How To Clean Beer Lines

[BPH87]

Hey brewers,
Just wondering how to go about cleaning and sanatizing the beer lines and taps on my kegerator?
Cheers

 

[hsb]

I do it when I empty and clean the keg.
Just (re)attach the lines to the keg when you have some cleaning agent in there - napisan & water/whatever.
Then run out through the tap.

Then repeat with no-rinse sanitiser when you do that step. Job done. Lines clean and sanitised.

You could pull the taps apart once in a while depending on what they are as well.

 

[jakethesnake559]

Hey brewers,
Just wondering how to go about cleaning and sanatizing the beer lines and taps on my kegerator?
Cheers

I dilute a bit of cleaning agent (Five Star PBW for me) in a keg with warm water, connect up the gas and pump it into the lines.
Let it soak in the lines for 20mins or so. Then rinse out the keg (keep the cleaning solution for later when you clean the taps) and put some warm fresh water in. Flush the warm water through the lines. Then pump some sanitiser through (again, keep it for when you do your taps).

Take the taps off and disassemble them to clean them properly.
I use the same 3 step process...soak in cleaner, rinse then sanitise (using the cleaning solution and sanitiser you salvaged from line cleaning).

Or google it for a million other variations :icon_cheers: .

 

[Cube]

Keeping an eye on this thread. I have a basterised garden sprayer I use for this at times, however it is cumbersome but successful. I just pump through from a full keg of napisan about 500 mls of fluid and let sit 30 in tap and line. Repeat 3 x. Not hard to wait since I usually do this with my 2 tap setup so 15 minutes each. Then 2 x jugs of hot water into rinsed keg and shake like crap. Affix beer line and steam power through hot water. Then full keg of starsan run through 500mls and let sit 3 x as above.

By using full kegs I minimise gas wastage and the napisan/starsan is re used into my 3 keg rotation once so 3 kegs cleaned/sanitised with one keg of solution.

Back to the garden sprayer... I am looking for a solution to affix a beer out disconnect to the sprayer. That will be awesome. Not a thread jack here, adding to an idea that I am sure OP would like to hear or yet to master, like me

 

[SJW]

When a keg runs out I rinse the yeast out, and add a litres or so of warm water and Pink Stain Remover and run that through the lines. Then rinse and same again with Iodophor.
I stopped using this method for a couple of years after fears or the Pink Stain Remover would corrode my kegs. All this did was let a HUGE build up of beer stone form in my kegs.
So now a quick rinse with PSR and all is good again.

 

[QldKev]

Keeping an eye on this thread. I have a basterised garden sprayer I use for this at times, however it is cumbersome but successful. I just pump through from a full keg of napisan about 500 mls of fluid and let sit 30 in tap and line. Repeat 3 x. Not hard to wait since I usually do this with my 2 tap setup so 15 minutes each. Then 2 x jugs of hot water into rinsed keg and shake like crap. Affix beer line and steam power through hot water. Then full keg of starsan run through 500mls and let sit 3 x as above.

By using full kegs I minimise gas wastage and the napisan/starsan is re used into my 3 keg rotation once so 3 kegs cleaned/sanitised with one keg of solution.

Back to the garden sprayer... I am looking for a solution to affix a beer out disconnect to the sprayer. That will be awesome. Not a thread jack here, adding to an idea that I am sure OP would like to hear or yet to master, like me

I've always just filled a keg with what ever warm cleaning solution, and pumped through taps. I leave them full of the cleaner overnight and in the morning pump some fresh warm water through them.

I like the idea of a garden sprayer, save on some CO2 plus a lot less cleaning solution. Would the wall of the prayer be strong enough to tap a thread into and put the disconnect onto?

QldKev

 

[woodwormm]

+1 for garden sprayer with PBW leave overnight, then flush with starsan... one of these days i'll make the massive 'investment' and get another garden sprayer, one for PBW and one for starsan!

 

[Cube]

I've always just filled a keg with what ever warm cleaning solution, and pumped through taps. I leave them full of the cleaner overnight and in the morning pump some fresh warm water through them.

I like the idea of a garden sprayer, save on some CO2 plus a lot less cleaning solution. Would the wall of the prayer be strong enough to tap a thread into and put the disconnect onto?

QldKev

I am removing the beer out disconnect and putting the beer line over the stock garden sprayer nozzle ( pain in the ass all the time ). Actually it fits over the plastic housing after the brass sprayer nozzle. Being round it clamps quite ok there no leakage. Pump sprayer up, set to continuous spray and open taps. With the sprayer between legs and one hand holding tap open I just keep pumping the sprayer. NO I AM NOT 'YOUTUBING' THIS although my 1.5 year old thinks it's funny. A helper would be easier.

Utilizing the existing sprayer end is the best way as it is already threaded so a swap out is all thats needed. A trip to a brass fit ship will no doubt solve this with a keg out fitting. I'll do this soon actually as I've been meaning to for ages now. Also I'd make up a lever or wedge to hold the beer tap open freeing up a hand/foot/forehead.

 

[billygoat]

This is one way.

 

[QldKev]

This is one way.

That could work :super:

 

[Phoney]

Man I go through a whole lot less effort than you guys!

I just run starsan through the lines between keg changeovers, let it soak for 10 mins, and havent yet pulled apart my taps! Maybe next time I'll try PBW first and see if I can tell any difference.

 

[woodwormm]

This is one way.

You're not telling me a ball lock post seriously fits straight onto that sprayer are you billygoat? !

 

[billygoat]

You're not telling me a ball lock post seriously fits straight onto that sprayer are you billygoat? !

The threads aren't exactly the same but close enough.
With abit of teflon tape, it doesn't leak and is nice and tight.

 

[hendos]

just hook up your next keg and keep drinking

 

[Cube]

This is one way.

BAZINGA!

Metal thread into a plastic thread, gently with the energy and with teflon tape! I'll try this next time I have a pin lock post out.

....runs off to patent office.....


prediction ross updates website with fittings next week.....

 

[QldKev]

just hook up your next keg and keep drinking

That's what I normally do, but I do like to clean them once every 6months.

QldKev

 

[fraser_john]

This is one way.

That is pretty darn excellent! Next order I am buying a beer out post to make one of these.

 

[stux]

I've always just filled a keg with what ever warm cleaning solution, and pumped through taps. I leave them full of the cleaner overnight and in the morning pump some fresh warm water through them.

I like the idea of a garden sprayer, save on some CO2 plus a lot less cleaning solution. Would the wall of the prayer be strong enough to tap a thread into and put the disconnect onto?

QldKev

You should

I picked up the parts from chi company and the industrial sprayer from bunnings (the one with viton seals)

I use it for cleaning the kegerator (pbw, water, starsan) and for flushing my miracle keg at the end of a camping trip etc, otherwise it goes away dirty

Edit: also use it for cleaning kegs, saves a huge amount of gas

 

[Parks]

BAZINGA!

Metal thread into a plastic thread, gently with the energy and with teflon tape! I'll try this next time I have a pin lock post out.

....runs off to patent office.....


prediction ross updates website with fittings next week.....

How does the poppet work?

It would need something to push open the disconnect unless you swap the disconnect with one without the insides which would defeat the purpose of having a quick swap cleaning setup.

 

[stux]

This is pretty much exactly what I did:

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...showtopic=60605

Except I used Firestone bits as chi was out of the Cornelius ones, and the end result is the same. I only used 4" or so of the grey hose so the liquid post is close to the handle, but with warm fluids the hose folds over under the disconnects weight. Wrapping a few times in PVC tape fixed that!