Disinfecting A Keg

[dc59]

Hey people

I've got a particular keg, which had an infected beer in it last. It's been 12 months since then and I'm planning on using it again.

My plan it to clean it first then soak it in an Iodophor solution and while doing that, run a bit of the solution through the beer line and tap. Leave for 30 min than flush it all out with clean water. The keg is meant to be filled today.

Do you see any issues with this or are able to make any potential recommendations that I could easily carry out?

Obviously may main concern is not to carry an infection over to a beer that is tasting quite good out of the fermenter.

Thanks, David.

 

[ekul]

I've asked the question before to find if anyone has ever put a beer into a keg and then got it infected, noone has as far i know. My cleaning schedule is pretty rough, a simple hose out. If you fill it with napisan and then spray with iodophor i reckon you'll be right.

Hey people

I've got a particular keg, which had an infected beer in it last. It's been 12 months since then and I'm planning on using it again.

My plan it to clean it first then soak it in an Iodophor solution and while doing that, run a bit of the solution through the beer line and tap. Leave for 30 min than flush it all out with clean water. The keg is meant to be filled today.

Do you see any issues with this or are able to make any potential recommendations that I could easily carry out?

Obviously may main concern is not to carry an infection over to a beer that is tasting quite good out of the fermenter.

Thanks, David.

 

[loikar]

Hey people

I've got a particular keg, which had an infected beer in it last. It's been 12 months since then and I'm planning on using it again.

My plan it to clean it first then soak it in an Iodophor solution and while doing that, run a bit of the solution through the beer line and tap. Leave for 30 min than flush it all out with clean water. The keg is meant to be filled today.

Do you see any issues with this or are able to make any potential recommendations that I could easily carry out?

Obviously may main concern is not to carry an infection over to a beer that is tasting quite good out of the fermenter.

Thanks, David.

That should be fine.
Stainless Steel is pretty forgiving.

Make sure you scrub it well (make sure you get that dip tube too!).
I would also suggest after the scrubbing and rinsing to throw a few litres of boiling water into it, seal it up and shake the **** out of it.
Connect that up to your tap and let the steam pressure push the hot water through the lines and tap.
Even do that twice if your worried.
Then sanitise and keg and away you go

Cheers,

BF

 

[Pennywise]

I'd replace all the seals

 

[loikar]

I'd replace all the seals

That's a fair call.

Since you have to use it today...
While your boiling your water, chuck your seals and your lid in for 30sec.
fit them back on your keg, then pour the boiling water in and shake the **** out of it.

Then get on to Ross at CraftBrewer and get a seal replacement kit.

Cheers,

BF

 

[dc59]

Since you have to use it today...
While your boiling your water, chuck your seals and your lid in for 30sec.
fit them back on your keg, then pour the boiling water in and shake the **** out of it.

Then get on to Ross at CraftBrewer and get a seal replacement kit.

This sounds like a plan.

Thanks for you advice guys. It's great to get other heads involved. I'd hate to lose this one, since it's my first in a while.

 

[katzke]

Just a reminder, unless you have good notes or a good mind.

Don't forget to purge the keg with CO2 before you fill it. And burp it a few times after closing it. I forgot to do that one time and was all worried about the beer after I carbed it up and did the force carb routine. It all turned out OK, could be because I drank it quick.

 

[BOG]

My suggestion.

Fill the key with napisan solution making sure you fill it to overflowing.

While it's still filling, and over flowing push down on the gas out and beer out posts to break the seal and let the napisan flow up the dip tube.
It should bubble out the beer out line slightly.

Soak overnight and rinse well in the morning, making sure you do the same again for the beer out line to flush out the napisan.

Spray with idophor (sorry spelling) made up as a capful (way stronger than you need, it should look like tea), in a 250ml sprap bottle you get from the local supermarket.

Try to wait a couple of minutes while the idophor takes effect.

Don't bother with the CO2 purge prior to filling, makes no difference.
Fill with a plactic hose that is long enough to reach the bottom of the keg. Fill gently, no splashing , but get the job done quickly.

Seal , fill with CO2, burb, wait 1 mn, burp, wait burp, done.

Sit at serving pressure (approx 75Kpa) in the beer fridge for a week at @5deg C , and drink.
Slightly better head retention after 2 weeks, smaller bubbles.

Never had a problem following these simple steps.


BOG

 

[Bizier]

Don't bother with the CO2 purge prior to filling, makes no difference.

Commercial breweries always purge kegs prior to filling... Surely if even the tightest of tightarse breweries do this, then there is probably justification for the step.

I would suggest it will make a measurable difference to your dissolved O2, though you just might not be able to taste that difference.