How Often Do You Clean Your Fermenter Tap?

[dammag]

Hi.

Just interested. How often do you dismantle and clean you fermenter tap? I do mine every brew. Is this standard procedure?

Damian.

 

[AndrewQLD]

It should be standard procedure, easily the most common area for infections.

 

[Liam_snorkel]

Once a year on average.

 

[Rowy]

Every time I clean the fermenter.

 

[DU99]

i have a few taps on standby,i changeover and soak in sodium perc overnight and then in starsan.never had an issue,and i run solution thru them when cleaning the fermenter.i never buy a tap we get 20 litre drums of distilled water and toss the drum when it's done,i get the tap before hand

 

[Bribie G]

I never dismantle mine, if they look a bit manky I just put a new one in from my box o taps, and whenever I'm in Bunnings I just grab a handful of new ones @ $1.85 each and chuck them in the box when I get home. Sometimes they have a pack of 3 for a tad less.

Actually heading there tomorrow for something, thanks for the reminder

 

[TidalPete]

Every time I clean the fermenter.

+1

Those "Beneficial" snap taps have lasted for many years & still going strong.

 

[Yob]

I never dismantle mine, if they look a bit manky I just put a new one in from my box o taps, and whenever I'm in Bunnings I just grab a handful of new ones @ $1.85 each and chuck them in the box when I get home. Sometimes they have a pack of 3 for a tad less.

same as this, I find they just never go back together the same, always tight and I just dont trust em to seal properly..

there are always about 4 floating in my starsan drum, if one looks a bit nasty off the FV, I chuck it and put a new one in.

 

[Spoonta]

I clean mine every brew day but as said if it looks a bit **** bin it and put a new one one must get some more down to the last one

 

[spryzie]

I've just got one of those newer coopers fermenters. The tap seems rather well made - it comes apart and goes back together very easily and you can rinse every surface easily too.

I clean it the same as the fermenter itself - every brew.

This is the tap I have. I think it's a great design.

 

[TidalPete]

I never dismantle mine, if they look a bit manky I just put a new one in from my box o taps, and whenever I'm in Bunnings I just grab a handful of new ones @ $1.85 each and chuck them in the box when I get home. Sometimes they have a pack of 3 for a tad less.

Actually heading there tomorrow for something, thanks for the reminder

You're not trying too hard to save the world Bribie but please remember that those multiple fermenter taps you toss out ARE recyclable. :beer:

Save the world brewers :beerbang: --- Every little bit counts.

 

[AndrewQLD]

I've just got one of those newer coopers fermenters. The tap seems rather well made - it comes apart and goes back together very easily and you can rinse every surface easily too.

I clean it the same as the fermenter itself - every brew.

This is the tap I have. I think it's a great design.

Those Coopers taps are SERIOUSLY over engineered.

 

[spryzie]

You can never over engineer!

NASA made a pen that works in zero gravity, the USSR used a pencil.

I'd take the pen everytime! :lol:

 

[jyo]

Every brew I dismatle, soak in sod perc then starsan.

Though before AHB I didn't even know they came apart.

 

[warra48]

It's either dismantled, cleaned and sanitised, or it's replaced.
I use both the standard taps and those nice green jobs TidalPete uses.

 

[dammag]

I soak in boiling water first and then dismantle it as I find it comes apart easier. I then soak in boiling water then bang it back together with some starsan juice as lube. This seems to work alright and they are smooth to use but they can dribble a bit. I replace every 3 or 4 brews.

 

[Bribie G]

I've got an astronaut pen in a presentation box. It doesn't work.

edit: and yes Starsan is a good lube - I lube the thread of the tap hole with Starsan and when I put the tap in, it ensures that nothing will live in that tap recess.

 

[brentice]

I just fill the fermenter with a concoction of napisan and warmish -hot water. Let it soak for 3 or 4 days and then empty the contenst through the tap. Rinse with boiling water and some no rinse sanitiser that gets soaked in the fermenter for 24 hours and marys your uncle, bobs your aunty. This is the common practice i have been using and i havent had an infection in over 50 batches of brewed awesomeness. If i get motivated i do pull the taps apart periodicly. Im not saying this is the be all and end all this is just what "I" use. True story

 

[manticle]

Every brew or transfer.
Takes about 1-2 mins to dismantle, clean, sanitise and reassemble.

 

[Nick JD]

It's the thread that's the problem as much as the tap sleeve.

 

[felten]

After every brew here as well. I put them back together wet with starsan, and with some keglube to keep them turning smoothly. They do tend to drip out the spout after being broken apart though.

 

[Parks]

I found that the plastic lug that holds them together rounded off when I dismantle and doesn't go back together properly (always much tighter) so I don't do that.

Just soak in PBW in both the open and closed positions, than StarSan and after 6 months or whenever it looks manky replace.

 

[Damien13]

Every brew.. Having said this for the first 2 years of brewing I NEVER cleaned it, cos I wasn't a member of AHB and hadn't figured out how to do it without a guide.
I have never had an infection before, and still have never had one. I remember seeing dark weird stuff in the sleeve prior to my cleaning days, and wondered how to get it out. Thanks to you legends, now I know !

 

[tricache]

Every brew since having a discussion about it with Damien. Before that it was every few brews but ever since getting a black tap which you can't see all the crud in there I find it safer to do it every time I use them.

 

[Cube]

You can never over engineer!

NASA made a pen that works in zero gravity, the USSR used a pencil.

I'd take the pen everytime! :lol:

I have four of these NASA space pens. Use them all the time in the shed, work and home. Write on almost anything. Best.pens.ever.

 

[BambisBrewingBeer]

Well, I was totally unaware they could be dismantled... or that you can buy replacements from bunnings until 2 minutes ago. Good thing you boys are so full of knowledge.

But i do wash the tap before and after every brew.

 

[manticle]

Get a wooden spoon or piece of dowel and use it to knock the inside piece out from the outside.

Insert dowel through open sleeve, hold sleeve and place thumb over the spout, knock free end of dowel downwards, sharply on a hard surface. There's a photo thread somewhere - once you've seen it happen, you'll realise it's super easy.

 

[DarkFaerytale]

every brew, i don't dismantle, the hose i have running from my tap fits inside one end of the tap and over the other so it gets a high pressure squirt of hot water both ends every brew, then napisan overnight in the fermenter and then boiling water. no problems other than the occasional leaky one which gets replaced.

 

[jaypes]

Before and after use, when they are a bit dodgy in terms of fitting back together I just grab another from Bunnings.

For the sake of $1.85 its not rocket surgery

 

[WarmBeer]

Get a wooden spoon or piece of dowel and use it to knock the inside piece out from the outside.

Insert dowel through open sleeve, hold sleeve and place thumb over the spout, knock free end of dowel downwards, sharply on a hard surface. There's a photo thread somewhere - once you've seen it happen, you'll realise it's super easy.

One tip to make it even easier, drop the tap in boiling/hot water for a couple of minutes beforehand. It softens the plastic, and allows them to come apart with less pressure.

When re-assembling, I wipe a little (very, very little) keg lube around the locking notch of the inner cylinder (again, easier to visualise in pictures, or when you have it in your hands). The keg lube is, or should be, sanitary, and allows the tap to reassemble and turn smoothly, and provides a better seal once installed, too.