Cleaning your lines

[Horners]

As a new user of kegs, I was wondering how you clean your lines between sessions. One option I guess is to attach beer out to a second keg full of sanitiser and flush through the lines but this seems a hassle after one pint.

What do folk do?

 

[LeeH]

I only clean mine after every keg. I have a pump sprayer with a disconnect fitting on the end. Purple beer line cleaner then flush with StarSan.

Blow out with CO2 and leave under pressure until the next keg.

Never lost a beer or had a iffy pint.

Or use the keg with whatever cleaner you are using to clean it with.

I often spray StarSan liberally up the spouts.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Jakeyboi]

I cleaned my lines for the first time in a year a month back. They didn't need it. If anything only the taps needed cleaning. My advice keep your beer flowing and don't fuss. Give it 6 months then run some hot water through them all, dismantle the taps and clean. You'll be surprised how little crud you get out.

 

[welly3]

Yeah, that above. Keep your taps clean, I've occasionally found hop sediment in my taps but the beer lines are fine as long as you keep beer flowing through them!

 

[Horners]

Appreciate the responses. In between pints beer will sit in the line turning to vinegar - do people just run first 1/4 of pint of new session through into drip tray?

 

[Dads_Ale]

I rinse through the line when I change a keg, using the PBW soultion I clean the keg with. This also cleans through the beer out dip tube as I simply connect the keg with cleaner in and run it through, then flush with clean water. I'm cleaning the keg anyway so flushing it through the line is no extra work.

In between sessions I cover the tap spout (think I got the covers from Malt Miller) and next time I run off about a 1/4 pint as this is warm and gets frothy until the 'new' beer comes through. I have only noticed the beer in the line going off if I haven't used the tap for a week or so (not often then) but the fresh beer was still fine.

 

[peebee]

+1 for "pump sprayer with a disconnect fitting on the end".

But at the end of each session? Na. Perhaps at the end of each keg if the beer is different?

To clean the lines between sessions I run another pint through - I keep doing this until I'm happy the lines are clean (more often I've fallen asleep ... or is it just I've fallen?).


(EDIT: Just noticed it says with "disconnect" fitted on the end. I fix a John Guest fitting on the end. Don't know how I made that mistake … I probably needed to clean some beer-line very thoroughly).

 

[Norfolk79]

I rinse through the line when I change a keg, using the PBW soultion I clean the keg with. This also cleans through the beer out dip tube as I simply connect the keg with cleaner in and run it through, then flush with clean water. I'm cleaning the keg anyway so flushing it through the line is no extra work.

In between sessions I cover the tap spout (think I got the covers from Malt Miller) and next time I run off about a 1/4 pint as this is warm and gets frothy until the 'new' beer comes through. I have only noticed the beer in the line going off if I haven't used the tap for a week or so (not often then) but the fresh beer was still fine.

Pbw when cleaning the keg here too, with a flush of tap water and then Star san afterwards (again part of the cleaning & sanitising of the keg before filling)

 

[Zee]

When the corny is finished I disconnect everything and give it a thorough scrub with plan water. Then fill with sanitiser and push out with CO2. This is the time I connect it to the beer line and rinse the line through. I do this every time I finish a corny or re-gas a corny that’s been hanging around. Every time I have a beer from keg I spray the tap with sanitizer (no rinse). When finished I cap the tap for storage. So far this has worked for me! At some point I will PWB the cornies but there is no residue build yet.

 

[dave_h]

I clean my kegs and lines when a keg is empty or about every 4 weeks (feel I should be doing it more ).

I bought a cheap submersible fish tank pump, fill the keg with PBW and then attached the beer line with tap so that the liquid drops back into the keg. Then run it for 20mins (or until remember to turn it off........)

Then do the same with starsan.

I think I read somewhere it was best to run the cleaner in the reverse direction to the normal flow.

 

[brian west]

hi I am new to this sight and to kegging just got a set of 3 kegs and need to clean them as old larger was left in them can someone and crud on bottom I have washed them out with hot water and washing liquid for now have star San but can someone tell me were to get PBW from in england
thanks

 

[Norfolk79]

Most home brew shops should stock it. I know the Malt Miller and the Home Brew Company certainly do.

 

[foxbat]

As a new user of kegs, I was wondering how you clean your lines between sessions. One option I guess is to attach beer out to a second keg full of sanitiser and flush through the lines but this seems a hassle after one pint.

What do folk do?

If it's only a day or two to the next use I just plug the tap with one of these.

Between weekends I'll remove the liquid disconnect from the keg, and tie it up in sanitised cling film. When I reconnect I'll just pull through and discard the content of the beer line that's been there all week.

 

[Portreath]

I think I'll order some of those faucet brushed, nice tip @foxbat.
Just about to clean my keg and lines ready for the next brew to go in. As mentioned above, I too only wash and sanitize the keg, run it through the line under pressure, then do the same with the keg filled with warm water and it's ready for the next keg of ale to go in.