How often should I clean my lines

[MrFancyPlants]

I have a kegerator I bought from my good friend craig (who has a lisp) that has been working pretty well for me dual purposed as a fermentation chamber. I recently kegged a high gravity brew (for me (9% abv)), and I'd like to start pulling samples, but it is a pain to disconnect and reconnect the bev lines with any regularity. Once I tap the keg, how long would just leave it hooked up without cleaning the line. I am thinking I should look at one of those DIY threads for a ball lock starsan flush for after every use(nightly)? Also the kegerator is in my shed and I have seen some fruit flies hanging around the tap on occasion.

 

[atom]

i'd leave it hooked up without cleaning the entire time. I clean the lines between kegs. now if it took me a year to drink a keg, i may clean them around the 6 month mark.

 

[kh54s10]

I have pretty clear lines and can see any debris/build up. If I change out one keg for another I just run some water through to flush out the old beer. Hook up to the new keg and draw off a glass or two to clear out the sediment. In a couple of years now I have replaced one line and removed to clean the three lines once.

I see no need to clean while a keg is going, unless as atom said, you take a year to drain a keg.

 

[cyberbrew]

I've had my keezer up and running now for about 4 months. 6 taps, although I use one for water and one is unused, so 4 taps have been used for beer. I haven't cleaned the lines yet. I might rinse them with the water keg if I remember, but otherwise they're hooked up to whatever kegs I have going at the time. I figure they stay cold (38ish) and it's a closed system.

So far I haven't noticed any off flavors in the beer, seen any nasty stuff in the lines (bevseal), or gotten sick...

 

[Natdavis777]

I just replaced all my lines, but when a keg taps, I run starsan through the line and that how it sits until a new keg is put on that line. I store my kegs with starsan mixture in them so its easy to pull one off the rack after a kicked keg and run it though the line

 

[FloppyKnockers]

You're supposed to clean them?









Seriously, once or twice a year....twice is pushing it.

 

[ol-hazza]

I just run mine through with whatever I'm cleaning my keg with (usually boiling water, sodium percarbonate and then star san).

 

[hunter_le five]

I clean my lines after the keg kicks.

Fill the empty keg with PBW, run some of it through the tap.
Fill it again with Star San, run some of it through the tap.

Now both the keg and the line are clean.

 

[wardens355]

I have had picnic taps get really disgusting and molded over. I even drank a bunch of beer out of that tap before realizing it (didn't notice an off-flavor). I now remove the entire serving line assembly at least every two months, check tap for mold, flush with PBW, let soak for a few hours, flush with StarSan, then ready to roll. The tap is the most susceptible to getting nasty, since the end is open to the atmosphere and retains a bit of beer at the tip.

 

[enkamania]

I clean my lines after the keg kicks.

Fill the empty keg with PBW, run some of it through the tap.
Fill it again with Star San, run some of it through the tap.

Now both the keg and the line are clean.

I do the same except Oxyclean instead of PBW

 

[OlDirtyJohn]

I run some BLC through the system after every keg. Even though it is cold temp and closed system, there is still potential for beer stone to build up or beer lines to degrade.

 

[noggins]

I bought from my good friend craig (who has a lisp)

 

[MrFancyPlants]

I think part of my issue is that periodically I am turning the temp up on the controller since I am dual purposing the kegerator as a fermentation chamber. So I guess I'll try to clean the lines when ever I do this in addition to when I change a keg or bi-monthly, which ever comes first. Thanks for the input everyone.

I am brewing a big batch for a friends wedding coming up and then I think I'll be able to take it easy for a while (once I replenish my stockpile after the wedding).