Sanke Fermentation Vessel

[Simphoto02]

Well I have a couple of those Brewer's Hardware Sanke fermentation caps. I LOVE the way they work and the quality. Only issue I have is the cleaning of the keg AFTER the beer is kegged and the trub is left behind.

How do you guys that use these things, if any, clean the inside of an un-cut sanke so it can be used again as a fermentation chamber?

 

[wyzazz]

Overnight Oxi Soak, or a 2 day soak if it's really bad.

 

[Ohio-Ed]

Well I have a couple of those Brewer's Hardware Sanke fermentation caps. I LOVE the way they work and the quality. Only issue I have is the cleaning of the keg AFTER the beer is kegged and the trub is left behind.

How do you guys that use these things, if any, clean the inside of an un-cut sanke so it can be used again as a fermentation chamber?

I found it can be a challenge.

I built a keg/carboy washer using a small utility pump. Basically just sits in a rubbermaid tub of warm oxiclean sprays and recirculates into a a vessel sitting upside down over it. I ran it for probably an hour and could still see "stuff" stuck in the keg.

I went at it with a carboy brush... did a full 15 gallon oxiclean soak for a week, attached a piece of cloth to a wooden dowel in a drill and spun it against the sides... and could STILL see bits of crap stuck really high up on the side.

For me the problem is that as hard as it is to get anything into the keg to clean it with, its just as hard to see whats actually going on in there.

I know you said un-cut, but...
I ended up cutting the top out. I made the hole smaller than the one in a keggle and used a keggle cutout, a couple clamps and a big silicon o-ring as the new top. I just fermented my first batch in it and used co2 to transfer out of the sanke, so it makes a great seal. Obviously cleanup was no problem.

 

[bwiens]

I do a good rinse and then a soak with Oxy-clean for a few days. I actually have one full of solution now that has been that way for a couple of weeks. I will drain it out and give it another rinse and then hit it with some white vinegar and then a rinse with a little star san. On brew day I will put about 1 gallon of water in it and through it on a burner and let it boil for a while with the lid on it, but slightly offset and not sealed up. A good steam killing. Anything that makes it past the soaking and rinsing and boiling will not hurt anything. A dozen or so batches and not a single issue.

 

[wyzazz]

I do a good rinse and then a soak with Oxy-clean for a few days. I actually have one full of solution now that has been that way for a couple of weeks. I will drain it out and give it another rinse and then hit it with some white vinegar and then a rinse with a little star san. On brew day I will put about 1 gallon of water in it and through it on a burner and let it boil for a while with the lid on it, but slightly offset and not sealed up. A good steam killing. Anything that makes it past the soaking and rinsing and boiling will not hurt anything. A dozen or so batches and not a single issue.

Hmmm, I wonder if my heatstick would fit down inside of my kegs?

 

[Ohio-Ed]

OP...

You posted this same question at least three times... What a mess.

 

[Simphoto02]

I found it can be a challenge.

I built a keg/carboy washer using a small utility pump. Basically just sits in a rubbermaid tub of warm oxiclean sprays and recirculates into a a vessel sitting upside down over it. I ran it for probably an hour and could still see "stuff" stuck in the keg.

I went at it with a carboy brush... did a full 15 gallon oxiclean soak for a week, attached a piece of cloth to a wooden dowel in a drill and spun it against the sides... and could STILL see bits of crap stuck really high up on the side.

For me the problem is that as hard as it is to get anything into the keg to clean it with, its just as hard to see whats actually going on in there.

I know you said un-cut, but...
I ended up cutting the top out. I made the hole smaller than the one in a keggle and used a keggle cutout, a couple clamps and a big silicon o-ring as the new top. I just fermented my first batch in it and used co2 to transfer out of the sanke, so it makes a great seal. Obviously cleanup was no problem.

This is what I tried, but can not get a good seal.

Please elaborate on your set-up.

 

[Simphoto02]

OP...

You posted this same question at least three times... What a mess.

I know. Sorry, but I could not decide the best location.

 

[WortMonger]

Oxyclean or PBW! Then rinse well. Then more oxyclean/PBW if you need it. It isn't hard to make a stick mirror if you are too overly paranoid (a one inch square stick with some of that plastic mirror on it, and a flashlight). Trust me, this ain't my first rodeo. I absolutely love using a keg as a fermenter that I can always go back to using "as a keg."

 

[Ohio-Ed]

This is what I tried, but can not get a good seal.

Please elaborate on your set-up.

Your new "lid" is probably flexing where your clamps are applying pressure. Cut a donut from 3/4" plywood with an OD that will fit inside the keg handles and an ID smaller than your o-ring (I used a 6" hole saw). Put it under your clamps to distribute the pressure.

I'm clamping from the top, so I used several plywood rings.

 

[Ohio-Ed]

Oxyclean or PBW! Then rinse well. Then more oxyclean/PBW if you need it. It isn't hard to make a stick mirror if you are too overly paranoid (a one inch square stick with some of that plastic mirror on it, and a flashlight). Trust me, this ain't my first rodeo. I absolutely love using a keg as a fermenter that I can always go back to using "as a keg."

Me too... that's why I turned mine into a convertible

Mine seals back up just dandy.

So do you mix up enough PBW or oxiclean to soak the entire keg inside? And then you do it again if needed? Sounds like you could go through quite a bit of PBW that way.

Maybe I just had stubborn beer stone but after a week, I had to decide to live with it or change my method.

 

[Simphoto02]

Your new "lid" is probably flexing where your clamps are applying pressure. Cut a donut from 3/4" plywood with an OD that will fit inside the keg handles and an ID smaller than your o-ring (I used a 6" hole saw). Put it under your clamps to distribute the pressure.

I'm clamping from the top, so I used several plywood rings.

Thats a great idea. But can you show me your "Clamping from the top"

 

[thesanch]

Check out this thread for how others have done it:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/sanke-fermenter-upgrade-question-182696/

 

[humann_brewing]

Oxyclean or PBW! Then rinse well. Then more oxyclean/PBW if you need it. It isn't hard to make a stick mirror if you are too overly paranoid (a one inch square stick with some of that plastic mirror on it, and a flashlight). Trust me, this ain't my first rodeo. I absolutely love using a keg as a fermenter that I can always go back to using "as a keg."

yes, well we all know you are the king of closed keg fermenting around here

 

[WortMonger]

Maybe I just had stubborn beer stone but after a week, I had to decide to live with it or change my method.

Yeah, beerstone would be a bitch to clean with PBW or Oxyclean. Works great for yeast and trub, but you need a strong acid to take on beerstone. Angle grinders with brush pads work well, but you need to shrink yourself first to fit in the keg, or just buy bigger equipment like a 465 gallon kettle .

 

[944play]

Angle grinders with brush pads work well, but you need to shrink yourself first to fit in the keg, or just buy bigger equipment like a 465 gallon kettle .

Or maybe get one of these?

 

[WortMonger]

I had that idea.... Do they make one for a 1/2 bbl keg, cause that'd be sweet?

 

[ILOVEBEER]

I have two of the conversion kits from derrin as well....top notch stuff. I first rinse them out with hose water, add soap and let them soak for a few days. Luckily I have a pressure washer to clean all my gear with after brew day. I fire it up, dump out the soaking liquid and start blasting the inside very maticulously. I clean each sanke atleast 10-15 minutes with the pressure washer. I constantly turn the sanke over and check for debris....then I smell the inside.....you'll know when it is clean. I have never had a contaminated batch this way 60+ gallons.

Good Luck

 

[Simphoto02]

Or maybe get one of these?

FYI, The "one of These" you are talking about is the "Carboy Cleaner."

SLICK AS SNOT!!!

Just got an email from the company/dude making them. been testing a Sanke 1/2 barrel version with GREAT results. Hope to have them on his site in a couple of weeks.

Seems HBTer's have been bombarding him with requests all of a sudden. The power of this forum never ceases to amaze me.

 

[WortMonger]

This is good news! Very good news! I could never get my idea figured on how to make sure it would flail outwards and contact the walls of the Sanke. I was looking into chimney brushes, however their shafts were always right at the ID of the o-ring lip in the keg opening. I needed it small enough to for sure fit, and at $50-$60 plus having to retro-fit it to a drill would not have been worth it in my mind. I can't wait until he makes the 1/2 bbl version. Schweet!

 

[knightbeer39]

What about using a pressure washer with a bend on the end of the wand? I was thinking about something like that to really power out the grime.

 

[Ohio-Ed]

What about using a pressure washer with a bend on the end of the wand? I was thinking about something like that to really power out the grime.

I bought the parts to make a modified wand for my pressure washer. Then i realized that if it failed it was basically a spear gun. I rethought that idea.

 

[knightbeer39]

I bought the parts to make a modified wand for my pressure washer. Then i realized that if it failed it was basically a spear gun. I rethought that idea.

Hmmmm, that's a good point. They have various angles of sprayer attachments, 40 degrees being the least acute. Not sure that would be enough angle to get those tough to reach spots higher up in the keg though.

Call it paranoia, but until I can be completely confident that all the grime is out of the keg, I just can't bring myself to trust one as a fermentation vessel without cutting the top off and devising some sort of lid as many of you have.

 

[WortMonger]

Hey guys, Teri Fahrendorf just messaged me about my Closed System Pressurized fermentation article. Apparently she saw it through a Google report and replied with the information I was never able to obtain. Wow, the woman in hot pink muck boots. Anyway, had to brag about meeting a famous Brew-Goddess. Carry on! LOL.

 

[bwiens]

Call it paranoia, but until I can be completely confident that all the grime is out of the keg, I just can't bring myself to trust one as a fermentation vessel without cutting the top off and devising some sort of lid as many of you have.

A good soak, rinse and then a 10 minute boil and all is good. Nothing is going to infect your fermentation that could possibly be left inside.

They are really the best single thing I have added to my process, now I just need to use them instead of my corny kegs for conditioning and serving. I hate splitting the batch part way through, but cornies are more practical for lifting into the keezer.

 

[wyzazz]

A good soak, rinse and then a 10 minute boil and all is good. Nothing is going to infect your fermentation that could possibly be left inside.

They are really the best single thing I have added to my process, now I just need to use them instead of my corny kegs for conditioning and serving. I hate splitting the batch part way through, but cornies are more practical for lifting into the keezer.

Ummm, 1/6bbl kegs anyone??

 

[chuckjaxfl]

Put the spear back in, go trade it in on a fresh keg?




(KIDDING!)

 

[Islandboy85]

What if you would put on a 6 inch triclover with a 2 inch ferrule on the 6 inch cap? This would let you get into it for cleaning. I'll soon be building my new fermenter/hlt this way.

 

[Dert]

Been fermenting in sankes for the last 10 years. Fill with water for a few days, tip upside down, rinse with hot water till clear, add one gallon and boil for 10-15 minutes with foil on the top. done.

 

[Islandboy85]

Been fermenting in sankes for the last 10 years. Fill with water for a few days, tip upside down, rinse with hot water till clear, add one gallon and boil for 10-15 minutes with foil on the top. done.

What about rolling it with some water and gravel or chains? That's how YUengling cleans their wooden barrels. Would that do the trick? I guess you could do double duty if you've got kids too. "kids, you're misbehaving. Now, go outside and roll daddy's fermenter around the yard for a while to burn off that extra kid energy."