Corny cleaning

[DomClarke]

Whats the best thing to use for cleaning/steralising my new cornys? Had a look around and people seem to use a few different things so got a little confused!

Thanks

Dom

[ColinKeb]

personaly Ive always followed Daabs method of soda crystals to clean and idophor to sanitize, pretty cheap and never had an infection yet

[boingy]

Yeah, we all use different methods. Some sanitisers will damage stainless steel if left too long. However, just make sure you only sanitise for 20 to 30 mins and you can pretty much use anything. I clean with soda crystals and sanitise with chlorine-based stuff. In the past I have used beer line cleaner too. A 20 minute soak then a good rinse is just fine. Make sure you pump the sanitiser and rinse through both cornie posts and the dip tube. You can do this with gas or with gravity.

[Tango Man]

Any links to Daabs process?

[DomClarke]

Cheers, no need to worry then as long as I don't leave it in too long!

[Robdog]

Yeah, we all use different methods. Some sanitisers will damage stainless steel if left too long. However, just make sure you only sanitise for 20 to 30 mins and you can pretty much use anything. I clean with soda crystals and sanitise with chlorine-based stuff. In the past I have used beer line cleaner too. A 20 minute soak then a good rinse is just fine. Make sure you pump the sanitiser and rinse through both cornie posts and the dip tube. You can do this with gas or with gravity.

How do i manage to get liquid through the gas post? Probably an obvious answer but i cant see how. Can i put the out disconnect on the gas in post and pass sanatiser through it?

[Robdog]

How do i manage to get liquid through the gas post?

tip the keg upside down and push the poppet in with a screwdriver ?

I thought there would be a simple answer

Common sense and the lack of it has alwasy been a problem of mine.

[boingy]

My way requires a spare pair of disconnects and gravity (saves gas!):

Clean the cornie using whatever you use.
Fit the lid.
Attach both disconnects.
Fit a few inches of beer line to the outlet disconnect and bodge on a small funnel (ptfe tape is your friend!).
Slowly pour about 5 litre of sanitising solution into the funnel. This deals with the outlet and dip tube.
Remove the disconnects.
Shakey shakey shakey until you are bored.
Refit both disconnects.
Invert the keg over the sink or a jug.
The sanitiser runs out of the inlet disconnect.

If you are obsessive you can collect the sanitiser and repeat the process....

It's probably also worth mentioning that during the cleaning process I tend to run hot water from the kitchen tap through the cornie in both directions, using the same disconnects (credit to John Guest for those wonderful removable fittings). If you do this when the cornie is full of your cleaning solution you will force that through both disconnect posts too.

[Damfoose]

[quote="boingy"]My way requires a spare pair of disconnects and gravity (saves gas!):

Shakey shakey shakey until you are bored.
quote]

Is that not Shakey shakey shakey until your arms are going to drop off but carry on some more just to be sure

[Parva]

An alternative method is to give the keg a good rinse out with washing-up liquid and warm water, good rinse and then add 2 litres of Videne 'solution', shake and pump it out with CO2 pressure or remove the posts / poppets and lid, soak these in Videne solution for a minute or two, refit then add the Videne solution to the keg (pouring some down the long diptube prior to refitting the out-post), give it a good shake and leave it to drain, job done.

Videne anti-septic solution can be ordered from the pharmacy section of your local chemist for about £4.50 for a 500ml bottle. When you go to collect it also buy a 5ml baby-dropper (sounds sinister!), cost is just under £1. You'll need that as you only need 2.5ml of Videne to add to 2l of tap water to make a no-rinse sanitiser. Needless to say at 2.5ml measures the bottle will last a long time! And yes, you don't need to rinse after you've drained it out, just let it drain then fill with beer.

[Parva]

I've not had a problem shaking it around the keg and leaving it to drain and it's certainly never been a 'dry' keg that the beer has gone in to. Whatever works for you I guess.

[ADDLED]

Is it ok to leave a weak solution of Videne in the keg? I think mines called Betadene, which i think is almost the same thing.

[ADDLED]

I left around a cupful of betadene solution after cleaning and sanitising, then pressurised the keg. Will it need resanitising? Can anything get in to infect it?

[ADDLED]

Aaah, cheers Chris. I keep stuff well scrubbed after use so its no hassle to give it a quick squirt when I need it.
I get the impression that iodene solution is the most inert of sterilisers so wont corrode plastic and steel etc? I might keep my tap and hoses and stuff in a tub of it.

[boingy]

The best way to store any equipment imo is spotlessly clean and bone dry. Most bacteria don't like being dried out, they either die or form a spore and remain in suspened animation until they are revived or the spore is killed with a sanitiser. All a clean dry hose/bucket/keg requires is quick spray with a no rinse sanitiser to make it servicable.

Yeah, I'd second that. Do the cleaning as soon as you finish using the bucket/keg/whatever then store your equipment however you choose. When you come to use it again give it a quick rinse with clean water to get rid of any dust, dead flies and cat hairs(!) then sanitise and use. Bactreria need stuff to feed on so deny them that meal....