Keg Storage in a ready-to-use state

[cscade]

I've recently started kegging (yes!!!) and I am running 3 kegs right now. So far, I have been cleaning with PBW, storing kegs pressurized but not purged, and then doing a StarSan rinse immediately before using for beer.

This is really not how I would like to do it though, since it means I have to mix StarSan each time I want to prep a keg. I recently purchased a bottle of SaniClean, but I have not used it yet.

With my water, StarSan will cloud heavily in a short period of time. As such, I don't keep it around except in a small hand held sprayer that I mix up with distilled water. Therefore, I don't store my kegs full of StarSan either, since it will "go bad" from iron content in the water too quickly.

My question is, does SaniClean have a better use-life with iron heavy water, and is it safe for long contact with stainless and aluminum? If so, I'd like to start storing my kegs with SaniClean solution in them, and exchange it back and forth so I can just crack 'em open and go on kegging day.

 

[eriktlupus]

so why not buy a gallon of ro water to mix up starsan with?

mine routine is to disassemble and clean the keg and parts, storage is inside a trash bag with the small parts inside a ziploc baggie. quick rinse in a star-san bath and reassembly and fill and go.

 

[mrfocus]

My steps:

Rinse keg
Clean with chlorine based cleaner
Rinse keg
Fill with OxyClean (Aseptox) (1 tbsp. for a full keg). This is to get rid of the smell of the last batch (especially useful when the kegs had soda in them).

On kegging day:
Empty keg
Rinse lightly (OxyClean is no rinse)
Add about 1.5 gallons of star san that I mix with RO water (I keep it 4 weeks).
Empty star san
Fill keg with beer.

 

[bolts]

I don't have to clean kegs very often so ... this is what I do for my corny kegs:

• Disassemble down to minimal parts
• Rinse/scrub out the chunks with soap and water until it's "clean" inside and out
• Fill w/ about 3 gallons of Straight-A and hot water at appropriate concentration. I put the dip tube loose inside the keg. (soak 15m)
• Clean and boil the small parts, gaskets, etc (boil 15m, then let cool)
• Carefully invert the keg in a large pot to soak the top half (pick it up to get enough to cover the rubber part of the keg. (soak 15m)
• Rinse out the keg and reassemble
• Fill with 1 gallon Iodophor solution and seal it up. Shake, swirl, etc for a couple minutes
• Hook up C02 and push the iodophor out through the beer line until you get air.
• Reopen and rinse (could probably skip this, but...)
• Seal it up and charge with 30psi
• Cover top with saran wrap, then foil and put back in the keezer.
  
  It's long and involved... but keeps them very clean.
  

 

[cscade]

Just in case anyone searches this and is curious about the same things, I got the following reply back from Jim Jennings at Five Star Chemical:

In short, no, you should not store any sanitizing solution in your kegs for
extended periods. It is not optimal to use a Star San solution after such a
long time and, depending upon the water itself as well as numerous other
factors, the solution could still be a fine sanitizer or totally worthless.

The process you are using to clean and then store and sanitize just prior to
kegging, etc. is optimal and the one developed over a long, long time. The
reason you have not found any information other than that is that no such
information exists.

Cheers!

Thanks for the replies above guys!

 

[homebrewer_99]

I completely disassemble mine every time. Then clean mine inside and out, let air dry and assemble.

I do not close the lid in place as it prematurely ages the gasket and I only assemble the posts hand tight to slightly less than snug.

I completely disassemble prior to sanitizing for next use.

 

[Bobby_M]

You only need to mix up 1/2 gallon of starsan for a keg anyway (that's .1oz of concentrate). I do my best to keg a batch on a brew day so that I can reuse the starsan in my fermenter.

 

[shortyjacobs]

My steps:

Rinse keg
Clean with chlorine based cleaner
Rinse keg
Fill with OxyClean (Aseptox) (1 tbsp. for a full keg). This is to get rid of the smell of the last batch (especially useful when the kegs had soda in them).

On kegging day:
Empty keg
Rinse lightly (OxyClean is no rinse)
Add about 1.5 gallons of star san that I mix with RO water (I keep it 4 weeks).
Empty star san
Fill keg with beer.

I thought you were supposed to rinse Oxyclean out well, especially because it's an alkaline solution, and StarSan works on acidity, (so Oxyclean neutralizes StarSan).

 

[drac0]

I'm going to dig up this old thread for a related question.

Instead of storing StarSan in my kegs, is there any harm done if once the keg is clean, spray it down with Starsan, let it dry and then close up the keg for storage?

I just picked up two kegs from craigslist which were pretty nasty sanitation wise. I'll be disassembling them tonight to clean all the small parts that I've been reading about tonight. I just don't want to use them with out them being properly cleaned.

 

[Cpt_Kirks]

For my kegs:

- rinse out all the yeast and beer
- soak overnight with oxyclean
- rinse out
- add a little squirt of pure star san
- add about 3/4 of a gallon of water
- seal and shake

On kegging day:

- get the better bottle prepped
- put a large plastic bowl on the table
- shake the crap out of the sealed keg
- pour the pure star san foam into the bowl
- use the foam in the bowl to sanitize the lid, tube, siphon, etc.

:rockin: