Cleaning lines?

A forum to discuss the various ways of getting beer into your glass.
Post Reply
BrannigansLove
Hollow Legs
Posts: 408
Joined: Sat Oct 10, 2015 1:09 pm
Location: Boogie Down Brim

Cleaning lines?

Post by BrannigansLove » Mon Jun 19, 2017 4:05 pm

I've recently built myself a 2 keg kegerator, and am currently drinking beer from one of the kegs (not made anything to put in the other one yet). I was wondering what people do to clean their lines, and where you buy your cleaning products from. Thanks in advance.

f00b4r
Site Admin
Posts: 1528
Joined: Fri Jul 11, 2014 10:54 pm
Location: Berlin

Re: Cleaning lines?

Post by f00b4r » Mon Jun 19, 2017 9:15 pm

There are a couple of cleaning options discussed here, either should be quite effective.
Also consider buying your beer line in bulk so you can treat it as disposable (it is much cheaper this way).

User avatar
IPA
Under the Table
Posts: 1735
Joined: Wed Dec 07, 2011 9:29 am
Location: France Gascony

Re: Cleaning lines?

Post by IPA » Tue Jun 20, 2017 8:03 am

I use clear line and the brush that came with a Blichmann Beer Gun to clean it. The brush was the only good thing about it the Beer Gun is crap. However at £80 quid it is a very expensive brush :lol:
"You're not drunk if you can lie on the floor without holding on." Dean Martin

1. Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, thoroughly used, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming... "f*ck, what a trip

It's better to lose time with friends than to lose friends with time (Portuguese proverb)

Alone we travel faster
Together we travel further
( In an admonishing email from our golf club)

Fil
Telling imaginary friend stories
Posts: 5229
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2011 1:49 pm
Location: Cowley, Oxford

Re: Cleaning lines?

Post by Fil » Tue Jun 20, 2017 4:02 pm

fwiw i clean line and taps when i clean the empty keg removed, using the cleaning solution (warm laundry oxi) and sanitising solution (starsan) pushed through with co2 pressure, and as i have no silicone tubing I then leave the last flow of starsan within the beerline contained by the disconnect and tap until the next keg is tapped...
a quick calculation of the volume of a cylinder Pi x R x R x H where R is 1/2 of 1/4" and H is the length of your 3/8" beerline (1/4" id) will indicate how much sanitiser is containd in the beerline.

As i treat attaching the keg as a usual cold side brewing exercise, by which i mean i clean and sanitise the connections to the same standard i do all cold side brewing equipment, And dont uncouple kegs on a whim, Once coupled up to co2 and dispensing line the beerline and tap become part and parcel of the closed keg container system, if there was any route for a nasty to get to the beer , beer would be forced out under pressure as a leak.. Therefore unlike a commercial bar or pub there is No Need for regular weekly line cleaning as there are no unsanitary keg exchanges taking place to break into the closed sanitised dispensing system.

However Beer tap spouts DO require regular (every session) clean out. thats the #1 treason i prefer the standard dalex style taps to the fancy chromed or SS eu/us style taps as the spouts unscrew from dalex style tapos for an easy soak clean between sessions while the pertlick? taps require a squeezy bottle and bucket to flush out the spouts.

without spout cleaning succesing pours of beer will coat the inside of the spout and attract fungus gnats and wine flies..
ist update for months n months..
Fermnting: not a lot..
Conditioning: nowt
Maturing: Challenger smash, and a kit lager
Drinking: dry one minikeg left in the store
Coming Soon Lots planned for the near future nowt for the immediate :(

Post Reply