Mark 2 Keg Washer

[erikrocks]

So, I'm having a problem getting my carboys totally clean. I'll fill up the base with hot water+PBW and let it run through the carboy for 20+ minutes, but I'm left with this ring around the top part of the carboy. It happens on all of them--6 gallon better bottles and 6 1/2 gallon glass carboys.

Any helpful hints? Ideas?

 

[kincade]

It sounds like you need to use more PBW. I'm not sure what effect soft or hard water would have on the cleaning power of PBW but with very hard tap water I use about 1-2 tbsp per fillup of the keg washer and hot tap water. Works like a charm.

 

[erikrocks]

I've been using water that goes through a water softener--I would think with softer water I'd be able to use my normal hot water to PBW ratio, but I'll try using more.

 

[rockethacker]

i've been using this wonderful machine for about 2 months now and can't be any happier. here are my observations

The good:

• relatively cheap. To build you own with the same quality of parts and features, you're only paying about a $20 premium. The inclusion of specialty fittings is a huge plus! If you build you own and break something, it automatically costs more than this unit. let's face it, if you could afford a kegging system, you can afford this.
• it works out of the box. no tweaking required. it starts saving you time immediately (and that is the whole reason you bought the thing)
• saves you money by only using a gallon of solution (PBW, starsan, etc). because of this, it should pay for itself in just a few years. potentially uses a bit less than a home built system
• small footprint. good new for us with limited space.
• small part count. only 3 main parts to transport, assemble, clean, etc.
• cleans glass carboys really well. i've intentionally put some really dirty things in there and with enough PBW and time they've always come clean (with zero extra work from me). because of this product, i've completely switched to glass carboys
• cleans kegs really well. i used to devote hours to cleaning kegs. now i clean them in parallel on a brew day.

The bad:

• because of the small volume of solution used, you'll need to change it often when cleaning really dirty stuff. this is an expected side effect. i'm willing to live with it.
• when full of water, can be a little flimsy when carrying it across the room. this is worse when you use really hot water. i don't think that it needs a drain because it is a rather small volume and it is easy to carry. It is not flimsy enough to be called cheap, just flimsy enough to spill water and create a mess
• not sure if it saves money in the long term. with the time saved, i'm just drinking more, brewing more and buying more things...

add-ons i'd pay extra for:

• drop in electric heater. would mount safely as to not melt things.
• bottle washer tree attachment. should clean at least 4 bottles simultaneously. (something similar to http://morebeer.com/view_product/15964//Bottle_and_Carboy_Washer)

 

[erikrocks]

Anyone know where to find the Serial Number on the Mark II? I have to remember to send in the warranty card and can't find the SN.

 

[jdrollason]

Anyone know where to find the Serial Number on the Mark II? I have to remember to send in the warranty card and can't find the SN.

It should be on the pump.

 

[cino101]

I contacted Mark but he was unaware if this would work on 10 and 15 gal corny kegs. I went ahead and purchased one any way. Will report back with my findings later in the week when I get it.

 

[cino101]

Ok tested this out today on a crusty 10 gal corny which was used for fermentation. Did a pre rinse to dump the cake and just sprayed the inside with hot water to pre clean it. The vessel sits well on the stand, was comfortable walking away from it while it cleaned. 15 min of oxi clean water almost cleanned it completly, next time I will hit it with a brush before using this washer. Think this product will be great for sanitizing on brew day. Way less water has to be used, no longer have to dump and waste 7-8gal of sanitized water on brew day.

 

[oakbarn]

i've been using this wonderful machine for about 2 months now and can't be any happier. here are my observations

The good:

• relatively cheap. To build you own with the same quality of parts and features, you're only paying about a $20 premium. The inclusion of specialty fittings is a huge plus! If you build you own and break something, it automatically costs more than this unit. let's face it, if you could afford a kegging system, you can afford this.
• it works out of the box. no tweaking required. it starts saving you time immediately (and that is the whole reason you bought the thing)
• saves you money by only using a gallon of solution (PBW, starsan, etc). because of this, it should pay for itself in just a few years. potentially uses a bit less than a home built system
• small footprint. good new for us with limited space.
• small part count. only 3 main parts to transport, assemble, clean, etc.
• cleans glass carboys really well. i've intentionally put some really dirty things in there and with enough PBW and time they've always come clean (with zero extra work from me). because of this product, i've completely switched to glass carboys
• cleans kegs really well. i used to devote hours to cleaning kegs. now i clean them in parallel on a brew day.

The bad:

• because of the small volume of solution used, you'll need to change it often when cleaning really dirty stuff. this is an expected side effect. i'm willing to live with it.
• when full of water, can be a little flimsy when carrying it across the room. this is worse when you use really hot water. i don't think that it needs a drain because it is a rather small volume and it is easy to carry. It is not flimsy enough to be called cheap, just flimsy enough to spill water and create a mess
• not sure if it saves money in the long term. with the time saved, i'm just drinking more, brewing more and buying more things...

add-ons i'd pay extra for:

• drop in electric heater. would mount safely as to not melt things.
• bottle washer tree attachment. should clean at least 4 bottles simultaneously. (something similar to http://morebeer.com/view_product/15964//Bottle_and_Carboy_Washer)

I did build my own for about $10 as I already had a pump ( the Pump is available from harbor Freight for about $14). I use a 5 gal bucket and have both a gray and black cornelius keg connector on at the same time. I like my own build and I made another so I can rinse with tap water.

 

[HydroRamPac]

Will the Mark 2 handle cleaning 15 gallon Sanke Kegs?

 

[erikrocks]

Will the Mark 2 handle cleaning 15 gallon Sanke Kegs?

Works for me.

 

[strumke]

Hey Everybody,

Mark at Mark's Keg Washer again.

I just wanted to thank everybody for all the great feedback, you have given me a lot of great ideas, and I really like the positive feedback.

I think my first project will be a rubber grommet type thing to put on the keg washer stand. That will give it some non-slip action and also give some elevation so the 6.5 gallon carboys will fit better. I found one of my carboys wasnt completely symetrical and tended to slide to one side if left alone or bumped.

I am also working on a retro-fit for the clips to make them a lot stronger. As a test, I removed the clips from a unit and set a carboy on it, it holds even without the clips, but if bumped it, it would definately fall over. Make sure all the clips are engaged and if you have to bend the clips in to make them engage better, that's fine. This plastic is really flexible and strong. It tends to bend rather than break.

If you guys have a keg washer, be sure to fill out the warranty card and I will send you the mods as they become available. There is a long lead time on this stuff, so it will probably be a few months. Getting plastic injection molds modified takes a lot of time and money like you wouldn't believe.

I am very happy with the keg washer as is, but a few tweaks will definately make it even better.

Thanks a lot. I can always be reached at [email protected]

Cheers,
Mark

Have there been any mod updates?

 

[Jazong]

Second time I used mine the fitting connecting the pump to the spray wand broke of in the pump. The break was all the way around the fitting through the middle three threads. Didn't someone else have this same problem?

-J

 

[kincade]

If you sent in your warranty card, Mark has sent out all the updates free of charge. If you didn't you should do so ASAP. He sent out a grommet and replacement fitting (the one just mentioned), both of which are an improvement over the originals. I've had zero problems with mine since the updates.

I'd say too, there are few companies I've dealt with that have been so responsive to user feedback and improving their product. Mark gets an A+ from me.

 

[fright101]

Thanks to this thread, I went ahead and bought Marks Keg/Carboy washer and have used it several times.

The good-

1) Does a great job on the cornies as well as the 6 gallon glass carboys. I have not had anything so stuck inside the carboys that the washer with oxyclean free could not clean..yet
2) Great pump- plenty of volume
3) I had absolutely zero issues with carboys/cornies falling. Seems fairly solid

The bad-

1) Cheap flimsy hose barbs for the connectors- I can see how they would break, bend and contort
2) As others have stated, no drain for the liquid- lift and pour- I will rectify this myself.
3) Relatively shallow basin- Would be good to have a bit more volume, but may not be feasible to keep manufacturing costs semi low.


Suggestions

Go with some higher quality pipe fittings for attaching the quick connectors and possible a "T" to do both sides.

I seen a need to have something to clean my beer lines and didn't want to have more tools than what I could store.
I picked up a few 1/2 pvc caps at home depot along with a 1/4 flare to 1/4 MIP as well. I drilled the cap for the 1/4 pipe (12.2mm 1/2drill will probably be fine) and tapped.
Threaded it onto the extension that comes with the pump at the top and hooked it up to the beer lines. Took a 2 ft section of 1/2 silicone hose and pushed it over the end of the perlick tap to return the liquid to the basin. Turned it on and let the oxyclean flow- Works great!
I will rinse it with water a few times, but I don't have to have a separate cleaning unit for my taps.

Part# for the flare; 17000080
http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100637812/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=17000080&storeId=10051#.UGiioHm4wz8
Part# for the cap; Store SKU # 29423 (verify as I didn't remember the number)
http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100148525/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=1%2F2+pvc+pipe+cap&storeId=10051#.UGikDXm4wz8

I think the total cost on this was around $8-$10.00 including the silicone tubing.


I like to make as many things as I can multi-purpose. I just don't have the room for all the equipment that we all would like to have.

 

[swackattack]

Just got mine. I'm in awe. Can't believe I've been soaking for this long

 

[Veedo]

I seen one guy post that this works with a 10 gallon corny. Anyone else? Is it tippy?

 

[PeckerWood]

Just got mine in today and couldn't wait to use it, as I've been putting off cleaning 6 dirty cornies. I couldn't stop cleaning; it was great! I cleaned all 6 kegs, dip tubes, gas intakes, and also my Blichmann Therminator since I could never really clean the interior besides immediately backflushing after chilling. The hose barb attachment really facilitated the hookup while cleaning my hoses at the same time. I had zero problems and enjoyed the fact that it holds less liquid than the original model; thus needing less cleaning solvent, which is a money saver. I love this washer! I bought a Rotating CIP Ball from Brewers Hardware that fits on top of the spray wand to clean my buckets, carboys, and 15 Gallon Blichmann Fermenator. I've been dying to CIP that as the stainless interior is prone to accumulating excess beer stone. I've never been so excited to clean before and I haven't even touched on sanitation yet. Thanks Mark!

 

[SiriusStarr]

My apologies for practicing the dark art of necromancy with this thread, but this seems to be the font of knowledge about these. Anyone know if this works on the various sizes of Better Bottles? I would assume it does, but want to confirm. I use a mishmash of carboys but have just added better bottles to the mix and am considering getting one of these. (I'd like to avoid scrubbing except in the most dire of cases, given the switch to plastic.)

Many thanks in advance. Cheers!

 

[pdxkale]

I use mine with both the 5 and 6 gallon better bottles. I've found that it helps to give them a quick rinse with hot water before using the keg washer on them, and sometimes you need a little patience on really nasty krausen, but I would never go back to washing by hand.

Hope that helps. Cheers!

 

[SiriusStarr]

I use mine with both the 5 and 6 gallon better bottles. I've found that it helps to give them a quick rinse with hot water before using the keg washer on them, and sometimes you need a little patience on really nasty krausen, but I would never go back to washing by hand.

Hope that helps. Cheers!

Thanks for your input and for tolerating my necroing.

 

[VoodooV]

I just got one of these.

I'm liking it so far, but I am having one problem, the pump seems to work intermittently. first few times I used it it worked great. I turned it off to check on a particularly soiled keg, turned it back on, and it makes noise, but no pumping. I unplugged it and pulled it out of the water, I took the cover off and the propeller. I couldn't find anything wrong, put it back together and it worked fine.

This has happened twice so far. Any tips as to what's wrong?

Thanks in advance.

 

[gbarron]

I love this product. Unfortunately I think my pump died. It is still making noise but no longer pumping water. A couple of small, white plastic pieces have come out of it so I think it is done for.

Does anyone know of an inexpensive replacement pump I can find online?

 

[fantasticapparatus]

Rather than starting another thread, I will continue to poke the zombie.

I just wanted to let people know that the 120L speidel fermentor just barely fits on the mark ii. It's a little bit splashy so indoor use would need some towels laid down, but I'm glad I can continue to use this investment. A CIP ball (as another forum member has suggested using with the pump tower)would likely facilitate a quicker clean, and I am more likely to get one now with the larger fermentor.

 

[Ruddles]

I have just bought the Mark's keg & carboys cleaner. I find it works well for corny kegs, but I have had problems with my carboys. I use pyrex carboys (5-6 galls) that were discarded by a laboratory. Each weighs about 13 lbs empty. When put on the washer, the opening of the carboy rests on the pump, and the collar of the washer is too wide to hold the carboy upright, so the carboy leans against the collar, which is rather precarious, as the plastic clips that hold the collar in place are not that strong. It seems like a different collar for carboys would solve the problem - with a higher clearance from the pump and a narrower neck. Anyway, I would be interested to hear how others are managing with their carboys.

 

[govner1]

I've had no problems w/ 3,5,6 g BB's or 5 & 6.5 g glass carboys. It could be a variation in the dimensions of your lab carboys vs. others.
Maybe a DIY collar around the existing collar would help.
Good luck.

 

[Stealthcruiser]

Post a pic of the anomaly, and we'll see iffn' we can dream something up!

 

[Ruddles]

Post a pic of the anomaly, and we'll see iffn' we can dream something up!

Here are 2 pictures of the problem (which seems to be sideways for some reason).
First image: the carboy rests on top of the pump
Second image: the heavy glass carboy leans on the plastic collar, relying on those clips to hold.
Any ideas for modifications that make the carboy more stable?
Many thanks

 

[alexnova]

^ Best solution would be to make the collar taller somehow. Perhaps some foam pipe insulation or a rolled-up tea towel on top that the carboy can rest on?

 

[ClaudiusB]

Here are 2 pictures of the problem (which seems to be sideways for some reason).
First image: the carboy rests on top of the pump
Second image: the heavy glass carboy leans on the plastic collar, relying on those clips to hold.
Any ideas for modifications that make the carboy more stable?
Many thanks

Make a new longer collar out of 3"or 4" PVC pipe.

Cheers,
ClaudiusB