Kegging conundrum

[TrickyDick]

Ok,

I brewed a IPA that I fermented with 100% Brett Trois strain. I'm wondering about the beer line on my taps. It's not one I can replace, at least not without calling the professional draft beer installers. I am thinking about cleaning the line after it's done with hot water and line cleaner, followed by a warm then cold rinse water, plus a thorough brushing and soaking of the faucet, and brushing of the shank. I may swap out the nylon washer and soak the beer post connector too.

I am wondering if I'll ever be able to serve clean beers from the tap again. Feeling pretty stupid about doing that.

Any comments or suggestions?

TD


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[MaddBaggins]

I don't have an answer but was wondering the same thing. I have a 100% brett beer that I would like to keg, but not if it means I have to replace all my stuff.

 

[youreanimpulse]

I chickened out and bottled my Brett IPA last week. I was planning on using a dedicated picnic tap, but I got paranoid about my CO2 line/equipment. The keg I figured I could boil/bake metal parts and replace all the rubber bits. Multiple rounds of sanitizing should take care of the rest. But like I said, I still chickened out.

 

[smokinghole]

Just yank it off as whole an assembly as possible and toss it in a boiling pot of water for 10 min or so. If you cant it wont be a big deal not much will happen at that temp with brett and if you actively drink off that tap you have even less to worry about.

 

[stpug]

My understanding is that Brett. is a yeast just like Sacc., it's just a smaller cell yeast and produces a more protective barrier in the presence of oxygen. Since it's not even close to the size of bacteria cells, it can't "hide" in minute fissures and gauges of your equipment like bacteria can. Also, as long as your equipment is non-porous, non-organic then it can't infect those parts. With that said, as long as you can effectively clean your lines then you should be fine to push a bretted beer through them. I would just used a tad extra-strength cleaner that is hot, and leave it to sit for extra long to break down any pellicle around the cells that may have formed. At least, that's my understanding. But I KNOW where your concern lies.

 

[MaddBaggins]

I've talked with a number of commercial brewers who won't allow the brett onsite for fear of it infecting the whole place.

I think I'll keg it, but use a party tap instead. Then, change out the o rings and such on that keg.

 

[Billy-Klubb]

I've talked with a number of commercial brewers who won't allow the brett onsite for fear of it infecting the whole place.

I think I'll keg it, but use a party tap instead. Then, change out the o rings and such on that keg.

keep that keg for other Brett adventures. I have one set aside for such things and another for root beer.

 

[MaddBaggins]

keep that keg for other Brett adventures. I have one set aside for such things and another for root beer.

Good idea. I have 3 kegs and my fridge only holds 2.

 

[TrickyDick]

Just yank it off as whole an assembly as possible and toss it in a boiling pot of water for 10 min or so. If you cant it wont be a big deal not much will happen at that temp with brett and if you actively drink off that tap you have even less to worry about.

What exactly do you mean about yanks it off as a whole assembly?


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[TrickyDick]

I'm probably going to get some color coded oRings and maybe mark the outside of the kegs as well, to identify which had Brett in them. So far I'm up to 5 brett kegs, but only one line/tap. I think I may try to keep a Brett beer on that line, and worry about trying to clean it if/when I decide to pour clean beer from it. I was keg conditioning a Brett beer and fiddling with a picnic tap and a spunding valve, I accidentally spewed Brett infected beer all over the basement brewery wall.. Oops!




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[Dirty25]

It's only Brett and at cold temps I wouldn't worry about it too much. Even if your line gets "infected". It won't matter to much. How much beer is actually in 6' of keg lines?

 

[smokinghole]

You said you need professional disassembly, right? So take apart what you can. Drop it all in the boil kettle, keep the faucet open, and get air out of the beer line. There is no reason to obsess as much as some are about brett/bacteria. Heat and sanitizers kill these organisms. I ferment in the sake kegs with the rare clean beer as all my sours. I just boil the fitting and orings when I go to a clean beer.

 

[mothershipbrewing]

I put Brett & Sacch beers on all 3 of my lines & in all 3 of my kegs. No issues for me. Just clean with pbw & run star San through them.


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[microbusbrewery]

There is no reason to obsess as much as some are about brett/bacteria. Heat and sanitizers kill these organisms.

+1, clean well, sanitize well, use common sense and you'll be fine.

 

[TrickyDick]

Hmm.

I'm getting an estimate to replace the beer lines should I choose to continue to obsess.
I tasted my first few sour beers today that are still in carboys. I have 5 1/2 carboys of sours ready to bottle! That's the good news I suppose. I don't really have a ton of spare kegs available to keg this all. So I guess its going into bottles, as soon as I can find the time. There is technically one carboy that could stand some additional time to mature.

Thanks for the clarification on the dumping into a boiling kettle question I had. honestly, aside from the keg fittings, there isn't much I can really disassemble. I do have some professional strength line cleaner that I could use. I am thinking to try serving some Brett beers first and see if I have troubles before trying to serve anything with bacteria.

TD

 

[MaddBaggins]

Tricky, I decided to set one keg aside as my bug keg. I will use a party tap for it instead of my regular tower. Should be good to go that way.


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[TrickyDick]

That is certainly an attractive solution. I am sort of wondering about that new silver lining keg tubing ability to serve bacterial beers without infecting clean beer. I have a fermentation fridge with a CO2 manifold on it and a single tap. I can ferment, up to two brew-cubes or a 14 gal conical, or several buckets, or I can carbonate up to four kegs, and I can also serve, but just one beer. It has that new silver lining tubing in it. I might try serving a sour beer out of that and then try serving a clean beer. Might be hard to test, since that tap is really just for testing the carbonation level, and also some end of brew day refreshment. A picnic tap might be just the way to go though. Good idea!

TD