Cleaning beer lines

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Eric
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Re: Cleaning beer lines

Post by Eric » Thu Jun 29, 2017 1:59 pm

j444fog wrote:Thanks Eric! I've only just realised that a beer engine works as a syphon mechanism and your method is perfect for that.
If I had a beer line and tap mounted for serving what would you recommend for running the beer line cleaning solution through that set up?
Thanks.
Don't know really, don't do that. I think I saw something commercial for flushing those systems but wouldn't take notice. I suppose you'll need a pump and some JG fittings.
It's much better and more satisfying when you are in control of a beer engine.
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Re: Cleaning beer lines

Post by j444fog » Thu Jun 29, 2017 3:21 pm

I like the idea of a beer engine, and will be getting one for sure.
Is there any benefit to keeping the beer under a constant pressure in a Cornie if you are using an engine?
Or is it best to rely upon the syphon effect of the engine after the initial force carbing and air purging?
Thanks.

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Re: Cleaning beer lines

Post by alexlark » Thu Jun 29, 2017 3:35 pm

For normal beer taps I use a garden spray pump from the pound shop with 3" of PVC pipe to join it to the beer line. Open the beer tap, pump and spray. Close the beer tap to let the line cleaner soak then rinse.

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Eric
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Re: Cleaning beer lines

Post by Eric » Thu Jun 29, 2017 5:15 pm

j444fog wrote:I like the idea of a beer engine, and will be getting one for sure.
Is there any benefit to keeping the beer under a constant pressure in a Cornie if you are using an engine?
Or is it best to rely upon the syphon effect of the engine after the initial force carbing and air purging?
Thanks.
You are best served by keeping just a low pressure on your keg, you don't realy get the best experience pulling fizzy beer through an engine. You put a check valve between the keg and the pump, cost going on £20, it won't allow beer to flow until you pull the pump handle.

They are a treat to have, they don't just look the part.
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Re: Cleaning beer lines

Post by Fil » Fri Jun 30, 2017 12:23 am

i would suggest if serving from kegs under pressure to a standard tap, (nominal pressure and beer engine may be different). And you maintain the usual cold side cleaning and sanitation procedures when kegging and attaching up the keg. And the keg is left connected. Then there is little need for line cleaning between keg changes regardless of how long the keg remains on tap.

If the line tap and disconnect were clean and sanitised when connected they should instantly become part of the sealed container that is the keg,

tap spouts however do require a regular clean, i would suggest pulling after each session for a soak clean until next needed, if you have the shiny single body taps (perlick?) then its a bucket and squeezy bottle you need
ist update for months n months..
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Eric
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Re: Cleaning beer lines

Post by Eric » Fri Jun 30, 2017 8:43 am

Fil wrote:i would suggest if serving from kegs under pressure to a standard tap, (nominal pressure and beer engine may be different). And you maintain the usual cold side cleaning and sanitation procedures when kegging and attaching up the keg. And the keg is left connected. Then there is little need for line cleaning between keg changes regardless of how long the keg remains on tap.

If the line tap and disconnect were clean and sanitised when connected they should instantly become part of the sealed container that is the keg,

tap spouts however do require a regular clean, i would suggest pulling after each session for a soak clean until next needed, if you have the shiny single body taps (perlick?) then its a bucket and squeezy bottle you need

I can agree with this to a point, but not having used a tap can't be certain on the matter.

I'm not sure sanitation is as important as we might think, the average cellar man isn't as diligent as virtually every homebrewer I've met, yet serves many more pints of beer that is considered clean. Pumping beer at pH 4.0 through a pipe will usually keep the little spoilers quiet until they end up in the glass or expire. The main problem I see are yeasts, which are happy in the same conditions and go about the daily task finding and consuming nutrient it finds palatable. They do stick around longer but do have limited life expectancy and when they go pop, they don't taste very nice.
I'm sure they will build up more in a beer engine than a tap and if you pull through a cask to the bottom, a lot of yeast passes into the lines, when a quick wash through with water, cleaner, water followed by the next beer can usually be phased and accomplished without too much upset.

The relatively low cost of a decent lengthed coil of beer line makes it worth considering regular replacement.
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Re: Cleaning beer lines

Post by Fil » Fri Jun 30, 2017 10:14 pm

the longest i had a keg on tap was well over 18 months, it was a bit of an experiment a coopers ginger beer kit with a lme addition to replace its suggested sugar content, and oh boy was it SWEET!! way too sweet to sup and it was relegated to the odd novelty serve up for a guest and mainly for cooking liquor for more spicey meals

No line cleaning was undertaken while it was ontap and other than an intolerable sweetness it remained fine.

However one evening when i flipped the tap it didnt pour.. no evidence of escape of gas or pressure either?? i popped out to the keg and it had mass??
checked the co2 pressure and bottle contents.. all ok???

It turned out to be the tap spout !! it had gotten clogged by what i can only imagine was the residue of lots and lots of mini pours and the microlife that had thrived on it!!

Once i got over my gag reflex.. all spouts were off n soaking in hot soapy water and have been pulled for a simple water soak post serving Every time since!!

However the keg of ginger beer remained on tap with the line etc just the same as it had been til it finally was emptied @ a rate of cira 1-200ml at a time whenever a spicey stir fry was on the menu.

the dispense system will be sealed and under considerable positive pressure any leaks or breaches in the system will squirt beer before allowing ingress to any unwanted microlife.

a beer engine however will store a portion of beer under less than ideal conditions in its cylinder between servings and if i had the honour of owning one i think i would flush out the cylinder post serving if not on a regular schedule.
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 :(

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Re: Cleaning beer lines

Post by JonoT » Sat Jul 01, 2017 7:34 am

alexlark wrote:For normal beer taps I use a garden spray pump from the pound shop with 3" of PVC pipe to join it to the beer line. Open the beer tap, pump and spray. Close the beer tap to let the line cleaner soak then rinse.
Many years ago someone was selling a garden pump spray with a Corney adaptor on it, it brillient.

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Re: Cleaning beer lines

Post by j444fog » Sat Jul 01, 2017 8:20 am

Thanks for all of your help and advice, I'll give it some thought and let you know how I get on.

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Re: Cleaning beer lines

Post by m_rawdin » Sat Jul 01, 2017 9:40 am

JonoT wrote:
alexlark wrote:For normal beer taps I use a garden spray pump from the pound shop with 3" of PVC pipe to join it to the beer line. Open the beer tap, pump and spray. Close the beer tap to let the line cleaner soak then rinse.
Many years ago someone was selling a garden pump spray with a Corney adaptor on it, it brillient.
This is exactly what I have for cleaning taps, just got a small pump spray from wilko and attached a carbonation cap to the end of the hose.
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Re: Cleaning beer lines

Post by f00b4r » Sat Jul 01, 2017 10:22 am

A carbonation cap will also allow you to empty the line and beer engine cylinder between sessions and flush it through, avoiding wattage and keeping things sanitary.

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Re: Cleaning beer lines

Post by j444fog » Mon Jul 03, 2017 1:07 pm

This is great, by carbonation cap do you mean a Cornie keg out post?

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Re: Cleaning beer lines

Post by m_rawdin » Mon Jul 03, 2017 1:50 pm

j444fog wrote:This is great, by carbonation cap do you mean a Cornie keg out post?
They are similar to a corny keg outpost but they are designed for filling plastic bottles with beer, they have a screw thread on the inside that screws onto most 500ml pop bottles.
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Re: Cleaning beer lines

Post by f00b4r » Mon Jul 03, 2017 3:38 pm

But by disconnecting the beer disco from the keg and plugging in the carb cap you can then empty the line and cylinder into a beer glass ;) if you then drop it in water/sanitiser/etc you can then pull this through after if you want.

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