with the exception of the pump, that I bought of Amazon for about 30 bucks I think. I am a bit paranoid about cleaning stuff, so for me, each time a keg kicks, I hook up lines to the posts I have setup on my cleaning contraption, and run it all for about 20 to 30 mins. I use about 4 gallons of water and 6 to 8 scoops of Alkaline Brewery wash. I then take it all out and rinse for at least 10 to 15 mins with the garden hose. I usually have a stack of bottles that need labels peeled, so I used the cleaner in the washer to clean the bottles and get the labels off. In California water use is a bid deal, so I try and time it all so I can do all my stuff at one time.

 

[hottpeper13]

Love me some ABW. I also DIY'd one with 3 "T"s - 2 for disconnects and one for lines. when i have 4 used kegs I hook'em up for 20 min after a hot water rinse along with a tap line.

 

[etxflyer]

Thanks everyone for the help!

 

[moreb33rplz]

I ferment and serve in my kegs so they're always nice and filthy when I clean them, but it's EZPZ. I disassemble the posts, lid, and floating dip tube and put all of the hardware in a tub with some PBW and hot water. I add a couple quarts of hot water to the sludge at the bottom, swirl it, and dump. Add 4 scoops of PBW, fill to top with hot water, let it sit an hour, use a carboy brush inside and a kitchen scrubbie to clean the krausen leftovers near the opening. Rinse with hot water, done. 5 minutes