how do i clean a corny

[subwyking]

how do i clean my 5 new free (see below link) corny kegs?

Free Cornies Rock!!

 

[ptpeter]

actually im wondering the same thing, I just picked up 3 today for 8 bucks each and am wondering how to clean it and check to make sure its it good working order.

 

[david_42]

Take the plugs off (keep track of which is which), pull out the tubes and the poppet valves. Soak the parts in hot soapy water. Brush out the inside of the cornies with same. Check the o-rings over (I'd actually just replace all of the rubber) for flat spots & degraded rubber. Flush or brush out the tubes. Rinse everything. Reassemble. Pressure check.

 

[ptpeter]

will these rust at all?

 

[subwyking]

ok, well i dont have a co2 tank yet. or fittings to go on the plugs, i just couldn't pass up the deal on these. cant beat free. where did you get yours peter?

 

[david_42]

I've never seen rust on a cornie, just crud.

 

[SwAMi75]

I do just as David says, but I use Oxy Clean instead of soap. I guess it's the paranoia of a "headless" beer that steers me that way. But, clean is clean. Just rinse the hell out of it if you use soap.

When I'm ready to use one (if it has been a while since the cleaning), I'll soak the parts in a sanitizer, drain it all out really well, purge with CO2, and fill with my favorite beverage.

 

[2nd Street Brewery]

Take the plugs off (keep track of which is which), pull out the tubes and the poppet valves. Soak the parts in hot soapy water. Brush out the inside of the cornies with same. Check the o-rings over (I'd actually just replace all of the rubber) for flat spots & degraded rubber. Flush or brush out the tubes. Rinse everything. Reassemble. Pressure check.

Ok heres my question. What are and how do you remove the 'poppet valves'? I am assuming they are the gas in and beer out valves but how do you take them out and what is required in cleaning them. The dip tube I know as well as the O rings but I have never seen a description of pulling the poppets.

 

[subwyking]

just by looking at my "plugs" the poppets are little spring loaded valves. when the conector is in place the poppet is depressed allowing gas in or beer out. when the connector is off, the spring pushes the valve into a closed position.

 

[woodstone]

Don't be afraid....take ONE keg, pull it all apart...keep each piece together and clean all with hot soapy water. Poppets will pop out once the fittings are unscrewed. Reach in the keg itself and scrub with a 3M pad or NEW toilet brush that you will keep for this purpose only. Old brush is probably NOT a good idea! ! It's all SS so nothing will rust. Rinse the crap out of it. Check to make sure the rubber parts are all in one piece...anything with a crack or brittle needs replacing. DO NOT MIX UP THE LIDS! DO NOT MIX UP THE VALVES AND DIP TUBES!

I store mine with iodophor solution in them and charged with 8psi...when I want to keg, I force the solution out the "beer out" side, pull the cover, rinse well and drain through the "beer out" side again, and keg.

Fill them with beer and get a cylinder with fittings and pressurize those things already! Oh, yea $8...where the hell did you get them?

 

[Beermaker]

I do asDavid said above, But I also got a new drill operated Turbo Scrubber to stick inside to clean the bottom to the top.

 

[wild]

how do i clean my 5 new free (see below link) corny kegs?

Free Cornies Rock!!

When I buy my kegs, I put them through this process. Once the kegs have been initially cleaned, between batches I use this method of getting the beer kegged and it takes 1 hour of which 35 minutes is unattended.
PRELIM: Chill the beer to 40°F to floc the yeast.

1. Disassemble the keg and separate out/in tubes and rings.
2. Rinse the keg with hot water.
3. Drop the out tube into the keg.
4. Add PBW. Fill to the brim with 120-160°F water.
5. Place parts in a bowl and submerge in PBW solution.
6. Soak for 35 minutes.
7. Rack PBW to extra vessel (bucket). This step cleans the cane.
8. Rinse keg and all parts with hot water well.
9. Fill keg and out tube with sanitizer. Fill parts bowl with sanitizer as well.
10. Soak for 5 minutes.
11. Assemble keg.
12. Attach the CO2.
13. Pressurize at 5 PSI.
14. Check for leaks with sanitizer spray bottle.
15. Push the sanitizer out with CO2 into another vessel.
16. Sanitize the cane.
17. Release pressure and open keg.
18. CO2 is now predominantly in the keg.
19. Rack the beer.
20. Attach lid. Pressurize with 5 PSI. Check for leaks again.
21. Increase pressure to 25 PSI and shake the hell out of it.
22. Let stand for an hour.
23. Rack the PBW to the yeasty fermenter for cleaning.
24. Let stand 35 minutes.
25. Then rinse.
26. Rack Sanitizer to the fermenter.
27. Let stand five minutes.
28. Shake.
29. Rack to the drain. Now everything including the cane is clean.
30. Chill. Reduce to 10 PSU, release pressure, and serve.

Good luck,
Wild

 

[DeRoux's Broux]

i do like david too. i replaced the gasket and o rings on the posts (if it's a pin lock type) and wash good w/ soapy water and my carboy brush. i use my co 2 to charge it up so i can run soapy water through the pick-up tube. then i release the pressure rinse very, very well, then pressure back up to rinse out the pick-up tube. then i do the same thing w/ iodaphor solution. i've never had a problem with head retention or lack of a collar of foam on a brew.....

 

[subwyking]

i have no co2 yet. trying to do this for bare minimum price. free if possible. got people back home in oklahoma hunting for me. dad said he'd mail me a regulator.

 

[Sir Sudster]

Ok heres my question. What are and how do you remove the 'poppet valves'? I am assuming they are the gas in and beer out valves but how do you take them out and what is required in cleaning them. The dip tube I know as well as the O rings but I have never seen a description of pulling the poppets.

Here's some good pics on how to do it.

http://cruisenews.net/brewing/kegging/index.php

 

[2nd Street Brewery]

Thanks Sudster the link did not work but I was able to find my way to what you were linking to. Thats exactly what I was looking for.

 

[robmee]

I use PBW in mine, it works well and is reuseable, that stuff eats it all up in about 30 min, just disassemble the parts and soak them in the PBW in the keg, 30 min later you just drain and rinse, bam clean keg.