I built a keg cleaner years ago, but now I rarely use it. I only really use it when I am cleaning and rinsing my 30 gallon plastic fermenter to get it ready for my fermentation for my flander's red barrel every year or every other year.
To give some context, I have right around 90 kegs, so I've had to find some efficiencies over the years. I also have kegs that have been holding meads, ciders, and some big beers for over a decade at a time. Most recent was a cyser that I kegged in 2009 that I finally emptied. When you have a beverage in a keg for over a decade, it can have some hard buildup in the bottom.
What I do, is rinse out with hot water, then I use a manifold that is connected to my house water on one end and keg disconnects on the other, and I blast water through both the gas and liquid dip tubes until at least 3-4 gallons have been purged through.
Once I've rinsed the dip tubes, I then do another rinse in hot water to get as much as I can out. There are definitely some that still have hardened buildup. I then fill the keg up entirely to the brim with hot water, and add a full scoop of oxiclean. I put the lid on, pull on the pressure relief to make sure some solution is coming out there, then press on the poppets and make sure the dip tubes and entire post are filled with solution as well (as the oxiclean reacts in the water, it gives off some gas, so it pressurizes the keg and can push liquid into the diptubes).
I then leave the keg filled with the solution overnight, and the next day I dump out the solution, rinse with hot water, rinse the dip tubes through the manifold again, and a final rinse with hot water.
After this cleaning ritual (it sounds longer than it actually takes me, I let oxiclean do most of the work!), I then leave it upside to mostly dry for a day or two, and then turn it right side up and still open, press the poppets to release any water left in the dip tubes, and then let it dry completely. After I am satisfied it is dry, I then pressurize the keg for long term storage at 10 psi and spray the seals with starsan to check for leaks. I do this so that the next time I go to use a keg, I pull up on the pressure relief valve, and if it doesn't have pressure at that point, I know there is a leak somewhere - I set it aside to find the leak later, and find a keg that still has pressure so that I can keg with confidence at that point.
I will say that this system works well for me. I will also say that I've been using kegs long enough that kegs that did seal well eventually developed leaks that I had to take care of, and my caution to others is to always be looking for leaks and find ways so that leaks become more and more obvious.
To give some context, I have right around 90 kegs, so I've had to find some efficiencies over the years. I also have kegs that have been holding meads, ciders, and some big beers for over a decade at a time. Most recent was a cyser that I kegged in 2009 that I finally emptied. When you have a beverage in a keg for over a decade, it can have some hard buildup in the bottom.
What I do, is rinse out with hot water, then I use a manifold that is connected to my house water on one end and keg disconnects on the other, and I blast water through both the gas and liquid dip tubes until at least 3-4 gallons have been purged through.
Once I've rinsed the dip tubes, I then do another rinse in hot water to get as much as I can out. There are definitely some that still have hardened buildup. I then fill the keg up entirely to the brim with hot water, and add a full scoop of oxiclean. I put the lid on, pull on the pressure relief to make sure some solution is coming out there, then press on the poppets and make sure the dip tubes and entire post are filled with solution as well (as the oxiclean reacts in the water, it gives off some gas, so it pressurizes the keg and can push liquid into the diptubes).
I then leave the keg filled with the solution overnight, and the next day I dump out the solution, rinse with hot water, rinse the dip tubes through the manifold again, and a final rinse with hot water.
After this cleaning ritual (it sounds longer than it actually takes me, I let oxiclean do most of the work!), I then leave it upside to mostly dry for a day or two, and then turn it right side up and still open, press the poppets to release any water left in the dip tubes, and then let it dry completely. After I am satisfied it is dry, I then pressurize the keg for long term storage at 10 psi and spray the seals with starsan to check for leaks. I do this so that the next time I go to use a keg, I pull up on the pressure relief valve, and if it doesn't have pressure at that point, I know there is a leak somewhere - I set it aside to find the leak later, and find a keg that still has pressure so that I can keg with confidence at that point.
I will say that this system works well for me. I will also say that I've been using kegs long enough that kegs that did seal well eventually developed leaks that I had to take care of, and my caution to others is to always be looking for leaks and find ways so that leaks become more and more obvious.
![Craft A Brew - Safale BE-256 Yeast - Fermentis - Belgian Ale Dry Yeast - For Belgian & Strong Ales - Ingredients for Home Brewing - Beer Making Supplies - [3 Pack]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51bcKEwQmWL._SL500_.jpg)
