How do you store and then repurpose cornys?

[Toblerone]

I always leave up to a litre of Starsan in my clean, sealed kegs and carboys. Airlocks on the carboys. Never had an issue with cleanliness, smell, or slime. Been doing that for well over a decade.

My cleaning:
Always disassemble everything, and pull the liquid tube (put inside keg). Soak everything in a hot PBW solution, with posts, rings, lid, etc, soaking in a small container (1 container per keg, so things don't get mixed up).
Leave soaking overnight. Rinse everything well. Spray everything with Starsan while reassembling.

If you have a vinegar smell, that's very likely an acetobacter infection. It found something to eat. You need to be more thorough in your cleaning.

 

[Whisky River]

If you have a vinegar smell, that's very likely an acetobacter infection. It found something to eat. You need to be more thorough in your cleaning.

Thanks for the suggestion. It is possible it’s a cleaning issue however I have a pretty comprehensive cleaning routine.

I think it’s also possible that purging the kegs with co2 from active fermentation allowed some biological compounds in which caused the problem. My thinking being that if the gas released from fermentation has a distinct beer smell then there must be some organic compounds carried by the gas which wind up in the purges kegs.

Regardless of the origin, my experience combined with the multiple accounts here of people finding black mound growing inside the lids of the clean containers they use to store Star San, makes me hesitant to store any container wet and sealed for any length of time.

But like all things YMMV.

 

[Toblerone]

Thanks for the suggestion. It is possible it’s a cleaning issue however I have a pretty comprehensive cleaning routine.

I think it’s also possible that purging the kegs with co2 from active fermentation allowed some biological compounds in which caused the problem. My thinking being that if the gas released from fermentation has a distinct beer smell then there must be some organic compounds carried by the gas which wind up in the purges kegs.

Regardless of the origin, my experience combined with the multiple accounts here of people finding black mound growing inside the lids of the clean containers they use to store Star San, makes me hesitant to store any container wet and sealed for any length of time.

But like all things YMMV.

Black mould will not grow/thrive on a microbiologically clean and sanitized surface. I argue that anyone finding mould on their equipment did not have a clean surface.

Some people also re-use the same sanitizer that they have been dunking questionable/dirty objects into for weeks (or longer), potentially creating a food source for mould...

When I put up to a litre of StarSan in my vessels: the sanitizer is fresh, and I shake it all around the vessels, ensuring that every surface gets sanitized.

If I encountered ANY mould, I would likely do another 100% clean/soak teardown, and replace all questionable parts (o-rings or bung as applicable).

Agreed - your fermentation gas could carry contaminants. An inline filter could reduce those contaminants. Using plenty of clean/fresh StarSan (shaken in the vessel occasionally) could also improve the sanitary conditions inside the vessel. I wouldn't be afraid to keep the vessels wet, as long as the conditions are clean and sanitary.

 

[Broken Crow]

I never let mine dry. I spent a fair amount of time experimenting and learning my routine by trying all the 'most recommended practices' I could find, mostly on this site, and evloved my routine of thoroughly washing then immediately sanitizing and purging my kegs. I'd intentionally open them up after a week or 3 to inspect and smell them, and I even pumped some boiled sugar-water into a sealed one and left it for 3 weeks to check for growths of any kind just to be sure I had my routine down.

 

[Yesfan]

Slightly off topic, but is there a particular brush some of you guys like to use to get to the bottom of the keg, especially if the keg is used as a fermenter?

One of those (new obviously) toilet brushes is great to use, but the handles seem a bit smallish compared to the height of the keg. I had to McGuyver a makeshift handle to use the same brush on my much taller 15 gallon corny keg.

 

[Broken Crow]

Slightly off topic, but is there a particular brush some of you guys like to use to get to the bottom of the keg, especially if the keg is used as a fermenter?

One of those (new obviously) toilet brushes is great to use, but the handles seem a bit smallish compared to the height of the keg. I had to McGuyver a makeshift handle to use the same brush on my much taller 15 gallon corny keg.

I was interested to see what others said as I always looking to improve, but since no-one else has answered: I use the white scotch brite / sponge pad and just reach in... it's the only way I feel sure I've got any gunk that may hide around the diptube... might not work for everyone though as I'm a skinny long-gangly-armed guy and I only just reach the bottom.

 

[Yesfan]

I was interested to see what others said as I always looking to improve, but since no-one else has answered: I use the white scotch brite / sponge pad and just reach in... it's the only way I feel sure I've got any gunk that may hide around the diptube... might not work for everyone though as I'm a skinny long-gangly-armed guy and I only just reach the bottom.

I did some looking around and found this on Amazon.

Tub and Tile Scrub Brush

It has an extendable handle, like you'd see for paint rollers, so I ordered it and see how it works. I've got a simple toilet style brush I have used for years, but the tip of the handle is just on the inside of the top of my kegs so it's a bit of a pain using it. For my 15 gallon corny, I took some paint stir-sticks and zip tied them to the brush as an extended handle. It was a bit clumsy, but worked.

 

[tracer bullet]

I was interested to see what others said as I always looking to improve, but since no-one else has answered: I use the white scotch brite / sponge pad and just reach in... it's the only way I feel sure I've got any gunk that may hide around the diptube... might not work for everyone though as I'm a skinny long-gangly-armed guy and I only just reach the bottom.

I use a blue one, and a similar process. My left arm just fits!

 

[CascadesBrewer]

My goof-up is that after drip-drying upside-down for days then when turning right-side-up there always more water appearing that was hiding in the tubes

Seems like a good way to avoid water hiding in the tubes is to not dry them with the tubes in place!

I always remove and clean the disconnect posts along with the gas and liquid diptubes. After a few days they are dry and ready to be stored. I typically store them with the disconnect posts loosely screwed back in place and the lid in place but not latched down. I keep my kegs in my finished basement so there is not a ton of dust. If needed, I will give them a quick rinse before sanitizing them.