Sanitation Question

[red1992v6rs]

This is my first time kegging. I just transferred my beer from my carboy last night and was going to blanket it with co2 while it went down to the correct temperature. As I was watching YouTube videos to refresh the steps to force carbonate tonight, I realized I may have sanitized my keg incorrectly. I filled the keg up about half way with sanitizer and shook it for a few minutes and dumped it. I didn't hook the co2 up and run the sanitizer through the outlet stem. Is it a big deal that I haven't done this? Is there anything I could or should do going further?

Thanks,
Ryan

 

[Braufessor]

This is my first time kegging. I just transferred my beer from my carboy last night and was going to blanket it with co2 while it went down to the correct temperature. As I was watching YouTube videos to refresh the steps to force carbonate tonight, I realized I may have sanitized my keg incorrectly. I filled the keg up about half way with sanitizer and shook it for a few minutes and dumped it. I didn't hook the co2 up and run the sanitizer through the outlet stem. Is it a big deal that I haven't done this? Is there anything I could or should do going further?

Thanks,
Ryan

If your dip tube/outlets/posts were dirty, it could be a problem. If the beer is already in there, there is not much you are going to do about it now. If all the parts were already good and clean, chances are you could be ok.

I completely disassemble my kegs - posts, dip tubes, gaskets, pressure relief, all of it after every beer. I clean it, put it back together and fill it all the way up with starsan. I then hook up CO2 and push the star san out through the liquid side into another clean keg. This ensures that the entire inside of the keg gets hit with star san and, it runs through the tube and post. Additionally, it leaves you with a keg that is full of CO2, which minimizes oxygen when you transfer beer into the keg.

 

[stz]

I like to hold the keg upside down and bleed a little through the gas post, pressure release valve and then push the rest out of the liquid side because then all the valves/posts have been rinsed on the inside and well flushed with sanitiser. In the grand scheme of things, it is a minor detail depending on how well you wash your kegs, but it is best practice especially if the keg isn't new or hasn't been cleaned and sanitised fully as part of the reconditioning process.

On an unrelated note I rinse them out well with cold water, but like boiling water to perform the final rinse prior to sealing them up for storage. Before I use them they'll get another rinse and sanitisation, but I like the heat/steam.

 

[red1992v6rs]

Thanks guys. The keg is brand new. I think I'm going to transfer it out with an auto siphon and re-sanitize the keg and hope for the best. Anyone against that?

 

[Konadog]

I would just leave it alone, what's done is done, and you may introduce something else by moving it (including oxidation) to a new keg.

 

[MaxStout]

Re-sanitizing the keg is like closing the gate after the horses have run out. If there was anything in there to infect the beer, it's already in the beer. OTOH, maybe nothing bad got into your beer. Racking again will just expose the beer to more oxygen.

 

[Braufessor]

Don't move it.... your beer is already in it. Anything that was in there that was going to hurt your beer has already hurt it. If it was new, hopefully it is all ok. There is nothing at all to gain by trying to "re sanitize" it after you already put your beer in it.

 

[day_trippr]

A 4th vote for not messing with that keg o' beer. Nothing good can come from it now...

Cheers!

 

[bigdawg86]

Don't mess with it... just drink it faster!

 

[beermanpete]

As already said above, what's done is done. You could always invite a few friends over and drink the beer tonight before any infection has a change to take hold.

 

[stz]

Depending on the beer and your storage/dispense/carbonation method you might not even have a problem even if the keg wasn't completely sanitary. Plenty of my kegs in your position would get 5 minutes of rolling at about 40psi then go into a freezer at 0-1C with top pressure at 10psi ready to serve from within a week. Lets say your beer picked up some wild yeast or lactic acid producing bacteria. It isn't going to spoil much at 1C over the time period it takes to drink, especially if it has at least moderate abv and hopping. Relax and enjoy it. Isn't like you can do much else!

We aim for as sanitary conditions for producing and packaging beer as possible and we aim to pitch clean mono cultures, but unless everything is sterile we always end up drinking a blend of random spoilage organisms anyway. The key is that they are not present in sufficient numbers to cause perceptible off flavours over the anticipated lifespan of the beer.