How Do You Clean Your Beer Disconnect Thing?

[Steve]

whilst filling/swapping kegs over last night I noticed the beer connect things were a bit sticky and hard to unplug. How do you clean them? I ended up getting a bowl of hot water and sitting them in that for 5 mins to melt the sticky beer. Is this good enough? Shall I spray with idophor too?
Cheers
Steve

 

[Wortgames]

Generally they have a screwdriver slot in the back and can be dismantled really easily. There isn't much to them.

 

[warrenlw63]

I just pull them to bits and toss them in some hot water and Napisan. They're dead easy to pull apart.

Warren -

 

[Steve]

I just pull them to bits and toss them in some hot water and Napisan. They're dead easy to pull apart.

Warren -

cool - thanks chaps - will have a look

 

[gnewell]

I clean my kegs with caustic solution.
So real easy to connect that up to the tap and run it through at the same time. I run no-rinse sanitiser through it after that to remove any residual caustic and leave the tap ready for the next brew.

 

[pint of lager]

Dead easy to pull apart with a large screw driver.

Lost one of the o'rings down the plughole, had to pull the s bend out to reclaim it. Yuk.

Never ever clean anything small in the sink, use a bowl.

If your disconnects are hard to plug, unplug, you may need t a bit of food grade lube on the o'rings on the keg posts.

Plumber's lube for tap valves and seats works. Some HBS and keg suppliers have proper food grade grease which is very expensive. Some people use a bit of ky jelly or other personal lubricant. Try and refrain from vaseline, which is petroleum based and bad for rubber parts.

 

[Brewer_010]

If your disconnects are hard to plug, unplug, you may need t a bit of food grade lube on the o'rings on the keg posts.

Yep, I use food grade lube. (A tube cost me ~$10 two years ago and there's still 95% of it left). I apply it to the gas and beer disconnects every few months and have had no dramas with sticky disconnects.

 

[Steve]

Great - thanks for the tips peoples! Now I have to tell 'er in doors that I really do need to by some lube h34r:
Cheers
Steve

 

[Batz]

Great - thanks for the tips peoples! Now I have to tell 'er in doors that I really do need to by some lube h34r:
Cheers
Steve

I am sure she'll understand when you tell her it to rub on your 'O' ring :blink: :huh:

Batz

 

[Steve]

I am sure she'll understand when you tell her it to rub on your 'O' ring :blink: :huh:

Batz

:lol: :lol: that is toooo funny!

 

[homekegger1]

Good question Steve,

I was beginning to get stuck disconnects as well. Now I know how to clean and lubricate.

And here I was thinking it was the other way around :blink:

Cheers

HK :chug:

 

[wraith]

I have a spray bottle of metho that I use for quick sanitising, I use this as well when my disconnects stick, I just give it a spray and it loosens it up instantly, works for me.

Wraith

 

[frogman]

I soak mine in a jug of soda water overnight about every two weeks.
Use a carbonation cap and an old coke bottle to make the soda.

FROGMAN

 

[Fingerlickin_B]

I used to just give them a squirt with metho, then changed to drink bottle full of very hot water every time I changed the keg, now just spray with my (now) always-on-hand bottle of diluted Iodophor...never a problem

Steve, as a point of interest, since switching to Iodophor as my night-to-night before session tap outlet cleaner, I've found it removes the gunk built up around the anti-bug plugs (thimbles) better than metho :super:

PZ.