Barrell deep clean

[Sandimas]

Any suggestions how to deep clean a pressure barrel, in particular the lid with an S30 cap?

I had a nasty infection a few years ago, was in my FVs and kegs, I managed to clear it but was never convinced it had gone from the barrel. I did a brew late May and put half in the barrel, and half in bottles. Both initially tasted fine, but the barrel beer has now developed the dreaded TCP taste whilst the bottles are still fine, so I think the infection is back.

 

[foxbat]

Perhaps it's time to try kegging? Nobody ever goes back...

 

[reddibaggie]

I find VWP, one teaspoon to a litre of hot water, half fill the barrel leave it for 12 hours shaking it a few times over that period then turn it upside down on top of a fermenting bucket ( I have a waste paper bin) and leave it there for 12 hours shaking periodically. Sorted, rinse then use.
I have 5 king kegs and 8 corny kegs and still find traditional English ales are much better out of the barrel than the cornies. I do use a 2 beer engines for my king kegs as well and the beer comes out fantastically well.


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[Sandimas]

It's regularly sanitised with VWP, unfortunately it's not getting rid of the infection.

 

[Clint]

Bleach.

 

[marshbrewer]

Soak in oxi cleaner, then as Clint says, bleach. Then rinse, until bleach smell goes.

I find VWP, one teaspoon to a litre of hot water, half fill the barrel leave it for 12 hours shaking it a few times over that period then turn it upside down on top of a fermenting bucket ( I have a waste paper bin) and leave it there for 12 hours shaking periodically. Sorted, rinse then use.
I have 5 king kegs and 8 corny kegs and still find traditional English ales are much better out of the barrel than the cornies. I do use a 2 beer engines for my king kegs as well and the beer comes out fantastically well.


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I'd love to see details of how you've connected your beer engine. Does it introduce air into the keg?

 

[Drunkula]

Bleach.

diluted and then a splash of vineger even better. Make sure you dilute first.

And only a tiny bit of vinegar. It's 8ml bleach to 1.3ml vinegar for a litre of water if you use the super cheap thin bleach. If you've got 5.25% bleach it's 1.3ml per litre of each, 6ml per gallon.

 

[reddibaggie]

Soak in oxi cleaner, then as Clint says, bleach. Then rinse, until bleach smell goes.



I'd love to see details of how you've connected your beer engine. Does it introduce air into the keg?

I’ve connected a piece of pvc pipe on onto the Barr tap, fixed a barbed to 3/8 JG fitting then 3/8 pipe to a non return valve and then to the beer engine. No air is returned to the keg and you get hand drawn cask (ish) beer in the glass. I serve mine through a sprinkler which gives you a nice head. I’ll take some photos tomorrow and post them.


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[reddibaggie]

It's regularly sanitised with VWP, unfortunately it's not getting rid of the infection.

I take it you’ve taken the tap off and bleached along with all your seals and lid. If you have then I think there is something wrong with either your siphon or pipework.


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[Dutto]

My "Go To" sanitiser for deep cleaning is Tesco Thin Bleach!

Mix with water (a 1:10 ratio works for me), soak whatever you wish to sanitise overnight and then rinse in fresh cold water until there is no "bleach" odour.

After that, sanitise with a recognised "No Rinse" sanitiser (e.g. StarSan) and put into use as per normal.

BTW, don't forget to scrub off any debris (especially yeast) from the sides of bottles, kegs etc with a "no scratch" pad or brush. It's easy to just "bleach" something and think it's gone because it can't readily be seen.

That way, something looks clean but there is a layer of gunge remaining that can be used as a starting point for nasties to stick to the sides.

 

[Sadfield]

Save yourself time and water, when rinsing bleach, by following up with a solution of Campden Tablet/Sodium Metabisulphite.


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