Root Beer Kegs...Oh Noes!

[Evan!]

I've heard horror stories about root beer kegs, but never had one myself.

I just bought a couple cornies from an HBT'er and they arrived today. I saw a little "MUG ROOT BEER" tag on one of them, so I pulled the release valve on both of them...and indeed, they are both root beer kegs, with original pressure still on them...and haven't been cleaned.

So my question is, are these things going to be safe to use? They did come with an O-ring replacement kit for all the rings. I've heard that the root beer stank is very difficult to remove and can ruin an entire batch...will an extended soak in oxyclean or PBW take care of it?

 

[RICLARK]

The Guy at my lhbs told me I had to completely refurbish root beer kegs with new seals and hardware. I bought three of them off ebay... He said if I didn't do it they would give my beer off flavors so there still sitting in my closet.

 

[Sir Humpsalot]

Eliminate everything that isn't metal and replace it. Soak the hell out of it (including inside the dip tube) and you'll be fine.

Note, there's a small plastic piece inside the In/Out valves. It's about an inch long. I don't know what it's for, I tried removing one as it smelled like soda and I couldn't see what the point of it was... maybe a fellow HBTer can tell me if this is bad?

There's also little bit of rubber that seal the dip tube to the corny. Replacement O-rings don't include this piece. Maybe replace it? Personally, I just soaked it as best I could and left it at that- it doesn't actually come into contact with your beer.

HTH

 

[JVD_X]

From what I understand... SaniClean by 5star can be used to both sanitize and get smell out. It is worth a try.

 

[findthefish]

I had one that was still completely full of root beer, that an older home brewer gave to me. He had it sitting in his garage for god knows how long. I just replaced all the o-rings, and soaked the crap out of it in the really hot water and OxiClean. It still had just the faintest smell of root beer, but I used it anyways, and my beer was fine. Wouldn't be a bad idea to replace the poppets too.

 

[Jonnio]

I have used a couple. I cleaned out the inside, soaked in oxi for a few days (filled it a little past half way and soaked 2 days on its bottom, and then put a bucket on top and a couple days sitting on the lid in the bucket) and replaced all the seals. There are the two outer rings on the poppets, the two seals under the poppets, and the lid seal. I didn't have an issue with either one. I think all new hardware is overkill and more than the cost of just pitching the keg and buying another one.

 

[Evan!]

Yeah, I do have replacement rings for the dip tubes as well as the posts and the lid, and I may even have a couple extra poppets laying around for the liquid posts. I suppose, when I disassemble the things, I'll soak the posts, dip tubes and lid in a good hot oxyclean bath for a couple days, as well as separate OC bath for the kegs themselves. Hopefully this will do the job.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

I use PBW for cleaning new rootbeer kegs. It seems to work better than oxi and is worth it to me not to ruin a batch because I wanted to save a few bucks. Use really hot water, and soak overnight. No problems with smell or taste after that.

 

[ShortSnoutBrewing]

4 of the 5 kegs I have and use were root beer kegs. I've always replaces all o-rings and let a full keg with backing powder sit for 24 - 48 hours. Clean, smell. If needed do another backing powder bath. Never had any problems.

 

[Evan!]

I use PBW for cleaning new rootbeer kegs. It seems to work better than oxi and is worth it to me not to ruin a batch because I wanted to save a few bucks. Use really hot water, and soak overnight. No problems with smell or taste after that.

Good to know. I have PBW as well, but I mainly only use it for aluminum (because oxyclean tarnishes it). I'll use the PBW instead, with my scalding-hot tap water. Thanks!

 

[bradsul]

A couple of mine were root beer kegs, I replaced all the o-rings and the poppet valves and did an overnight oxyclean soak. Relief valves are really expensive so I added the relief valve to the oxyclean soak as well.

 

[Evan!]

A couple of mine were root beer kegs, I replaced all the o-rings and the poppet valves and did an overnight oxyclean soak. Relief valves are really expensive so I added the relief valve to the oxyclean soak as well.

Are the pull-ring release valves removable? I wasn't aware that they were. I was just planning on soaking the whole lid in OC/PBW.

 

[FlyingHorse]

Are the pull-ring release valves removable?

IIRC, they just unscrew.

 

[findthefish]

IIRC, they just unscrew.

Yep, I just grab the pin and the top plastic piece unscrews.

 

[Sir Humpsalot]

IIRC, they just unscrew.

Yup. That's what's awesome about cornies- they are an actual piece of American equipment. Everything's removable and replaceable. They were built to last and built to be repaired.

It a weird way, I'm attracted to that kind of stuff. From both the eco-green reuse/recycle perspective as well as the gearhead DIY perspective, I find them to be awesome.

 

[bradsul]

Yep, I just grab the pin and the top plastic piece unscrews.

+1 (minor post-whore)

 

[conpewter]

I have several root beer kegs, and after cleaning them and replacing the O-rings you don't smell anything anymore, also never had a batch ruined by the keg, that privilege is reserved for me and my stupid mistakes

 

[Buford]

My kegs were downright NASTY when I got them. Replace anything rubber (including poppets and release valves), and the majority of your problem will be gone. The metal cleans up fine with a little chemical and elbow grease love.

 

[Evan!]

My kegs were downright NASTY when I got them. Replace anything rubber (including poppets and release valves), and the majority of your problem will be gone. The metal cleans up fine with a little chemical and elbow grease love.

Yikes, man, replacing release valves h'aint cheap. I'm soaking all that stuff in PBW for a day, then gonna do an oxyclean soak for a day. Of course all the rings are being replaced, but I'm not going to replace the poppets or release valves unless I have a problem with them.

 

[Buford]

It depends on the extent of the problem, really. If the valves and poppets smell okay after cleaning and they hold pressure you should be fine. I had to replace mine, the rubber was all dryrotted from being out in the sun for who knows how long. Then again, I bought "as-is" ratty old kegs that needed a lot of work to be usable.

 

[Evan!]

It depends on the extent of the problem, really. If the valves and poppets smell okay after cleaning and they hold pressure you should be fine. I had to replace mine, the rubber was all dryrotted from being out in the sun for who knows how long. Then again, I bought "as-is" ratty old kegs that needed a lot of work to be usable.

These were holding pressure on a keg full of CO2 when the arrived, and they look fine, so I'm thinking, as long as they don't reek of rootbeer when they're done with the cleaning regimen, they should be just fine.

 

[Buford]

You should be good, then. I made the mistake of going cheap and getting junkyard kegs because they were dirt cheap (quite literally) but it cost me more per keg when I was done than to have just bought refurbished ones instead. Mine looked like this:

I don't even know what had been in them other than being some kind of soda syrup - it was gross. They cleaned up good but I had to get a lot of replacement parts.

 

[Reverend JC]

I have a few kegs that had rootbeer in them and if you do a good job cleaning and sanitizing with new o-rings you are going to be good to go. It is the same with most soda kegs. SS will not "soak up" any flavor and then give it to a new liquid so you my friend are good to go.

 

[r2eng]

+1 on the metal soak... works great. New o-rings a mist, too.

I can vouch for NEVER using a party tap and hose for beer once used for root beer. I soaked in hot OXI, then soap and water, and then Star-San. STILL wreaks of root beer. Anything that touched my homemade root beer stays for root beer now.

Eric