DIY Beer Line Cleaner

[br1dge]

Im also in marietta. Im not in a club either. Just looking for more lolcal brewers to share and learn from

Great idea. I will be making mine soon. Im here in Roswell. Not a member of a club either but get together with a few buddies in the area to brew. Glad to see others in the area.

 

[bigzippo]

Very ingenuitive. Is there a downside to just letting the line sit in a bucket of cleaner though?

 

[tolip_ck1]

Very ingenuitive. Is there a downside to just letting the line sit in a bucket of cleaner though?

Not sure I understand the question?

 

[OldManHouston]

Very ingenuitive. Is there a downside to just letting the line sit in a bucket of cleaner though?

Not a downside. Just might be more work on disassembly plus having to clean the faucet separately. Running cleaner through the system cleans all beer touching surfaces in one step.

 

[geniz]

Great idea. I will be making mine soon. Im here in Roswell. Not a member of a club either but get together with a few buddies in the area to brew. Glad to see others in the area.

All of us in the area need to get together

 

[fuzzybee]

I need to swing by BMW / HD this weekend as well and pick this stuff up. Thanks, geniz!

I'd be up for a Marietta brew day, as well.

 

[Loptr]

About a year ago I built one very similare to the OP.

It is great total cost was maybe $12.

 

[37OliveStBrews]

I just bought the pieces for this kit while walking through HD. I figured I would cannibalize a liquid out post from a keg that is just lying around brining this gem of a DIY project under 10 bucks. Thank you for the pictures and the posts. So tired of using an empty keg to clean my lines every few kegs. awesome.

 

[alowell]

Did anyone have trouble fitting the adapter into the firestone post? I don't know if it is a ball lock vs. pin lock thing. I bought the same brass adapter from home depot and a 3 pin lock firestone post, and I am having trouble with them fitting. The 3/8" adapter seems too small for the pin lock firestone post. Any thoughts?

 

[hlumbard]

added to the list!

 

[geniz]

Did anyone have trouble fitting the adapter into the firestone post? I don't know if it is a ball lock vs. pin lock thing. I bought the same brass adapter from home depot and a 3 pin lock firestone post, and I am having trouble with them fitting. The 3/8" adapter seems too small for the pin lock firestone post. Any thoughts?

When I made mine, I used a ball lock. Pin lock probably a different size thread

 

[jerryalan]

Saw this post today at work. Stopped at Northern Brewer during lunch and HD on the way home. Built it within 15 minutes of getting home. Can't wait to use it now!

Thanks for the great idea!

 

[Shackled]

Just picked up most of what I need.
Thanks to Geniz for the good picture of the adapter. Made it easy to find in the wall of parts at HD. Now I just need to swing by Brewmasters and get a ball lock liquid post.

 

[geniz]

I'm sure brewmasters is wondering why they've got a run on ball lock posts! ;-)

 

[Shackled]

I can't help that I'm lucky enough to have them as my LHBS....
Im just trying to do my part to make sure they stay in business

 

[TheBrewinator]

Great idea and thanks for sharing. I just made one of these but I went a bit different route. I have all my liquid lines equipped with the 1/4 inch barbed swivel nuts so I just put on an adapter from the 3/8ths sprayer to a 1/4 inch flare. I just take the ball lock connector off (and clean it separately) and screw the beer line onto the sprayer to push cleaner through.

 

[starsailor]

Great idea and thanks for sharing. I just made one of these but I went a bit different route. I have all my liquid lines equipped with the 1/4 inch barbed swivel nuts so I just put on an adapter from the 3/8ths sprayer to a 1/4 inch flare. I just take the ball lock connector off (and clean it separately) and screw the beer line onto the sprayer to push cleaner through.

Did the same thing myself, but I added a 1/4" ball valve between the bottle and 1/4" flare and a brass tire stem valve to the other end of the bottle to use CO2 to push the cleaning solution.

 

[geniz]

Id rather just pump. Much simpler

 

[alowell]

With this setup, can you control the flow of cleaner with the spray trigger? It's no big deal, but when I hooked mine up, the cleaner flowed through the keg post as soon as I hooked the liquid disconnect to it and the trigger didn't do anything. Thanks, great idea, I've already used it many times in the past 2 weeks!

 

[Flomaster]

if you remove the little green tip piece then the trigger valve has nothing to seal against. the keg post is now the valve, but once a hose is connected its open.

-=Jason=-

 

[geniz]

if you remove the little green tip piece then the trigger valve has nothing to seal against. the keg post is now the valve, but once a hose is connected its open.

-=Jason=-

Yep this is right. When the green tip is removed the trigger isn't functional

Tried to edit the OP to clarify this, but can't.

 

[Chrisl77]

If you take the white washer out of the green tip, flip it around and put it in the fip to flare adapter it will make a seal. I just tested it out.

 

[geniz]

If you take the white washer out of the green tip, flip it around and put it in the fip to flare adapter it will make a seal. I just tested it out.

Excellent.

 

[dtadpole]

You guys inspired me to make me one of these beer line cleaners also. Bought a 1 gal sprayer from wally world, and a few adapters from our local bucheits(hardware/lumber store) and I am in business. Will post some pics when I have a chance. thanks and good ideas!

 

[Schnitzengiggle]

Yep this is right. When the green tip is removed the trigger isn't functional

Tried to edit the OP to clarify this, but can't.

If you take the white washer out of the green tip, flip it around and put it in the fip to flare adapter it will make a seal. I just tested it out.

If you have a faucet, the faucet becomes the valve.

 

[Lilrascal]

I bought all the same stuff, and made up a system. The problem I am having is the poppet doesn't fully seat when using the 3/adapter. It doesn't push it all the way in to be seated. This means I can not pressurize before connecting the QD. I should be able to connect the QD, the tap will keep system closed, then pressurize though. Anyone else having the same issue?

 

[geniz]

I bought all the same stuff, and made up a system. The problem I am having is the poppet doesn't fully seat when using the 3/adapter. It doesn't push it all the way in to be seated. This means I can not pressurize before connecting the QD. I should be able to connect the QD, the tap will keep system closed, then pressurize though. Anyone else having the same issue?

I did not have the same problem. I can pressurize the entire system before connecting to the beer line. It holds pressure just fine. Did you use the same Firestone Beer Out? If not, the threads on the adaptor may not fit.

 

[Lilrascal]

I did not have the same problem. I can pressurize the entire system before connecting to the beer line. It holds pressure just fine. Did you use the same Firestone Beer Out? If not, the threads on the adaptor may not fit.

Maybe I have a different post. I bought this one from Northern Brewer, since that is the closest shop to me: http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/plug-assembly-liq-type-a-challenger-v-vi.html

The thread fit fine (the threads on all the posts for my current keg did not). Just doesn't push the poppet tight into post. I will see if it still works by pressurizing after I connect.

 

[tsisson]

Maybe I have a different post. I bought this one from Northern Brewer, since that is the closest shop to me: http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/plug-assembly-liq-type-a-challenger-v-vi.html

That's the same post I bought at NB two days ago. Mine works but it is a little tricky to get the connector to attach correctly.

 

[geniz]

Your post from NB seems identical to the one I used from BW.

Here is the one I got from BW:

http://www.brewmasterswarehouse.com/product/0102273/ball-lock-liquid-post-assembly-firestone

Didnt have any problem fitting it to the adaptor. Could your poppet be bad or sticking?