Cleaning cornie beer lines

[Northern Brewer]

Now my tap is installed through a wall and not easy to dismantle I'm thinking of easy ways to keep my beer line clean without spending a fortune

I could just use a cornie, stick some cleaner it, pressurise it and put the tap on it, clean the tap then do the same with clean water but this an awful waste of a cornie - it should be full of beer and I want to clean the pipes more regularily than a cornie is emptied (usually )

Was thinking of getting a 9 quid 5 litre pressure sprayer like this or similar and replace the spray pipe with a post of a cornie.

However, I'm thinking that somebody has probably got a cunnig plan already? :hmm:

Any ideas?

 

[Mark1964]

We use cellar beer line cleaner its like a strong bleach 2 litres water to 10ml pour in keg pressurise. Pull it through to the taps then collect in a jug. Throw that away and repeat with videne then with water. Thats how we do it.

 

[Northern Brewer]

Thannks Mark

It's more the method than the chemicals, I don't always have an empty cornie keg when I want clean the tap and pipes. Thats why a pressure sprayer with a cornie post on it came to mind, could still use beer line cleaner in it.

Maybe I shoudl drink more so I alway have a Cornie empty

 

[BrotherMalice]

The pressure sprayer looks like a good option if you can change the connection :)

Let us know how you get on

 

[Northern Brewer]

Will do, just trying to find out where to buy a liquid out post without a cornie attached
I can in the US and I'm probably going over there soon, there is a lot of choice - see here not sure if its a Firestone or Cornie or either - I think they both fit the same QD, just slightly different mountings.

 

[zgoda]

We use cellar beer line cleaner its like a strong bleach 2 litres water to 10ml pour in keg pressurise. Pull it through to the taps then collect in a jug. Throw that away and repeat with videne then with water. Thats how we do it.

I'm doing the same but with hot 3% solution of NaOH, then with oxi and again with pure water.

 

[Kev888]

I've been down this road before too. You'll find it hard to get a post and poppet at a decent price, and even garder to find anything to fit its thread (though you could JBweld something on) and you'd need to get one that doesn't have a loose poppet (some hold them in others don't). Similarly Hop and Grape do a bottle top that fits a corny gas disconnect (lets you inject gas into PET bottles) which can apparantly be hacked to fit product disconnects instead, but thats not cheap either.

So I instead plumped for a 3/8" JG fitting to clean the line and just cleaned the disconnect manually (they disassemble for that so it was a more thorough clean). But it was a bit of a hassle and I broke a couple of disconnect JG fittings taking the line in and out regularly, so I must admit I'm increasingly just using cornies again - whenever one becomes free I fill it with BLC and clean the lines.

Cheers
Kev

 

[Northern Brewer]

Cheers Kev, I'll have to have a bit of a think :hmm:

 

[The Goatreich]

How often should the lines be cleaned? Could you clean them each time a cornie is emptied, so you've always got an empty one?

 

[Northern Brewer]

How often should the lines be cleaned?

Good question - (good) pubs clean their lines at least once a week and it takes me more than a week to sink a cornie - unless the mates come round

Could you clean them each time a cornie is emptied, so you've always got an empty one?

I can now as I have 7 to fill but intend to brew every couple of weeks for the next few to get a stock ready for winter - I won't be brewing as often in winter. If I had a couple of small plastic pressure vessels, one with cleaner and one with water with cornie type posts it would take seconds to clear the lines. Maybe a commercial opportunity here

Cheers
NB

 

[bobsbeer]

Candirect do spare posts. ProductNo: 72491020 EUR 5.77
How easy it would be to get a back nut to fit the 19/32" 18 UNS-2B thread I don't know. But then you could adapt a garden sprayer.

 

[Northern Brewer]

I think this may solve it :hmm:
its a Cornie post adaptor - you can then stick a post anywhere, looks like it might seal in a pressure vessel

 

[Northern Brewer]

Candirect do spare posts. ProductNo: 72491020 EUR 5.77
How easy it would be to get a back nut to fit the 19/32" 18 UNS-2B thread I don't know. But then you could adapt a garden sprayer.

Excellent - this a post adaptor and a dip tube.

There must be other applications too - maybe other kegs that would benefit fron QDs?

 

[bobsbeer]

That looks just the job. :thumb: