Help cleaning stains inside keg

[eztvboxes]

Hello all,

I’ve managed to put a hand on a old 10 gallon corny keg and I have the goal to restore it. First, I am under the impression that it’s an aluminium keg rather then a SS? I’ve fully clean and sanitize the keg using Idophor. I’ve failed to remove some stains and wondering if that’s normal or something I should worry about? Can I use the keg in the current condition? Should I maybe use a different type of sanitizer? My goal would be to remove these brownish spots. Thanks for all the help!

 

[Beholder]

Doesn’t have the brightness of aluminum to my eye. The ball lock fittings, if stainless, would quite readily mar the softer aluminum threads. What makes you think it is aluminum?

Aside from weight, you can also check oxidation resistance. As aluminum will blacken with oxyclean cleanser.

If stainless, I have had best success with Barkeeper’s Friend, a mild acidic, abrasive cleanser.

 

[eztvboxes]

Aluminium was a wild guess mainly based on the weight of the keg. I’ll give Barkeeper’s Friend a try. Thanks for your wise input. Cheers

 

[day_trippr]

Is that a race-track lid?
While I love BKF it works best when used mechanically. Unless you can get an arm or a suitable scrubbing tool inside the keg to reach the stains it might be easier to use a couple of tablespoons of Powdered Brewery Wash (aka PBW) or equivalent in a gallon of the hottest water you can pull from a faucet, apply the lid, and shake the keg like it owes you money for handful of minutes. Hot PBW will cut through pretty much any brewing-related organic stain you can come up with...

Cheers!

 

[505-Brewer]

Thats stainless. Put some hot caustic and then hot acid through it. Rinse in between. You can use the beer line cleaner solutions. If u cant access those use hot pbw followed by star san.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Bar keepers friend inside and outside will improve the appearance of that keg 10 fold.

Make a paste with the powdered bkf and scrub.

If you can’t reach inside, perhaps a long handle brush.

Rinse well, bkf sometimes requires washing and rinsing w clean water to remove residue.

Looks like stainless to me...

 

[tll77]

+1 for that being stainless. It looks like a tank for an emergency eye wash station. Is there a prv somewhere? I can't see one. In fact the lid appears damaged, possibly a ruptured burst disc.

 

[OG-wan Kenobi]

A magnet will let you know it is aluminum, if it sticks it's not aluminum pretty simple go get one off your fridge and test it

 

[augiedoggy]

A magnet will let you know it is aluminum, if it sticks it's not aluminum pretty simple go get one off your fridge and test it

yeah I dont think you meant to type that... aluminum is not magnetic... neither are many grades of stainless unless its a very powerful rare earth magnet..

the keg is stainless. I have 5 just like it.

 

[OG-wan Kenobi]

yeah I dont think you meant to type that... aluminum is not magnetic... neither are many grades of stainless unless its a very powerful rare earth magnet..

the keg is stainless. I have 5 just like it.

I said Aluminum is not magnetic

however I did not know that about stainless very interesting

 

[Dland]

I'd also go with PBW/Starsan, and would recommend removing posts and soaking, cleaning dip tube and replacing O rings on posts, dip and gas tubes, and the poppets as well, and of course the lid seal. There are small O rings on the poppets that dry out and allow leaks, and the poppet springs can become weak. I like the universal style poppets, have had better luck with them than OEM style, which vary anyway, and are not always easy to ID.

 

[IslandLizard]

Bar keepers friend inside and outside will improve the appearance of that keg 10 fold.

Make a paste with the powdered bkf and scrub.

If you can’t reach inside, perhaps a long handle brush.

Rinse well, bkf sometimes requires washing and rinsing w clean water to remove residue.

Looks like stainless to me...

Thats stainless. Put some hot caustic and then hot acid through it. Rinse in between. You can use the beer line cleaner solutions. If u cant access those use hot pbw followed by star san.

+1 These methods should work well to clean it up.^
But first, before you do anything, make sure the keg works and holds pressure.

A piece of 3/4 -1.0" PVC pipe over a toilet brush or other long handled brush can help with scrubbing and cleaning the inside. Chemical cleaning is easiest, but may not be perfect, some fine "grit" as in BKF may be necessary. The ridged bottom is going to be the hardest to clean thoroughly with mechanical tools. Then again, what doesn't come off with scrubbing, BKF, and chems, probably won't come off with beer either.