Cleaning pressure barrel

[kidda]

Newbie here and the time has come to clean my pressure barrel for the first time ready for the next brew. It's one of the cheap Youngs barrels and I've filled it with warm water and the youngs cleaner to soak over night.

Question is, am I best just leaving the tap on afterwards or should I be removing it, cleaning, and reinstalling for the next brew or is it ok just to leave on there? Obviously I'll flush the cleaner through it.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

I don’t routinely remove the taps on any of my pressure barrels. Like you I flush cleaning solution through it when I clean the barrel.

I always rinse the barrel, wash the barrel out with soapy water, rinse again, soak in sodium percarbonate, rinse again, and fill. This has always served me well.

 

[kidda]

Perfect, thanks.

 

[cjibbo]

leave it on. Your cleaning solution and any sanitizer you use will get in all the areas your beer will.

Its worth periodically unscrewing and using Vaseline to lubricate the washer to avoid cracking of the rubber leading to leaks. Also do a pressure test before each use with your sanitizer.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

I have 4 pressure barrels I haven't used in a couple of years due to moving to Cornies, bottling and leakage issues. However my cornies are full and I want somewhere to put a batch of summer breeze. I have opened one and well mouldy smell. So I have put 3 litres of water plus oxi clean in and left to soak. I used to clean with washing up liquid. What additional advice would you give me.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

I have 4 pressure barrels I haven't used in a couple of years due to moving to Cornies, bottling and leakage issues. However my cornies are full and I want somewhere to put a batch of summer breeze. I have opened one and well mouldy smell. So I have put 3 litres of water plus oxi clean in and left to soak. I used to clean with washing up liquid. What additional advice would you give me.

Use a nice hot and strong solution of oxi, swill it all round every 5-10 minutes. After an hour, empty it out and rinse well with cold water. Then rinse around with Starsan if you have some and if you wish, with cold water again.

It should smell sweet at this point but you can repeat the process if you’re still worried.

Don’t forget to flush some oxi and Starsan through the tap too.

 

[Buffers brewery]

If you haven’t used the PBs for a couple of years I’d suggest replacing the rubber bands on the S30 valve as well.