Cornelius Sanitising

[arturobandini]

I read today that you shouldn't sanitise Cornelius Kegs with products like Ritchies, VWP etc because they're bleach based. I boiled my lid, posts etc the few times I've use these Kegs, I filled the Keg with appropriate Ritchies to water ratio, left to soak, rinsed thoroughly and then filled with beer.

Stainless and Bleach a big no no?

 

[brewzone]

I have used bleach to sanitize amd clean Cornelius kegs.


I keep the contact time down to around 5 to 10 minutes max and they seem ok!

I think the problem with bleach and stainless is when a small amount is left in the bottom of the keg to evaporate which can cause pitting.

Don't use the thick clingy type bleach.

BZ

 

[arturobandini]

Nice one BZ, I thought any problems may lay with high strength bleach and long contact times. Mind now at ease!

 

[jamesb]

I use beer line cleaner on mine, which is just bleach and caustic. I don't leave it longer than 15-20 minutes.

Fingers crossed, no problems yet.

 

[trunky]

I use VWP and elbow grease as a cleaner I run a bit of VWP through the pipes and taps from a corney and are left to soak for a day or so then are flushed through before use. The corneys are then rinsed and left untill needed when they get sanitized by a no-rinse Iodophor solution.

I don't dismantle the corneys and I dont intend to untill I need to replace seals etc.

Further info ;

http://www.bodensatz.com/staticpages/in ... Kegs-Maint
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC7MDb0IuLs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eu68wZcTztc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zfze6fBYEe4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dIwFVIGXgI

Watching the videos might put you off corneys for life if that was the only way to do it!

 

[Aleman]

I'm with trunky there,

I use antiformin S which is a chlorinated caustic (ie Bleach) for cleaning/sanitising . . . and have left it in the keg for weeks at a time (Lazy b*gger me!) . . . None of my leaking problems are caused by pitting.

I do boil my lid, and every now and again a keg will be stripped down and all the small bits pressure cooked.

I rinse well, and allow to dry, then store dry with the lid off . . . when ready to use I either fill with boiling water or a no rinse sanitiser, then push that out with CO2 and the keg is ready to fill

 

[arturobandini]

Thanks chaps. I haven't had any problems but then I haven't been Corneliusing long and it was those damn American forums that made me think I was giving my kegs cancer. Is it just me or is everything done wildly over-cautiously by our American cousins? Nothing against anyone being thorough but I'm surprised anyone ever gets to drink their beer given the hoop jumping that goes on.

 

[Vossy1]

I've been in the process of doing a sanitising 'how to' for a while now.
When it's finished, I'd like to get other takes on it added, as my ways not the only way...get yours ready chaps :thumb: