# Beer Line Cleaning Setup



## Jacktar41 (12/12/11)

For those that get sick of dicking around with kegs half full of PBW or fresh water just to clean your beer lines I just wanted to share my new beer line cleaning setup, this is a slight variant on Scotsman's setup.

The following parts are needed:

Hills 5 litre Industrial Sprayer (Bunnings $35)

1 x Liquid Cornelius Keg Post (CHI Company $9.25)

1 x Adapter - Cornelius Keg Post 1/4"MPT x 19/32"-18 (CHI Company $7.35)

1 x Female Pipe Hose Stem - Barbed End (CHI Company $3.53)

1 x Line Clamp for 6mm beer line (your home brew shop for about $1)







The above are all the fittings from CHI Company






This is one I prepared earlier, you will need to wrap a small length of teflon tape around the thread of the Keg Post Adapter to ensure it does not leak.






The reason I picked the industrial sprayer over the cheaper hills home handyman type sprayer was the Viton seals.


Enjoy


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## dkaos (12/12/11)

Would be good to see an action shot, looks like a few disconnects are not shown in the photo


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## MastersBrewery (12/12/11)

top work, I had been wondering how I was going to go about this once I got some kegs into action. When I was working in a pub the place was set up with a blow back system that blew all the beer in the lines back to the kegs, we'd then run water through, then blow the dry with c02 done nightly almost no wastage. I like your set up nice and portable.


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## Jacktar41 (12/12/11)

Clints Gadgets said:


> Would be good to see an action shot, looks like a few disconnects are not shown in the photo








Hope that helps


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## dkaos (12/12/11)

Jacktar41 said:


> View attachment 50869
> 
> 
> 
> Hope that helps




Cheers, that's perfect. Good setup!


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## bignath (13/12/11)

that's a very cool idea.

And, i have pretty much everything on hand to make it. Only thing i need is the hosetail adaptor thingo and i'm good to rock.

Gonna do this very soon too.

cheers for letting us know about your idea dude.


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## RobH (13/12/11)

Great idea! Have you tried it on the gas inlet on a keg to push cleaning fluid up the stem & out post?
I am about to find out how much it costs to get my CO2 tank refilled as it is empty ... I have not been terribly frugal with it's use, and have been using it to push cleaner through my kegs & lines. A setup like this would help someone like me cut back on the CO2 wastage.


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## Wolfy (13/12/11)

Why all the extra connections, why not just put a JG-QD-fitting on the end of the black-hose from the pressure sprayer?


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## tallie (13/12/11)

Wolfy said:


> Why all the extra connections, why not just put a JG-QD-fitting on the end of the black-hose from the pressure sprayer?



My guess would be to avoid having to take the beer disconnect off the beer line when cleaning and/or to clean the disconnect at the same time.

Cheers,
tallie


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## glaab (13/12/11)

Jacktar41 said:


> View attachment 50869
> 
> 
> 
> Hope that helps



someones has to ask the silly questions here, why is there a NRV on the beer line?


here's my line cleaning doo-dad, not much diff


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## stux (13/12/11)

glaab said:


> someones has to ask the silly questions here, why is there a NRV on the beer line?



I think you are referring to the JG line joiner

Which would probably not be necessary if the disconnects were MFL instead of barbed


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## Logman (13/12/11)

tallie said:


> clean the disconnect at the same time.


That's why I put a post on too, really easy to use too. I used a nylex tap fitting for mine (the one that screws onto the tap) - sawed off the round part that connects to the tap, then used 5 minute araldite to connect it to the post - the nylex fitting keeps the valve in place inside the post. Probably a weird way of doing it but does a great job.


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## Jacktar41 (13/12/11)

RobH said:


> Great idea! Have you tried it on the gas inlet on a keg to push cleaning fluid up the stem & out post?
> I am about to find out how much it costs to get my CO2 tank refilled as it is empty ... I have not been terribly frugal with it's use, and have been using it to push cleaner through my kegs & lines. A setup like this would help someone like me cut back on the CO2 wastage.


 

I guess you could rig this up to pressurise a keg to push cleaning fluid through your system but defeats the purpose of this setup, the whole aim is to fill the pressure sprayer with PBW/Hot water etc and push that through your lines without the need for a keg or C02. If you wanted to attach a gas disconnect direct to the pressure sprayer hose you could.



Wolfy said:


> Why all the extra connections, why not just put a JG-QD-fitting on the end of the black-hose from the pressure sprayer?


 

I did look at this but I was unable to find a JG fitting with a 19/32" thread without paying around $30 and I thought that the fittings were a reasonable price from CHI.



Stux said:


> I think you are referring to the JG line joiner
> 
> Which would probably not be necessary if the disconnects were MFL instead of barbed


 
Yes you are correct it is a line joiner, the main reason was I wanted to balance out my system with ease by cutting small amounts of line off and not having to fit a new line clamp each time. It is also handy as I can take all the liquid disconnects off and leave them in a bucket of hot water every so often. Works for me.


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## argon (13/12/11)

The way i do it.

Fermentor with hot napisan in it. Unscrew the QD from the MFL connector and slip a bit of silicone tube over it kinda like this, but over the female thread. Just need a bigger ID hose than that shown;




Then gravity feed through beer line and out tap. Simple.

Edit: will take some photos next time i do it.


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## d3vour3r (13/12/11)

was having a look thru the keg king catelogue, adn they sell pressurized keg line kits cleaning bottle for 30 bucks (no affil)

looks like u fill it with cleaning solution, then connect gas and shoot it thru ur lines...


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## MetalRooster (13/12/11)

d3vour3r said:


> was having a look thru the keg king catelogue, adn they sell pressurized keg line kits cleaning bottle for 30 bucks (no affil)
> 
> looks like u fill it with cleaning solution, then connect gas and shoot it thru ur lines...



Yeah I looked at these as well but they also require a commercial keg coupler that costs another 80 bucks


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## MarkBastard (13/12/11)

If anyone is interested in doing this cheaper with slightly more hassle the actual pressure sprayer works directly with 8mm OD line. Just remove the stiff spout that connects to the spray nozzle and put some beer line in then tighten it up.

The only cost is the cost of the sprayer, from memory I bought one from bunnings for $15. Too easy.

If you have a font it's very handy having pressure to force it through.


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## /// (13/12/11)

I guess you could rig this up to pressurise a keg to push cleaning fluid through your system but defeats the purpose of this setup, the whole aim is to fill the pressure sprayer with PBW/Hot water etc and push that through your lines without the need for a keg or C02. If you wanted to attach a gas disconnect direct to the pressure sprayer hose you could.

By no means having a pot shot at you, but just making the point that nowhere in brewing do you ever mix co2 and beer line cleaner (usally caustic and the 2 part is peroxide to make bubbles) except in beer line cleaning. One wonders how all that beer stone get into the system ... ;P

The pump looksa good solid way to push the solution ... great idea

Scotty


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## technoicon (13/12/11)

i put my JG gas fitting, and then connect it to a cabinator cap. then just either squeeze the coke bottle or lift it. works ok.. i guess for the $20 for the carb cap you could buy a spray bottle, but i use the carb cap all the time.

except when you put floor cleaner through it instead of dish washing liquid (which i wouldnt recommend either).. new beer lines needed.


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## sponge (13/12/11)

/// said:


> just making the point that nowhere in brewing do you ever mix co2 and beer line cleaner (usally caustic and the 2 part is peroxide to make bubbles) except in beer line cleaning.



Hey Scotty,

Is it hazardous to mix cleaner (re: no name napisan) and CO2 when cleaning kegs/beer lines?

On a few occasions ill give the kegs a soaking in hot water and napisan then push the solution through the beer lines using CO2...

I may have to change my routine if thats the case.



Sponge


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## jimi (13/12/11)

argon said:


> The way i do it.
> 
> Fermentor with hot napisan in it. Unscrew the QD from the MFL connector and slip a bit of silicone tube over it kinda like this, but over the female thread. Just need a bigger ID hose than that shown;
> 
> ...



Last couple of times I've done a quick line clean by doing something similar. A silcone hose fits tight to the end of the tap (out from fridge) and runs up to a high funnel which I pour hot water / napisan (later star san) through. QD is obviously off the keg and held low, tap held open and the cleaning liquid simply runs the reverse way through the line using gravity.


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## argon (13/12/11)

I know... it's piss easy and no stuffing about with extra fittings or vessels. Although in the same vein i have used my filter housing filler with a litre or 2 of napisan and then starsan for line cleaning.

I wouldn't mind getting my little brown pump recircing some hot solution through the beer lines either. Would be a nice set and forget for an hour solution.


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## MarkBastard (13/12/11)

I think the absolute best setup would be to have a container with multiple liquid posts that's hooked up to a pump somehow, and when you want to clean your lines you just hook all your disconnects up to that container and flick an on switch.

It should recirculate back into the container too obviously.

And then another one for rinsing without the recirc.


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## Maschenbrau (13/12/11)

I put a litre or two of really hot sodium percarbonate in my kegs in between brews as part of my SOP as well as following this with a starsan dose to sanitise so a system like this would be of no tangible benefit in my case.


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## stux (13/12/11)

Well, looks like a great way to clean lines without having to empty kegs out of the fridge... etc

Might even mean it gets done more often!

I think I might be putting an order through to CHI sometime


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## stux (11/4/12)

Stux said:


> Well, looks like a great way to clean lines without having to empty kegs out of the fridge... etc
> 
> Might even mean it gets done more often!
> 
> I think I might be putting an order through to CHI sometime



Just added the necessary parts to a CHI order I was doing 

I used the firestone versions instead of cornelius as they were out of stock on cornelius adapters. Can't see that it would make a difference

Looking forward to not having to make up a cleaning keg and wasting C02 just to clean the lines


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## stux (15/8/12)

Stux said:


> Just added the necessary parts to a CHI order I was doing
> 
> I used the firestone versions instead of cornelius as they were out of stock on cornelius adapters. Can't see that it would make a difference
> 
> Looking forward to not having to make up a cleaning keg and wasting C02 just to clean the lines



Here are some pictures of my version of Jacktar41's sprayer/cleaner/air pumper




I chose to have the outlet tube be short, didn't want it getting in the way... this works great, except when you pump hot liquids the plastic flexs and the weight of the disconnect/post etc pulls it down and crimps it, meaning you then end up having to hold it straight.

So I wrapped the hose in pvc electrical tape to stiffen it and that did the trick 




This little device is great for washing kegs, just pump the pbw from one keg to the next to the next to the next etc (i often do 6 at a time), then pump the rinse water, then the starsan.

Also I use it to flush the keg fridge lines, while cleaning the disconnects too.

I also use it to flush my miracle keg (a small wooden barrel with a miracle coil in it). I can use this while camping, which is also a bonus.

You quickly go through a tank of C02 if you push pbw, water, then starsan through 9 kegs in a row! With this little pumper I no longer waste C02, and all is good


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