Corny Keg Questions

[patrickwolfe]

When I am done drinking out of my new keg. The line that dispenses the beer still has beer inside of it. I was wondering if anyone knew a way to clear the line so the old beer does not stay inside the line until the next time I drink from the keg. I noticed that it creates gunk and build up, and for my next use. Do you removed to dispensing hose after each use and clear it out? If no, how do you do that? If not, do you just leave the beer inside (it could sit there for a few days between uses).

Thanks !

 

[day_trippr]

If you really worry about beer staling in the line, build one of these...

Cheers!

 

[patrickwolfe]

wow. that looks amazing. do they sell a cheap version of that anywhere? or is there a cheap way to blow out the excessive beer out?

 

[brettg20]

Fill the empty keg with some sanitizer and flush it out


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[patrickwolfe]

yeah after the keg is empty I could do that, but about while the keg is still full? the line has stale beer inside.

 

[brettg20]

Between pulling a pint within a few days? I wouldn't worry about that


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[patrickwolfe]

i guess its not a big deal. but when i looked at it the other day, there was some gunk in the line. and I thought maybe I was making a mistake by keeping it connected.

 

[zachattack]

Why would the beer in the line go stale? It should be pressurize and cold, it's just an extension of the keg.

 

[Stealthcruiser]

Put a line on there that you can't see through............

 

[Catmandu]

Sounds like your line doesn't have easy disconnects. I use the ball lock connectors which have a screw-on connection, allowing me to remove the ball lock connecter from the line easily. The other end just unscrews from the tap shank. Easy to remove the line and flush it out.

 

[patthebrewer]

Beer left in the line will be just fine for the average usage rate. However beer left in lines for two long will form Calcium Oxalate "Beer Stone" (same composition as kidney stones) on the inside surfaces of the lines. You'll want to clean them from time to time to get rid of this. Super easy to do, just with BLC or No Rinse Line Cleaner. I keep a spare keg of No rinse, after disconnecting the keg with beer in it, I hook up the keg with line cleaner and open the tap above running about two pints thru. Then close the tap and left the stuff sit in the lines for around twenty minutes. This cleans the lines and the tap. After that you retap the beer keg and open the tap till beer runs out.

This can be done with a keg or the inexpensive line cleaning kits.....however Day trippers use of a garden sprayer is just awesome:rockin:.

Generally I clean my lines every two to three weeks, and my lines have zero stone in them. The current lines are three years old.