Mold in lines
- Thread starter yusupov
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Not sure what your weather is like, but it may be that you are in a moist area requiring extra effort to keep mold away. I get away with giving my hoses a good spin and hanging them to dry. Maybe find a small and cheap air compressor and blow them out.
X2 blow them out. During the summer its so humid here that's what I do but I have a huge shop compressor with an air drier or paint/tools. I think funneling some hot air from a hair drier set on low or medium would work.
I run water through them and then leave them filled with StarSan. I do this from a garden pressure sprayer with a keg post attached.
"What about the line from the kegerator tap to the ball lock fitting for the keg. Do you actually disconnect it to dry it out?"
I never allow them to go empty!
I never allow them to go empty!
^^Yep^^
hio3791
Well-Known Member
I disconnect the line from keg to tap, disassemble the ball lock and soak the whole thing in Oxyclean for a few minutes, maybe 5 or 10, not too long because soft plastic will discolor. I use my auto-siphon to push Oxyclean through the line. Then rinse the whole thing, push Star-san through and it goes back into service.
I try to do that each time a keg kicks but it doesn't always happen so the line may go through 2 kegs before it's cleaned. If however, there is no keg waiting, I hang the line to air dry.
I've been doing that for years without a problem. The only place I've found mold was in a little piece of tubing that I use inside my mash tun. I used to clean my MT out, then leave it to air dry. Then one day I decided to take the MT apart and that's when I found the mold. I replaced the piece of tubing and ever since then, I always take the MT apart after each brew and let each component air dry. I also take the BK apart after each brew. This has worked much better and I haven't had issues since.
I try to do that each time a keg kicks but it doesn't always happen so the line may go through 2 kegs before it's cleaned. If however, there is no keg waiting, I hang the line to air dry.
I've been doing that for years without a problem. The only place I've found mold was in a little piece of tubing that I use inside my mash tun. I used to clean my MT out, then leave it to air dry. Then one day I decided to take the MT apart and that's when I found the mold. I replaced the piece of tubing and ever since then, I always take the MT apart after each brew and let each component air dry. I also take the BK apart after each brew. This has worked much better and I haven't had issues since.
