Keg scrap?

[adyb]

Is this keg beyond repair?
So this keg is about 6 years old and i managed to stick my had in and get this photo. Basically the the lower weld is black all around, i cant quite reach it properly to feel it or to scrub/polish it.. I've had a few un explained off flavours from it and then spotted this also has marks around the top. It's a 23l keg so deeper than a standard corny. What's everyone think?
Cheers

 

[odie]

get a short stiff brush to extend your reach.

soak with oxiclean? vinegar? or short bleach soak...bleach not best for SS.

perhaps it's nothing?

 

[adyb]

get a short stiff brush to extend your reach.

soak with oxiclean? vinegar? or short bleach soak...bleach not best for SS.

perhaps it's nothing?

Thanks.
Tried cleaning with pbw and a high concentrated starsan mix to pasivate again but it still looks bad.

 

[odie]

how far out of reach? just a few inches?

get some wire detail? brushes. they look like a tooth brush but come in brass and SS. Just brush that seam and see if it comes off.

If that doesn't get it off then it's probably been there since the keg was made and is nothing but coloration or slag from the welding process?

 

[adyb]

It's right at the bottom of the keg so I'm not sure how easy it will be to brush but I'll give it a go.

 

[day_trippr]

Well this freaked me out a bit so I grabbed my endoscope and started checking my empty kegs, totally expecting to find something similar to that black stuff in the top weld line. Happily I found nothing similar, though the kegs do have that seam, and so I'm wondering if something else is involved here. I think I'd pour a couple of quarts of hot caustic in the keg, snap the lid on and invert it in the kitchen sink and leave it 'til it cools, then take another look...

Cheers!

 

[adyb]

Well this freaked me out a bit so I grabbed my endoscope and started checking my empty kegs, totally expecting to find something similar to that black stuff in the top weld line. Happily I found nothing similar, though the kegs do have that seam, and so I'm wondering if something else is involved here. I think I'd pour a couple of quarts of hot caustic in the keg, snap the lid on and invert it in the kitchen sink and leave it 'til it cools, then take another look...

Cheers!

The photo is the bottom weld line! Last 2 beers from this keg haven't been right, total loss of hop flavour despite closed transfers. There were a few black marks on the top weld line so i thought I better check the bottom weld and saw this! I think if I can't get rid of it I won't use it again as don't want to waste beer on it.
Cheers

 

[day_trippr]

Ah, crap, my inner ******* missed the "lower weld" part.
But in that case I'm confident none of my kegs have a similar issue as I give each one a full inspection before sanitizing and use.

There's gotta be something out there that can remove whatever that is. Maybe a paste of BKF worked with a stiff brush?

Cheers!

 

[IslandLizard]

I'm with @odie in #4, it's probably welding slag, but use a stainless wire brush on that seam, to see if it comes off.

I know it's impossible to see what you're doing in that area when you're arm is all the way in there.
You may be able to use a Dremel tool with a stainless wire wheel on it, and tie the Dremel to a long stick, and maybe tie a flashlight to it too. Speed control would be a plus, use low speed.

Tried cleaning with pbw and a high concentrated starsan mix to pasivate again but it still looks bad.

Hot PBW will clean well, but doesn't remove the protective oxide layer from stainless. But the wire brush or wheel likely will.
Starsan doesn't passivate stainless, it's Phosphoric Acid. You'd need to use Citric Acid for that.

That said, I doubt it's the keg causing the off flavors, more likely the beer. Did it get worse over time?

 

[mac_1103]

Maybe you could try something like this? Attaches to a drill and comes with about 40" worth of flexible extensions. The brush is fairly stiff.

 

[TheBluePhantom]

I had some marks on a surface of a keg at the bottom. I couldn't reach them at all. Took a piece of scotchbrite and stapled it to a piece of oak 4 foot long, about an inch square. I could polish the heck out of that bottom. Might work for this, or cut a bit of the stainless wire brush off and screw it to the oak. Keep the board long for leverage. This is the advantage of a corny, a big hole to fit cleaning tools in.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

I have a brand new toilet brush for only the kegs obviously my short arms have never reached the bottom of a normal keg. I hope the extra cleaning is successful.

 

[Yesfan]

I used to use the toilet brush but found this one instead.

Extendable Bathroom Tile Brush

This brush has an extendable handle which is perfect for getting down to the bottom of the kegs. I got tired of my hands grazing the top of the keg opening with the standard toilet brush because the end barely cleared the top. There was also no way that brush would work on my taller 15 gallon corny unless I jimmy rigged an extension handle. This extendable, however, is perfect!

I don't know if the bristles are stiff enough for OP's situation as they are nylon and no different than the toilet brush. For just good scrubbing, it's more than good enough for my needs.

 

[pvtpublic]

M67 will buff that right out.

 

[IslandLizard]

I don't think a nylon brush is gonna get that black residue off or out that welding seam. A heavy duty scouring pad with BKF may, if it isn't slag.

 

[mac_1103]

I don't think a nylon brush is gonna get that black residue off or out that welding seam. A heavy duty scouring pad with BKF may, if it isn't slag.

Put a gallon of hot PBW in there and hit with a sonicator to scrub it off by cavitation.

 

[adyb]

black marks on weld now looking like this, using BKF and scouring pad.
Arms a bit sore and almost.gpt wedged in there at one point but it's getting there, needs another go over but starting to look like normal again. Cheers for all the tips

 

[day_trippr]

That does look much improved!