Sankey cleaning socket

The place to discuss all things about brewing hygiene!
Post Reply
Oldstunty
Steady Drinker
Posts: 52
Joined: Sun Nov 25, 2018 1:58 pm

Sankey cleaning socket

Post by Oldstunty » Tue Jul 30, 2019 7:37 pm

Evening all.
I'm looking at getting a spare sankey connector just for cleaning out my keg (soon to be kegs),
as I'm fed up of constantly dismantling the connector I already have.
Does anyne have any experience of these Sankey Cleaning Sockets for doing the same job, i.e cleaning solution in through the beer out post and exits via the gas in post? Or is it for something completely different?
I just can't seem to find any information on t'web about these.

Cheers,
Jon

joe1002
Piss Artist
Posts: 241
Joined: Sun May 15, 2011 9:34 pm
Location: Essex

Re: Sankey cleaning socket

Post by joe1002 » Tue Jul 30, 2019 9:18 pm

Those cleaning sockets are for cleaning beer line for instance in pubs. Very basically you take the couplet off the keg and put in on the cleaning socket. You then pump beer line cleaner through the socket which then goes through the coupler, then beer line and ultimately coming out of the serving tap. They are usually run in series so multiple lines can be cleaned at the same time.

User avatar
Kev888
So far gone I'm on the way back again!
Posts: 7701
Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2010 6:22 pm
Location: Derbyshire, UK

Re: Sankey cleaning socket

Post by Kev888 » Wed Jul 31, 2019 10:42 am

Yes, as Joe says, the cleaning sockets are for cleaning the cellar lines rather than the kegs, the coupler just plugs into them instead of a keg.

Breweries usually do the keg cleaning by upturning the keg and flushing it through with various things, using valves to select cleaners, rinse and gas. To do so there are such things as special cleaning couplers, with large internal orifices for the gas side (when being used as a cleaning outlet), but they're like hens teeth on the UK homebrew market. However I find that of the normal ones some are much better than others; for instance I've a pretty old micromatic coupler in which the internal gas orifice is about four times the cross-sectional area of some newer DSL couplers I have.
Kev

Oldstunty
Steady Drinker
Posts: 52
Joined: Sun Nov 25, 2018 1:58 pm

Re: Sankey cleaning socket

Post by Oldstunty » Wed Jul 31, 2019 1:34 pm

Cheers for the replies :-D
I've jerry rigged a cleaning station, basically a bucket with a pond pump in. I then turn the keg upside down and stand it on 2 planks of
wood sat on top of the bucket. I was hoping a cleaning socket would stop having to keep taking apart my coupler.
Oh well, another dedicated coupler for cleaning it is. :(

Cheers,
Jon.

joe1002
Piss Artist
Posts: 241
Joined: Sun May 15, 2011 9:34 pm
Location: Essex

Re: Sankey cleaning socket

Post by joe1002 » Wed Jul 31, 2019 5:00 pm

I use a pond pump with a spray head attached to it. I take the spear out completely.

Image

Oldstunty
Steady Drinker
Posts: 52
Joined: Sun Nov 25, 2018 1:58 pm

Re: Sankey cleaning socket

Post by Oldstunty » Wed Jul 31, 2019 5:40 pm

Same as mine! I don't take the spear out every time,
I've read somewhere that it can eventually damage the thread.

User avatar
Kev888
So far gone I'm on the way back again!
Posts: 7701
Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2010 6:22 pm
Location: Derbyshire, UK

Re: Sankey cleaning socket

Post by Kev888 » Wed Jul 31, 2019 6:34 pm

I suppose eventually the thread will wear, they aren't typically removed all the time in industry - just for repair/replacement and spot-checks on cleanliness. But in a homebrew setting hopefully it will take a lifetime or two to reach that stage. There is a thing called galling that can happen quite quickly between mating stainless threads; I wouldn't have thought the pressures were sufficient here, given the rubber seal, but thats only a guess.

I hope not anyway, as I always remove the spears. Partly because it is just easier with my (lack of) cleaning facilities and partly because kegs are really intended for bright beer, whereas mine can have clumps of yeast and bits of hop in them.
Kev

Oldstunty
Steady Drinker
Posts: 52
Joined: Sun Nov 25, 2018 1:58 pm

Re: Sankey cleaning socket

Post by Oldstunty » Wed Jul 31, 2019 8:37 pm

The other reason I don't take the spear out every time is, and it's a big is, I'm a heavy handed, fix it with a hammer type who will definitely
cross thread it at some point in the near future :mrgreen: :bonk

Post Reply