How Often Do You Clean Your Fermenter Tap?

[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.

 

[tricache]

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.

Good tip! :icon_cheers:

 

[verysupple]

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

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

Yup, same here. Thanks AHB

 

[DUANNE]

i never pull mine apart, prefering to spend a couple of bucks extra every second or third brew on a new one. once dismantled they never seem to work the same again either leaking or being overly tight to turn or both. i can live with a dollor extra a brew to save washing 30 bucks worth of spoiled beer down the sink.