Used keg cleaning/safety concerns

[GoodaleBrewing]

Hello all. A year ago I was at a swap and a guy had a Spartanburg challenger VI 10 gallon keg he was selling for 15 bucks. He had no idea what he had and said he got it thinking he would convert it and use it as garden sprayer but found an actual sprayer for cheap so he didn't have a use for it anymore and wanted to get rid of it. It had some liquid in the bottom of it and doesn't smell like chemicals but i am a little worried now that I am planning on using it as a pressurized fermenter.

Do you think PBW will clean it up if I let it set for a bit or should I try something else or not use it at all?


Also for some odd reason it has 2 full length tubes under the ball lock fittings too so I dont know why it is like that either.

 

[jtratcliff]

PBW should do the trick...

 

[RedlegEd]

PBW should do the trick...

+1 ^^^ this. A good hot soak in PBW will do a lot to clean it, but I would add to make sure you completely disassemble the keg. Remove the dip tubes and scrub them thoroughly with a dip tube brush. I'd also replace all of the rubber o-rings, and maybe even the poppets in the posts. Thoroughly inspect the bottom of the keg. If there's any residue that didn't come clean with PBW, you'll need to hit with a green/blue scrubby and Barkeeper's Friend. This is what I do with any used keg I acquire. If it was used with chemicals, there's a good chance there are still traces in the rubber. Hope this helps. BTW, nice score! Ed