Question regarding cleaning tap and beer lines

[redrocker652002]

It's 3am and I cannot sleep, so I am browsing Morebeer and found some cleaning products that got me to thinking. My current cleaning process of my kegs and kegerator stuff is simple I guess. A 20 to 25 minute rinse in my homemade keg and bucket washer with the recommended amount of Alkaline Brewery Wash where I made two QD's to clean the liquid and gas posts during the wash. Pump thru a 1/2 inch PVC tower with a cap and holes drilled in the top for a spray of sorts. Used a T fitting and ran a 3/8 ID hose off the main pipe and T fitting that with two lines for the posts (I hope this makes sense). If any buckets need to be cleaned I do those as well. Lids and all hoses used in the brew and transfer process are set in the cleaner as well. After all is cleaned, I fill up the keg with my cleaning solution and walk it into my house and flush the kegerator lines and tap with the cleaner by setting a small amount of CO2 pressure and running 4 to 5 gallons thru as if I am serving. Once all of that is done, I will then rinse all of my parts, kegs and buckets with water. Then fill the keg with water and do the same with the beer line and tap. Usually by then I am tired and in need of a HB, so I dry and store. When ready to brew, I will take the fermenter bucket, hoses and empty keg and put some StarSan in them and make sure all are sterilized. I again fill the keg with about 4 gallons of the StarSan solution an run it thru my kegerator lines and tap to sterilise them as well. Now, with all that said, I am wondering if there is a better process? I have not taken the tap apart, nor taken the beer line off to give it a better cleaning as I figure anything that touches beer has been cleaned and sanitized by my current process. Am I missing something? Any input is welcomed and appreciated. Again, it is 3am, so I might have already asked this and am just forgetting it. Thank in advance. RR

 

[hottpeper13]

I did the same build but used 3 "T"'s so I could clean both posts and a keg line at the same time. I have 1/4" MFL fittings and remove the tap lines and run one with every keg. I have a 4 tap kegerator and clean when there are 4 dirty kegs. I take the taps apart and run a brush thru the shank. Instead of rinsing with straight water I use sanitizer. The acid after an alkaline wash will lice any remaining organics. After putting it all back together I run sanitizer from a keg thru the lines and tap then leave them packed for 10 or so min,before flushing with beer.

 

[wsmith1625]

I have not taken the tap apart, nor taken the beer line off to give it a better cleaning as I figure anything that touches beer has been cleaned and sanitized by my current process. Am I missing something?

You should break your taps down every once in a while and give the internals a scrub with a faucet brush. My old rear seal faucets used to collect gunk in the shaft, specifically the hole where the lever would go into it. I think it was mold, and I was horrified when I saw this. For some reason, flushing with cleaner was not sufficient to prevent it. After I realized this, I changed my cleaning process to break down the faucets every time I kicked the keg. I flush the beer lines and then break the taps down. Only adds a few minutes to the cleaning process. I have never noticed mold on my front seal Intertap faucets, but I have always broken them down on cleaning days.

 

[hottpeper13]

My process takes 20 min per keg so there's time to multi task as long as I set a timer. In school they told us to take a sample before and keep it cold ,then taste the before and after side by side to tell if your time between cleanings is sufficient.

 

[mnbrewr]

I use a cheap pond pump and a small bucket to cycle cleaner through my tap lines. While its running I open and close the taps a bunch of times. I've never found any crud inside my taps with this method but I'd bet it is highly dependent on the design of the tap.

This post has a short vid of my setup:
Draft line material help!

 

[Yesfan]

I do something similar as @mnbrewr . I have a spare Chugger style pump I use to run cleaner/rinse/sanitizer through the lines. The tap and disconnect parts I put in a 2 gallon bucket I got from the bakery at my local Publix. The smaller pieces to the taps/disconnects, I use one of those stainless mesh infusers that sits in the bucket of cleaner.

Cleaning kegs, I usually do a full break down after every three batches. If it's been recently cleaned, I just rinse the lines/taps, sanitize, then hook up the new keg. I used to use a DIY keg washer, but just went back to using a brush and the sink. Seems to take the same amount of time.

I bought a tile brush with a telescoping handle earlier this year. Telescoping Handle Tile Brush. It's a whole lot easier to stow away than the pump/plumbing of my keg washer. Just hang dry it when done.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

I bought one of those pump sprayers and put a liquid keg post on the hose. I disconnect from the keg, attach the sprayer then pump beer line cleaner through each line, with the beer tap open. I either drain into a bucket from the tap or attach a hose to drain into the drip tray.

Bobby sells a double ended piece where the keg qd would attach to clean multiple beer lines and taps.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

Forgot, after flushing with beer line cleaner, flush with water after.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

Here's my set up for cleaning five beer taps. Like I mentioned I use a pump sprayer but an aquarium pump works too. I think any pump would work as long as you're not gushing through the lines, low pressure.

 

[Skeeter686]

Here's my set up for cleaning five beer taps. Like I mentioned I use a pump sprayer but an aquarium pump works too. I think any pump would work as long as you're not gushing through the lines, low pressure.

I just put the cleaning solution in a keg and use CO2 to push it through. Don't need a pump for that.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

I just put the cleaning solution in a keg and use CO2 to push it through. Don't need a pump for that.

Yup, that works too, great idea!

 

[beren]

If you have a compressor you can use that as well, no need to waste co2 for cleaning!

 

[Skeeter686]

If you have a compressor you can use that as well, no need to waste co2 for cleaning!

You'd probably want to avoid using an inline oiler, though.

 

[beren]

You'd probably want to avoid using an inline oiler, though.

Why would you not use the flavor injector?

 

[alex pablate]

It's 3am and I cannot sleep, so I am browsing Morebeer and found some cleaning products that got me to thinking. My current cleaning process of my kegs and kegerator stuff is simple I guess. A 20 to 25 minute rinse in my homemade keg and bucket washer with the recommended amount of Alkaline Brewery Wash where I made two QD's to clean the liquid and gas posts during the wash. Pump thru a 1/2 inch PVC tower with a cap and holes drilled in the top for a spray of sorts. Used a T fitting and ran a 3/8 ID hose off the main pipe and T fitting that with two lines for the posts (I hope this makes sense). If any buckets need to be cleaned I do those as well. Lids and all hoses used in the brew and transfer process are set in the cleaner as well. After all is cleaned, I fill up the keg with my cleaning solution and walk it into my house and flush the kegerator lines and tap with the cleaner by setting a small amount of CO2 pressure and running 4 to 5 gallons thru as if I am serving. Once all of that is done, I will then rinse all of my parts, kegs and buckets with water. Then fill the keg with water and do the same with the beer line and tap. Usually by then I am tired and in need of a HB, so I dry and store. When ready to brew, I will take the fermenter bucket, hoses and empty keg and put some StarSan in them and make sure all are sterilized. I again fill the keg with about 4 gallons of the StarSan solution an run it thru my kegerator lines and tap to sterilise them as well. Now, with all that said, I am wondering if there is a better process? I have not taken the tap apart, nor taken the beer line off to give it a better cleaning as I figure anything that touches beer has been cleaned and sanitized by my current process. Am I missing something? Any input is welcomed and appreciated. Again, it is 3am, so I might have already asked this and am just forgetting it. Thank in advance. RR

Consider using different cleaning solutions for different stages. Acid-based cleaners can be helpful for removing mineral deposits and beer stone.

Invest in a sight glass for your lines to help monitor cleanliness and identify potential issues.

Keep up with routine maintenance of your kegerator, including checking CO2 pressure and drip tray cleanliness.