Cleaning Corny Kegs

[Hutch]

For my purge from the post i use a chopstick and then proceed to dance around bitching for a few minutes as i randomly get sprayed in the arms, hands and sometimes face with rather hot water! :lol:

Ah, the old "chopstick in the out-post" technique - yep, and I just loved being squirted in the eye by hot peroxide!
Only recently had an "oh duh" moment, realising I could use a spare beer QD for this.

 

[MarkBastard]

Ah, the old "chopstick in the out-post" technique - yep, and I just loved being squirted in the eye by hot peroxide!
Only recently had an "oh duh" moment, realising I could use a spare beer QD for this.

A spare one? Just use the one that you'll be serving the beer through, it gets a free clean out of it.

Why would anyone do it any other way?

 

[gregs]

Well, I have been kegging for 2 1/2 years with ZERO infections.

I never wash my kegs with any soap.
As soon as the keg is empty, I take it into the laundry room and give it 3 good rinses to remove all of the crap.
Then I put in about a cup of premixed star san. Close the keg and pressurise.
Give the keg a good shake.
Leave sit for 5 mins then give it another good shake.
Hook up a tap and run out all of the star san. Leave it pressurised.
Done

I also use Star San or Saniclean after hosing out the keg, it's quick and effective. Then every so often I'll wash with PBW and then rinse with Star San.

I've since built a keg washer that takes 3 kegs at a time and now I wash them in batches of 3 to 9 kegs using the products mentioned.

 

[mintsauce]

Thanks for the responses, I'll probably stop being quite so thorough with them each and every time.

I do have a few which I'd like to clean now ready for a quick clean and sanitize when using so was the general concensus that it's safe to leave starsan in em long (ish) term (ie 4 weeks?)

 

[Fourstar]

Thanks for the responses, I'll probably stop being quite so thorough with them each and every time.

You should be as thorough as you are with anything else coldside. Would you not be as thorough with your fermenter? IMO all you are doing is slowin down the infection rate by not cleaning and sanitising your kegs properly. Just because it tasted fine in the keg for 4 weeks in the fridge when you only rinsed, starsaned and filled doesnt mean it has the stability to last 12 months following the same regime at ambients.

Just a thaught, especially if you have a few kegs you keep at ambient for storage. or want to bottle some off for comps. i could guarantee you they will turn south pretty quickly otherwise.

 

[Ivan Other One]

for me, when the keg is empty I pull it out and leave it till I need it then clean and sanitize

I figure if it was bugless whilst I was drinking it, nothing can get in if it holds gas ? This also gives me a "sanity" check for any leaks when I goto clean and sanitize, if there is still gas present then there is no leak.

cheers
Matt

I also clean just before filling, but it's due to laziness.

Guys, this is basically what I do too, BUT, once in a while I pull the pick up tube out and pull a small wad of chucks cloth soaked in a strong solution of bottle wash through it. 50lb fishing line works good for this asw it is stiff enough to poke trough the tube. then flush through with hot tap water.

Two out of five kegs that had never had this done were rather mucky inside these tubes.