Sanitizing Kegs

[etbandit]

What sanitizers are you guys using for your kegs?

I've just been using Keg and Line Cleaner from Brewcraft and then rinsing with tap water before racking my beers into it.

Im thinking of using Iodophor at 12ppm. Does anyone know if this is a bad or good idea to use with stainless steel kegs?

 

[Keifer]

I use iodophor in my kegs all the time and some rinses with boiling water. Never had an infection in a keg, low temp and quick drinking helps alot.

Just stay away from chlorine types for your s/s

 

[devo]

Iodophor works just fine.

 

[tangent]

while you've got a keg of sanitiser, add some gas. it's a good time to flush your lines and taps.

 

[Steve]

I do what those three just said....

Rinse the yeast slurry out with cold water. Fill keg with about 2 litres boiling water, give a good shake. Leave for a while. Tip out, pour in about 2 litres of cold water, chuck in some iodophor, give a good shake. Leave for a while. Gas it, clean the lines. Leave for a while. Tip out, pour in some clean cold water, flush the lines, empty keg and fill er up :beerbang:
Cheers
Steve

 

[user 1153]

What sanitizers are you guys using for your kegs?
I've just been using Keg and Line Cleaner from Brewcraft and then rinsing with tap water before racking my beers into it.

I started off using that but found it extremely hard to rinse out. It took a heck of a lot of rinses to get the last traces out.

I now clean with Napisan and then use prox for the sanitising. Of course iodophor can be used in place of the prox

 

[user 1153]

chuck in some iodophor, give a good shake. Leave for a while....Tip out, pour in some clean cold water

I thought Iodophor was a "no rinse" solution? Wouldn't pouring in clean water after the iodophor undo all the good work of the iodophor?

I know with the prox, it is always the last thing to touch the keg. I drain it upside down for a minute and then beer goes straight in.

 

[etbandit]

I thought Iodophor was a "no rinse" solution? Wouldn't pouring in clean water after the iodophor undo all the good work of the iodophor?

I thought Iodophor at 12ppm was no rinse as well????

 

[Steve]

I thought Iodophor at 12ppm was no rinse as well????

....it is no rinse....its just force of habit - I rinse everything. I do leave it for 15-20 mins....dunno it this undos all the work :blink:
Cheers
Steve

 

[fraser_john]

I use a cheap steam generator/cleaner, just hang the nozzle in and let it steam till the whole keg is too hot to touch, then I press the nozzle into the gas/beer line connections and sterilize them that way as well. I usually put my racking cane/hose in the keg as well as hang the lid/o-ring inside to sterilize it all at the same time. A bit of foil over the top whilst its steaming helps it along nicely!

 

[devo]

correct on the no rinse, just let it slightly air dry and you should be right a rain.

 

[kook]

I first clean (Napisan). Then rinse well with cold then hot water. Then fill with a few litres of either iodophor or starsan and shake. If it's starsan I leave it for an hour for the bubbles to subside, then use gas to flush the sanitiser out the keg. I then either fill or store for filling at a later time.

 

[PostModern]

If I'm filling straight away with 4% or stronger beer, I sometimes don't sanitise at all!!! Just hot water rinses, fill with beer and gas up. However, when the posts start to hiss after removing the QDs, the keg gets a full service. ie, dismantle posts, wash everything in napisan or PSR, soak everything in iodophor and keg lube all rubbers before re-assembly. Haven't had a keg-based infection yet.

 

[Andyd]

On the no rinse. If you're rinsing with "clean" water, you might as well save your money and not bother with the iodophor - you're undoing all of it's good work, and in fact decreasing the level of sanitisation...

So sayeth Murl Landman of National Chemicals...

Andy

 

[Steve]

On the no rinse. If you're rinsing with "clean" water, you might as well save your money and not bother with the iodophor - you're undoing all of it's good work, and in fact decreasing the level of sanitisation...

So sayeth Murl Landman of National Chemicals...

Andy

I shall never rinse again. Consider my wrists slapped
Cheers
Steve

 

[bear09]

I put water in with some sodium met. Rinse out with cold tap water. In goes 2 L of boiling water along with 50psi of pressure. A good shake. Leave for 5 mins.

NOTHING will survive these sorts of conditions. that much pressure and heat would kill just about any organism you can think off. I have never had any trouble.

 

[drsmurto]

Being new to this game i may have gone a little over board.

Napisan soak after rinsing the kegs when they arrived.

Rinse with plenty of hot water.

One shot - left for an hour and then drained.

Racked beer into kegs.

Poured beer. :beerbang:

 

[kook]

Being new to this game i may have gone a little over board.

Napisan soak after rinsing the kegs when they arrived.

Rinse with plenty of hot water.

One shot - left for an hour and then drained.

Racked beer into kegs.

Poured beer. :beerbang:

No, that is standard for me. Also standard for a commercial brewery (though they use hot caustic instead of napsian, and peracetic acid instead of one shot).

 

[deckedoutdaz]

For sanitising my kegs i get the wifes electric pressure cooker from the kitchen, hook up a hose i made to the co2 inlet of the keg, i leave the lid of the keg slightly off to let out the pressure, and let it hiss for 10 minutes, a sh*tload of steam escapes, and this way nothing can get missed....

 

[tangent]

i heard chlorine or napisan pits the stainless after a while.
stick with your normal iodophon/orthophosphoric sanitisers for stainless and nuke your plastic fermenters with whatever you like.

kettle of boiling water is pretty damn effective, but it also expands the air inside of things and can shoot out of an airlock pretty damn quick if you're not paying attention.