Cleaning Keg Dip Tubes?

[pokolbinguy]

This thought has crossed my mind every time I have cleaned a keg prior to filling and after emptying a keg, what do you all do in regards to cleaning the dip tube in the keg.

I normally hose the keg out when its empty and store it for next time, then when I need it again I put boiling water and some keg cleaner/winery supplied tank cleaner in it and give it a good shake etc, rub off any solids with a sponge and then rinse, starsan and fill. But have wondered about the dip tube. I have never come across any issues with this method...yet!!

F@#ked if am going to remove the dip tube each time so surely there is an easy method.....and no at the moment I am not going to build a keg cleaner like some of the sexy SS rigs getting around on AHB to clean kegs (I would if I could afford it though!!!)..

Cheers, Pok

 

[Cocko]

Hook up your cleaner hose to the 'Beer out' some how - and run the cleaner down the pick up tube..

Just a thought.

 

[pokolbinguy]

Ahh maybe I just hook up a QD to a water hose and flush it out that way......... Hmmmmmmm

 

[mxd]

I run a bath (normally wait till 3or so empty kegs) full of hot water and sodium perc init, plac a pond pump in the bath with a beer and gas disconnect on it, then pump fluid into the keg (no lid) for 20 minutes or so per keg.

then give a rinse with hot water, leave a few litres of hot water in with starsan and then use when required.

 

[bignath]

I clean all my **** brewing gear in the laundry.

You know those hot and cold taps that are meant to be for washing machines? I have a dedicated hose off the hot tap for cleaning stuff. The hose is 12mm ID and when you take the keg disconnect of the keg, the hose fits neatly over the posts. I just push it on the post and run a few litres of steaming hot water down each post. Empty keg, napisan and then sanitiser as usual.

 

[jyo]

I just use keg and line cleaner, kettle of boiling water. Lid on. Shake like buggery and then using an open ended spanner (to depress the beer out post) and a bucket over the top to stop the hot solution from scolding me, just use the pressure generated from the hot water to push a couple of hundred mls out through the beer out post. Then let it sit and shake a couple more times.

Rinse thoroughly using the hose. Then another kettle of boiling water in, lid on, shake to get some pressure and run some boiling water out through the beer out post using the same dodgy method as above. Clean as a whistle.

Of course, you could just use an old beer gun and some line instead of a spanner and a bucket. :icon_cheers:

 

[sim]

So you've got hot cleaning solution in your keg that you're shaking around, why not put some gas into the keg, connect a tap that needs cleaning, and push the cleaning solution out the tap. Dont know if im missing something here, but meh

 

[jyo]

So you've got hot cleaning solution in your keg that you're shaking around, why not put some gas into the keg, connect a tap that needs cleaning, and push the cleaning solution out the tap. Dont know if im missing something here, but meh

Yep, I guess ya did! The key here is you don't need to use any gas. Yes, I'm a stinge.

 

[Cocko]

Leave empty keg till needed - keg is full of C02? Yeah?


When needed - clean fill.


Jyo is hom.

Cheers!

 

[jyo]

Slack prick! I've never done that h34r:









the_new_hom

 

[sim]

The key here is you don't need to use any gas.

ohh true. i do the same if i can, but i ussually do a few kegs in a row, and my super hot cleaning solution doesnt always have enough heat to jump out the keg by itself by the second or third keg. i dont mind parting with a smidgen of gas here or there. anywho carry on

 

[freezkat]

clamp a tire valve to a chunk of beer line then to a gas connector. Use a tire pump to clean your lines


you could use a garden sprayer to push the cleaner through. Obviously not one filled with poison but if you're worried about wasting CO2, put a gas connector on the garden sprayer...

 

[kelbygreen]

I just fill about half way with sodium perc and connect to the tap and flush the tap and the dip tube. Then let it rest 30mins or so upright. take the lid of the keg and get a bucket, put the bucket over the top of the keg and quickly turn it upside down, The lift the keg up to let the sodium perc solution into the bucket if its not covering the top of the keg already and leave for 30mins. rinse well and put few lts of water in the keg and flush the lines with clean water then do the same with sanitiser.

 

[Pennywise]

After a soak in Sod Perc I run 2 lots of boiling water through it. Empty Perc, boil kettle and put in keg, shake the **** out of it then hook a QD up (nothing attatched to the QD) and let the pressure from the boiling water push up the dip tube. I've only ever removed the dip tube once, in about 2 years (to make sure my method is getting it clean) and the thing was as clean as a whistle. YMMV

 

[freezkat]

After a soak in Sod Perc I run 2 lots of boiling water through it. Empty Perc, boil kettle and put in keg, shake the **** out of it then hook a QD up (nothing attatched to the QD) and let the pressure from the boiling water push up the dip tube. I've only ever removed the dip tube once, in about 2 years (to make sure my method is getting it clean) and the thing was as clean as a whistle. YMMV

Ever seen the inside of a coaches whistle?

 

[booargy]

After a soak in Sod Perc I run 2 lots of boiling water through it. Empty Perc, boil kettle and put in keg, shake the **** out of it then hook a QD up (nothing attatched to the QD) and let the pressure from the boiling water push up the dip tube. I've only ever removed the dip tube once, in about 2 years (to make sure my method is getting it clean) and the thing was as clean as a whistle. YMMV

+1 here.
With same type of beer let the pressure out refill purge. clean every 2-3 kegs

 

[adryargument]

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/2000LPH-Submers...=item3a62b64ab1

+ large plastic tray
= easy clean kegs and fermenters

however i picked up my pump for $39 inc delivery from the same guys a while ago.

There is also a secondary outlet at the bottom that 1/2 silicon hose fits on and i use to pump cleaning fluid through the plate chiller and pump.

 

[balconybrewer]

how hard is it to totally dismantle and clean......? a lot less time that stuffin around with all this extra gear to try and clean while together only to realize once the keg is filled you missed something nasty and have to tip 19lts

no brainer really

 

[QldKev]

Leave empty keg till needed - keg is full of C02? Yeah?


When needed - clean fill.


Jyo is hom.

Cheers!

Exactly how I do it, leave it full of CO2 and stored in the fridge. When needed a quick rinse and refill. If the beer was not infected in there, why should it suddenly change?

 

[sponge]

I give all my kegs a good rinsing after theyve been finished with hot water and napisan. then i normally fill them with a little boiling water to rinse everything out, attach the gas at low pressure, and pull through a tap/line that could do with a bit of a cleaning.


normally gets everything out real nicely.

if im concerned theres still something left, ill get my force carb QD (black QD attached to gas line) and force some co2 down the dip tube through the out post. normally gives everything a good flush after the napisan and boiling water treatment


Chuck some starsan in, mix around, and leave til i need to refill the keg.


Sponge